San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1878-09-28
THE YELLOW SCOURGE.
valuable Suggestions and Information
from SurgeOn.Gen. WoOdworth and Oth-
or Authorities.

from SurgeOn.Gen. WOODWORK ana Oth-
or Authorities.
ICor. of the St. Louis Republican,
WASHINGTON, Aug. l6.-Dr. John M.
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 we'll by the sick;
that the germ settles in the clothing,
and can only be spread in that way by
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 a wash bout 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. DR.. 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 bilge-
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 early in 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:
I'm 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
err 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
have about as much resistance OF the
cold as the banana plant. When the
banana stalk is killed down by the frost,
the yellow fever does not recur until
again imported. The germ is trans
missible. 1t is capable of being trans
ported in the clothing or personal eff
fects of passengers and sailors, but its
spread from one city to another is chief
" accomplished by vessels-their damp,
filthy holds and bilge-water being its
favorite lurking-places. Confinement,
moisture and high temperature favor
the multiplication or virulence of the
poison. When a wharf, or spot of
ground or house becomes infected, the
poison at once commences to spread,
creeping slowly in all possible direc-
tons, continually charging the area
around the center of infection unless
checked by disinfection, as has undoubt-
edly been done by the use of carbolic
acid in New Orleans in former out
breaks"
HOW 1T SPREADS.
One curious fact regarding the dis
ease is the manner in which it creepS
from spot TO spot. While the germ or
miasm has hitherto eluded microscope
cal demonstration it has been demon
strated that it moves on the ground and
at the rate of about 40 feet every p
hours. For instance, the disease hav-
ing had a center of infection for seven
days, the use of diSinfectants for a
space of go feet will stamp it out, or
AT least prevent its further movement.
All we'll persons whose effects have been
disinfected may be considered harmless
after six or seven days have elapsed
from the time of leaving an infected dis
trict or vessel, as the period of incuba-
ton of the disease lasts from two to six
DAYS.