The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1878-09-11
The Yellow Fever.
REPORT OF AN ENGLISH COMMISSION ON
THE ORIGIN AND CAUSES OF YELLOW
FEVER

First-That yellow fever epidenics breal
out simultaneously in different and distan
towns, aud in diff.re and distant parts o
the same town. often under circum stance!
In which communication with infected per
sons Is impossible.
Second-That Yellow fever epidemics art
usually preceded by the occurrence OF indi-
Vidual or sporadic cases ofthe disc lse, which
sporadic cases are likewise common in sea-
sous when no epidemic prevails.
Third-That the yellow fever epidemics
though occasionally extending over large
| tracts OF country, are more frequently linn
| tied as to the space over VIII ch they spread
often not involving the whole of a town,
and sometimes not even any considerable
| distric. OF iu.
Fourth-That yellow fever epidemics do
not spread from district 70 district by any
rule of gradual progression, but often
ravage certain localities, while they spare
| entirely, or visit very lightly. others in the
| immediate neighborhood with which the
Inhabitants are in constant intercOmmuni-
cation.
Fifth-The yellow fever epdemics, when
they invade "a district, do not spread from
| houses first infected To the next, and thence
Co the adjoining, aud thus extend from a
| center, but. on the contrary, often
| strictly confined TO particular houses on one
| side OF street to particular rooms in the
| same house, and often even to particular
| rooms in the same story.
| SiXtl-That in general. when yellow fe-
yer bre tks out in a family. only one or two
| individuals are attacked; commonly the at
| PENDANTS on the sick escape; and when sew
! eral mem bers of IA family are successfully
| attacked or the attendants on the sick suf-
| fer, either the epidemic was general in the
| localities or the individual had gone into an
| infected district.
Seventh - That when yellow fever is
| prevalent in locality the most rigid seclu-
sion in that locality affords no protection
| from the disease.
Eighth-That on the other hand. SO great
| is the success attending the removal from an
infected locality, and the dispersion of the
sick in a healthy district, that by this meas
| IRE alone the further progress of an epi-
dem C is often arrested at once
Ninth-That such dispersion of che sick is
followed by no transmission of the disease,
| not even when the sick are placed in the
wards of a hospital, among patients labor
ing under other maladieS.
Tenth--That no one of the preceding
facts can be IecOnciled with any other con-
clusion than that, whatever may b. the eX-
citing cause of yellow fever, it is local or
epidemic in its origin, and the evidence OF
this conclusion is therefore cumulative.
Eleventh-That the conditions which in
f1uence the localization of yellow fever, are
known. definite, and, to great extent re-
moval, and are substantially the same as the
localiZing causes OF cholera and all other
epidemic diseases.
Twelfth--That, as in the case of all other
epidemic diseases, in proportion as these
lOcaliZing causes are removed or diminish
ed. yellow fever ceases to appear, or Tecurs
at more distant intervals and i'll milder
forms.
Thrteenth-That, besides the common
external localiZing causes there is one con-
stitutiOnal predispOsing cause of paramount
importance, namel y non acclimatlon-le.,
the state of the system produced by resi-
dence in cold climate; in other words,
European blood exposed to the action of
tropical heat; the practical lesson being
that the utmost care should be taken to pre-
vent individuals or bodies of men recently
arrived from the yellow fever zone FROM
going into a district in which the disease
actually exists or has recently been present.
Fourteenth-That there is no evidence to
prove that yellow fever has ever been I'M
ported.
Fifteenth-That consequently the means
of protection from yellow fever are not
quarantine restrictions and sanitary cor
dOns, but sanitary works and operations,
having for their object the removal and pre-
vention of the several localizing conditions,
and when Snch nermanent works are I'M
practicable, the TEN pOrary removal, as far
as may be possible, OF the population from
the infected localities.
We deem it our duty to state, in conclu-
sion, that from the most careful eXamlna-
ton which we have been able to make of
the mass of evidence submitted TO us, from
which the foregoing conclusions have been
deduced we have not found a single fact or
observation clearly ascertained or authenti-
cally recorded opposed to the general tenor
OF such evidence. We have met with no
exceptional cases. We have, indeed, found
the opinions of some authorities, for whom
we entertain great respect, not in accord
ance on some points, but these have refer
ence for the most part, to matters of pure
" professional and scientific nature. On
the great practical question, whether,what-
ever NAV be the nature and mode of propa
CATION of yellow fever, quarantines and
sanitary cordons can afford any real pro-
lection against its introduction and spread,
we believe there is now very general una
nimity of opinion, in accordance with the
evidence we have submitted, that they can
not. We believe that there is the like gen.
eral agreement in this practical conclusion
that the substitution of sanitary and n.y.
gienic measures for quarantine, isolation
and restriction would afford mere certain
and effectual protection
All of which we humbly certify to your
majesty.
T. SoUTHwooD SMITH,
SHAFTESRURY,
(SITA