Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-12-02
YELLOW FEVER ON sHIPBoARD
Experience and Opinions of the Medl-
cal Officers Of the Navy.

DR.. Albert L. Gihon, medical in
spector at Annapolis, who was a dele
gate to the American Public Health
Association, lately in session in Rich
mond, spoke on the subject Of yellow
fever on %shipboord as follows:
| desire to place on record the ex-
perience, and opinions based on that
experience, of the medical officers Of
the navy whom | am here to repre-
sent by the authority of the navy de-
partment. | believe these to be the
unanimous opinions of my colleagues
in the medical corps. If there are
any who dissent from them | have
never met them;
l. The yellow fever ship is always a
foul ship.
2. Foul ships, while often general
ing by their filth other endemic dis
eases, have never yellow fever de
noyo.
3. When a foul ship visits a port
where yellow fever prevails communi-
cation with that place will cause the
development Of yellow fever aboard
that ship.
4. A clean ship may visit a port in
which yellow fever is prevalent, and,
by vigorously abstaining from commu-
nication of any kind with that port.
will escape fever contamination.
5. When yellow fever appears Oh
board a vessel the only safety for the
well is to get them out Of the ship.
g.. The sick can also be removed
from the vessel with entire impunity
to those among whom they ire re.
moved.
Z. Nurses and attendants upon thu
sick with yellow fever aboard ship ar,
not more liable than other occupant
Of the vessel to contract yellow fever.
8. When yellow fever appears OF
board a vessel, it is possible to i'm
prison it by battering down tn,
matches, carefully caulking every posi-
BILE outlet for carnations from tn.
hold and lower decks, and by requir
ing the crew to live and sleep in tn.
open air and the spar deck, and alb
stain from using food, water, clothing
etc, which has been below.
8. If this vessel is removed to
place where bad sanitary condition
prevail, and any of its contents dis
: charged, it will inevitably disseminat
yellow fever.
10. 1t is believed that places to lee
ward of currents of air from such a
! infected vessel will cause the appel
ance of yellow fever in such places.
II, Freight, food, baggage, clothing
etc, cannot be safely removed from il
: fected vessels until they have been ez
: posed to the prolonged continuance {
extreme cold weather.
II. No vessel on which yellow feve
has prevailed can be safely reinhabite
; until after such exposure.
7 10. 1t is believed, but not entirel
! demonstrated, that permeation of dr.,
! hot steam will destroy the germ of We.
low fever. In conclusion, it is our bC
: lief that yellow fever is due to
: specific living germ, the vitality
2 which may be impaired or destroye
by extreme cold, and which rapid
p~ropagates itself when deposited in
u radius of visible or invisible filth.
! The following is a more correC
Z statement of an important part of ii
proceedings of the Association tina
u has been given:
The first proposition voted o.
: namely Yellow fever is a specific di
; ease, not indigenous to or %originatir
I spontaneously in the United State
and its appearance in this country
: always due to a specific cause, was nj
/ adopted by the Association, Aft,
u much debate a proposition offered
2 lieu of it by DR., Gihon was carried
: a vote of thirty'three 10 eleven. TIL
/, proposition was as follows: THE We
low fever of 1878 was a specific diseas
u not indigenous to or originating in Il
a United States, and its appearance
y this country was due to a specit
y cause"