The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1878-08-22
THE YELLOW SCOURGE.
Valuable Suggestions and Information
from SurgeOn-Gen. Woodwork and 9th
ar Ant

Valuable Suggestions and Information
from SurgeOn-Gen. Woodwork and 9th
er Authorities.
[Cor. of the St. Louis Republican,
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16.-Dr. John NJ.
Woodwork, Surgeon-General Mercan-
tile Hospital Service, who has super
vision of all quarantine matters, has
studied the general subject of quaran-
tine with reference to cholera and yell
low fever. He is, by his official posi-
ton and by reputation in his profession,
an authority on the subject. l called
upon him to day, and gathered many
facts regarding the yellow fever epidem-
ic which are of interest at this time, not
only as interesting reading but of value
and importance to the general public,
which has a more or less vague idea of
the danger of yellow fever epidemics
DR.. Woodwork holds that yellow fever
can not be given to the well by the sick;
that the germ settles in the clothing,
and can only be spread in that. way by
a person having the disease. There
fore, if case of yellow fever should ar
rive in st. Louis, by disinfecting the
sick PERSONS apparel, or better, by
burning it, that person can not spread
the disease. This, he says, has been
clearly and completely demonstrated
many times by quarantine officials at
New York and elsewhere. Patients
where this precaution regarding the
clothing or effects was observed have
never been known to give the disease to
attendants. There has even been an in
stance where vessel lying at Havana,
when that city was suffering from very
severe siege of the epidemic, has been
kept clear of the disease, although it
was surrounded by other vessels which
were infected and which had on board
numerous cases, through careful atten-
ton to the use of disinfectants. The
sailors used quinine both internally and
as wash about the air passages of the
nose and mouth, as the disease passes
through these passages only. The ship
was also thoroughly ventilated and so
escaped. DIR. Woodwork recommends
such precaution and holds that they are
better than all land guarantees. He
say it can not be carried in the mails.
In fact he doubts the efficacy of using
the quarantine by land. 1t is his opin
ion that the disease finds its favorite
lurking place in the holds and blge-
water of ships.
THE PRESENT EPIDEMIC.
Speaking of the present epidemic Dr.
Woodwork says that no man could
make prediction as to its end, as it be-
gan SO earlyin the year, and as the tenn
perature throughout the exposed regions
has been high with cloudy weather.
the most inviting circumstances for the
disease. The following interesting facts
are gathered from his reports of this
and previous years. He says, in cir
cular recently issued:
+" In some instances it has been car
ried inland with the people fleeing from
infected localities, but it has never
shown disposition to spread epidemi-
cally at points remote from the contin-
uous water-roads of commerce, or to
lodge in high salubrious places. The
cities of the great lakes have always
been free from the disease. Yellow few
er can not be said to be endemic in
the United States, from the fact that in
some years it does not appear, though
the imported germ undoubtedly sur
wives the mild winters. 1t appears to