The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1878-09-28
On YeslGw Fever.
A Theory IN Explanation of Why
1t appears IN so malignant Il
Norm this Year.
Mobile Register

The citizens of Citronelle, Ala.
held a mass meeting last week,
for the purpose Of consulting as
to some means of more effectually
guarding their place against the
introduction of yellow fever, and
Prof. J. 2. Stelle being present,
was called up for al address. III
the course of his remarks he said:
You read in many of the papers
that the unusually mali gnant form
assumed by the yellow fever this
year is due to IL neglect of proper
sanitary regulations on the part
of the cities and towns in which
it is now doing it's fearful work.
While | am ready to admit that
the severity of yellow fever may
be materially toned down by due
care to proper sanitary regula-
tions, | feel authorized to assure
you that the papers have gone
too far in the wholesale assertions
that they have made with refer
ence to the cause giving rise to
the malignity exhibited by the
scourge at its present visitation.
The city of New Orleans may not
have been in the best possible con
dition when the fever first APP
peared there, but | know tull we'll
that all the cities above New Or
leans had made due preparations
for its coming, owing to the fact
that ample time Tor making such
preparations intervened between
the date of its outbreak in New
Orleans and the time of it's ap
pearance in the other places. |
have it from first class authori-
ties that every city above New Or
leans improved that time to good
advantage, and that Memphis es-
pecially, where the fever is now
raging with snch deadly effect,
was in as favorable q sanitary
condition as energy and an ample
expenditure of means could pussi-
bly, work up.
Then. again, this charge of neg
lecting to clean up the street, and
so on, could not bemadeto apply to
the many country towns and vii
lagos (sOme of them mere scatter
ing settlements) that have been
depopulated by the scourge !;
hence we must look to some 9th
er for it's unusual virulence, as
exhibited at every locality where
it has obtained footing since it's
first appearance in New Orleans
on the 18th of July last.
/ think my friends | have for
you a better explanation OF the
startling phenomenon than any
YOU have yet seen in the papers,
You who are read up Oh the sub.
ject know that yellow fever is a
child of the West Indies. 1t has
it's origin there, and there it is Ell
tirelv at home in all seasons O.
the year. With them it does not
often prevail to that alarming ex
tent which now and then charac
terizes it here. Tnis is owing t(
the fact that the natives are sc
fully acclimatcd to the peculiari
ties of the country that they arr
not liable to take yellow fever
and hence its work is mainly con
fined to foreign materials -unac
| climated persons who have drop
ped in there from regions beyon'
the lines of the tropics. And nos
5 for the explanation:
All of you know that the se.'
. sou through which We are nov
passing has been a most remarkt
bic one in many particulars. n
the North they had no wintel, S
to speak, and IL portion of thei
: past summer was characterize
q by highest temperature experieI
e ced for many years. This ha
|, doubtless, been caused ~ sou
planetary or other infringemel
unou the established laws of nj