The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-12
YELLOW FEVER.
IL IT IMPORTED IOR INDIGENOUS TO
NEW ORLEANS?
To the Editor Of the Democrat:

| To the Editor OF the Democrat:
| Now that the national government has In
| itiated an inquiry tthe commission has ad-
journed too soon to be called an investiga-
| tom upon the subject of yellow fever In con-
nectlon with recommended system oil
| national quarantine, the question grows in
| Importance and cannot be too carefully or
| too closely considered. A national uuaran-
| tine involves an additional array of national
| employees, and this recommended system
proposes to swell the vast and ruinous army
of public officials already too numerous for
the public well-5eing. This is but another
step towards centralized government,
whose form is being outlined upon the hori-
ION Of our political future with precision
already too clearly defined for the real friends
and advocates OF republican institutions and
Of democratic simplicity.
Therefore, all such believers should insist
upon knowing whether or not there be not
more danger lurking In national quarantine
than there is from the yellow fever, against
which the national quarantine recommends
tion Is specially and ostentatiously aimed.
Few, If indeed any, subjects have contrib
uted more largely to medical literature than
this very one OF yellow fever. A disease
pressing itself upon the most serious atten-
ton of the medical profession year by year,
for decades on top of decades, as yellow fever
has done, could not possibly be ignored, and
1t has justly claimed and received the most
constant and earnest study In all it's bear
ings.
Why, we read that lat the beginning Of the
present century, and for some years after,
the yellow fever element was SO mingled with
the great concerns OF humanity that it excit-
ed the public mind to an unexampled degree;
in the cabinet and in the field, In the legisla-
tive halls and in medical schools, both at
home and abroad. 1t had long been the con-
queror OF armies and navies, and now 1854
threatened to desolate the peninsular OF
Europe. Its contagiousness was a leading
topic on which s.a reports, pamphlets. and
self. Neutrality was scarcely possible In a
matter so deeply involving the interests,
passions and transactions OF humanity.
Opinions founded on mere hypothesis con-
corning the cause of this malady, which re-
mains to this day unknown, were not for that
reason less, but even more positive and dog
matte Af1idavits and affronts, certificates
and satlres, logic and duels lin some cases
both parties. the contagionist and the nom
and personal invective, bad air and worse
legislation, divided the professional and I'M
professional on this question"
For the instructive facts following, / am in
debted to the special report OF the fevers OF
New Orleans. particularly the yellow fever Of
1885," by Prof. L. D. Fenner, M. D., Of New
Orleans. The bare mention of the name of
this distinguished and lamented physician
and thorough gentleman is introduction
enough.
DIR. Fenner writes: ut appears from the
records that period Of nine years, from the
first OF January, 1841, to the first of January,
1850, there was admitted into this hospital
Charity Hospital OF New Oreans) 1926 pa
TENTS. Let it not be forgotten that during
the time specified, there was but one year
(1845) in which our city was exempt from yell
low fever. During the nine years specified,
on selecting the month In which yellow fever
was worst, we found the following relative
OF intermittent fevers at the Chari-
ty Hospital: