Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1878-11-22
NATIONAL HEALTH ASSO
CIATION.
Ren,rt of the Yellow Fever
Commission.

RNHNpNp, NoNtiuDti -. ~ 'iiS '~'
siam oi the National Health Association
Sorgeon J. s. Billings, OF the Cuited
S,,,es army. submitted report from the
,,nmitter to which WAS referred the
,.rrral report OF the Yellow Fever Com
1i..ion, setting forth that they had
Examined said report and return It TO
,L,. Executive Committee with the fol-
owing remarks: u
rirst-That it is evident the Yellow
Fryer Commission exercised great dill.
srnce in collecting data with regard
:, the late epidemic, and that its labors
IN This direction deserve the approba-
ian poi the American Public Health AS
,riatiOn.
>rrond-That the preliminary con-
rIp.inns presented are in accord with
,hr prevailing opinion OF the medical
vrir.-ion oi this and other countries,
With the exception oi that relating to
tlSnlcctlnn.
Third-The method Of investigation
gursurd hv the Commission is consid-
rrd satisfactory, and, in fact, the only
op, which could have been employed so
iras obtaining the history Of this epl
!rnc Is concerned.
Fonrth-lt is belived To be vi great
Importance that the investigation thus
commenced should he made as thorough
aud complete H. possible, in accordance
with methods Of the Commission. The
Commission think it proper TO observe
that the investigation should take
much wider range, since what is desired
,,s obtain. if possible, a knowledge nf
the cause oi yeHow feyer--a knowledge
which the most complete history "i the
rpilpmic that can ne made will not be
ahe TO furnish. Ii yellow fever, a.
material thing, some means are desired
ii recognizing the presence "1 that
lhng other than the lact OF the occur
renee Of specific disease III the human
subject. and hence one uf the first things
10 be- sought j. some animal or organism
IN which it may be possible to produce
either yellow lever or some Speclhc or
rrrogniLahr effect of yellow fever In
arounts oI yellow levers are various
A.msions 70 animal lie. Certain an
a.osirs between the yellow fever
Ml tie Texas or Spanish cattle
liver have been pointed out,
ndt ~ vet the test mentioned has
MI only not been found but il has
av, been mcth6dically sought. II APP
yraTs. however. this is the first and
u"sl important step in the inNestlga-
Ion. Ii the current theories about yellow
trtcr are correct, the yellow lever
l"iSan may be developed by adding
some one ur more OF cNcretiOnS or fluids
ul persons affected with yellow fever To
drcomr"simg organic matter, under
veil known conditions Oi temperature
animoisture. We have then To carry out
The process of elimination IL find out
What constituents oi the decaying filth
are essential. and what is non-essentlal
10 the production OF the poison; and at
he same time To seek the chemical or
mcrusCopiCal means of recognizing the
presence Oi either the cause OF the
POISON, or the poison itself, III
"nter To get rid OF the necessity
d rc-orting to physiological test
Cl no rulatiOm L prove It's presenC,
IN this brief sketch of what would hc
Considered 4 satisfactory demonstration
oI the cause OF yellow fever, there is
but one provisional hypothesis. The
prevailing and popular one has been
Considered. Several others must he
'gyn'ldercd and tested, but in each and
aI the greatest and first desider-
alum is an easily applied test
@ the presence Of the poison.
1t needs but moments reflection
10 see that the period when an epidemic
+ raging, Is not the time to carry out
'lrI Researches. Probably the best
place 10 carry on such an investigation
would I've the city of Havana 1t must
,rcear that such an investigation will
require much time and labor. and that
rs results should be presented and ac-
"mpanied by clear and convincing
evidence