National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-01-24

Artificial FROST and Yellow Fever.
There are two facts universally accepted at
Tho present time. The first is that yellow fever
is disease dependent on heat, and that cold
or the absence of heat will paralyze and de-
stroy the virulent poison on which its propa-
cation depends. There is no virtue in natural
frost. temperature below the freezing point
of wator obtained by any means Is the best
and simplest disinfectant and purifier yet dis
covered.
pGstNFECTASTs ALMOST USELESS.
There are medical men who think they can
circumscribe aud circumvent yellow fover by
carbolic acid. Others prefer moro volatile poi
sons capable of killing spores in the atmos'
phcre, but that problom is said to be about as
difficult as eXtcrminating the fish in the ocean.
by poison. IL can't be done.
QUARANTINE PROPOSALS..
The plan of insisting on non-iutercOurse has
saved many a city, and the lives of intruders
were In danger in various points on the Gulf
and the Mississippi River when less rigid
exclusion of people and things might have led
to an indctiuite MULTIPLICATION Of the scenes of
dosolation in Memphis, Grenada, and other
plague-striCkcn centres. No sooner did the
temperature drop below 60o or 5Oe Fahr., with
perhaps some colder spells at night, than the
smiling aspect of Southern cities returned and
refugees were recalled to their homes The
officers of the Howard Association were wary.
They continued all TO suffer privatons of dis
tance, for they would be refused succor till
after the occurrence Of tho first black frost.
FEVER POISON CONCENTRATED.
1t is quito evident that plague.stricken ships
aud houses. hospitals, and quarantine grounds
may at any season he subjected to artificial
frost, with view to attack the masses OF con-
taminnted matter omanating from the sick,
and which should be kept from unlimited diff
fusion. Scarcely any attention has been paid
to this isolation Of infected centres, except by
useless aud obnoxious disiniectants. Heat
drives the germs, or spores, or minsns, or what
ever pcrmcatcs the surroundings Of the sick,
to uuattanablc aud untraeeable spots, so that
these may attack many within the area of such
diffusion, and each case Is new centre of pes
Ulcntial cmanatiOu.
HEAT DtFFUsEs THE POISON.
There is, therefore, no doubt that il heat by
itself is not capable Of cngondering yellow
fever it is undoubtedly the active cause in its
increase 1t Is mOtion--an unseen agency
working for the good or i'll of man according
TO the conditions under which it mauifcsts it.
self
COLD CIRCUMsCRfBEs tT.
II is not known whether the poisonous pos
tules which arc undoubtedly discharged by
tho sick are actually destroyed by cold. In
tense heat no doubt kills them, aud ships
might bc steamed out where the remedy is
worse than the infection, so far as merchant
vessel is concerned. Meu.of war are strpt
aud enforced TO temperatures below zero at
Portland, Me. aud elsewhere, but the Govern
ment provides the means. No one is ruined
Ivy laying up a Ship for weeks aud months.
AZ Il rule time and cleanliness etilce the
contagious tendencies but it is also suspected
that fever germs lie dormant, unless, it is said,
they are frozen. Frost adde's an egg and will
kill many animal and vegetable seeds, so that
il is scarcely to be wondered tt, with the ezpe-
rience of the past before u.s. If the cooling down
to sufficiently low temperature is deemed
sufficient, in all probability, to prevent the re
production of yellow fever germs.
PROPOSED SANITARY MEASURES.
Since the effects of low temperature are
rarely experienced in some Parts Of the South,
aud III that vast coast territory in Central
America, where yellow fever Is epidemic 1t is
proposed to prevent ships in the hot season
discharging their clouds of infected matter on