The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1879-08-01
Ehe KmOWabIe OF yellow
Fever.

majority of doctors agree with refer
ence to yellow fever, and that is, that
its active principle is found in germs,
as is the case with cholera, typhoid, etc,
and that the germs are not only por-
table but possess an apparently self
proPelling power which results in their
procession from one locality to another
at a slow rate of speed.
There are facts however, which con-
tradict the theory,of the procession of
germs near the surface of the earth.
Yellow fever has been known to climb
New Castle, Jamaica, which is on a
Nheight of 1000 feet, and great many
years ago the disease even travelled
from Vera Cruz and climbed seven
thousand feet of elevation aud became
epidemic in such an usually pure at
mosphere as that of the city of Mexico.
These are rare cases, however, and on
ly denote the eccentricities of the dis
case.
, Another fact developed from the in
telligent scrutiny of last year is that
agencies which will effectively combat
small-box, cholera, typhoid aud other
fifth diseases frequently prove power
less when used against Yellow fever,
which finds its nest where it is warm
and moist, and many combine with
any one of half a dozen conditions to
become destroyer.
Low, swampy ground in the tropics,
long continued high temperature aud
south winds; filth in cities and on ship
board; long>continued calm weather,
unbroken by thunder-storms the expo
matter to iercely hot sun; insufficient
sure of decaying vegetable and animal
drainage and the exhalatioDs from dis
turbed ground are the conditions for
the propagation of yellow fever. In
combination with any one of hem the
germs may be melted to activity.
Without the presence of plant of
yellow fever, defective drainage, open
ing of sewers, throwing up new earth,
will of themselves. never produce yell
low fever. They may engender mala
ia and typhoid, but not the scourage of
the South.
New Orleans was exempt from yellow
fever up to 1896, although previous to
that year, communication was constant
ly kept up with the West Indies and
South Amearica. The disease made
its appearance in New York and at
other Northern points several times
before it visited New Orleans for the
first time. In 1922 it was especially
violent at New York. In 1904 Brock
Ign assailed, and again in 1909, 1923,
1860. Thus, in the case of the latter,
we find the disease introduced in city
situated on a higher level than New
York. The conditions happened to be
favorable, and were from the quaran
tine and infected vessels which had
come up to the city, and brought the
poison with them.
1t is noticeable that the present out
look at Memphis cannot be attributed
TO a lack of quarantine regulations a.
New Orleans. There is 60 yellow fe
yer at that city, and every precaution
has been taken, both to keep the dis
ease from being imported from foreign
infected ports and to place the city in
as good sanitary condition as its un-
favorable situation will allow. The pc
culiarity of the Memphis attack has
apparently favored the theory that
quarantine is useless. There are not
many physicians, we believe, who have
given any attention to yellow fever
who will agree to this paragement
of quarantine. The yellow fever reach
ed Memphis in 1878 because of care-
lessness in the administration of the
quarantine laws. That is a conceded
fact. The morbific poison was planted
at Memphis, and only awaited favoring
conditions in 1879 to fructify. Quar-
antine has saved New York aud Phila
delphia many time from the devasta-
tions of the scourge. II it is enforced
at New Orleans above and below the
city, the city will escape. The Gordon
sanitdire Natchez drew around herself
fever which ragged and stormed around
it. The quarantine process is very
much simpli6ed by The ascertained fact
that yellow fever is not communicated
from the sick to the we'll, and that
persons coming from infected districts
are harmless when the period of the
incubation of the poison germ is past,
which is from two to six days. The
detention of passengers is, therefore,
slight, and vessels, after having their
cargoes subjected to thorough disin-
fection, are allowed to proceed, those
persons, upon either vessels, steamers
or railways, who have contracted the
disease, being detained at the hospitals.
AS each succeeding year of yellow
fever epidemic adds to our knowledge
of the ways of the dreadful scourge,
it will eventually be brought under as
complete control as some other diseases
which were once regarded as uncon-
Querable. 1t would seem that the most
important feature in the study of yel
low fever would be the endeavor to
organize an assault of the civilized
world upon the localities where yellow
fever and cholera are epidemic. The
cholera has its home in India and
Persia. From the sacred shrines in
those countries the disease travels
along, with the pilgrim hordes, the
great caravan routes and by sea to Eu.
rope, Africa and America The yel
low fever, starting first from the west
coast of Africa, has become endemic
in Brazil and the West Indies. That
scourge assails this country usually
from Rio de Janerio or Havana. 1t
would seem reasonable to suppose that
some earnest negotiations with the
governments of Spain and Brazil
would lead to the proper sanitary reg
slations at Havana and Rio, which
would greatly minimize the danger to
which we are periodically exposed from
those cities. The late Surgeon Gen.
eral Woodworth, in a paper on quar-
antine published few years ago, said.