Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1879-03-25
A New Theory for the Transmission of
the Yellow Fever Germ.
The Galveston News saws

Inc UalN6SlOu NEWS says
DIR. Jacob West has published in
the Boerne (Texas) Register an ably
written letter on the suject of yellow
fever. In this letter the doctor makes
statements which are of rather an
alarming nature, because Of their
showing that the yellow fever germ
finds a favorite and a favorable means
of transmission in the coffee imported
into our country. As four-ffths Of
the coffee consumed in the United
States comes from the very hotbeds of
the yellow fever pestilence, the follow
ing extracts will be read with interest:
In 1861 the town of Liberty had de-
clared and was enforcing quarantine
against Galveston, where yellow fever
wa prevailing, and it being a small
town, and everybody on the alert. a
stranger could not have come nor
goods imported without being known.
The steamboat Ruthven came from
Galveston, and when within a mile or
two of town, was ordered to stop. and
the captain stated that if he was
allowed to land on the bank of the
river a sack of coffee that he had on
board for Mr.. Kicker, he would take
his steamer down the river. This per-
mission was granted, and the sack of
coffee was placed on the bank and the
boat Immediately left. The coffee was
hauled to Liberty and opened By Mr..
Kicker at his store, and in a few DAYS
he was taken sick with yellow fever
and died. His wife and SER
wants were the next cases. aud
then it spread all over town. In this
instance the yellow fever infection
was clearly traceable through this sack
Of coffee. The second instance Is as
follows In 1870. in passing through
Galveston on ms way to Corpus
Christi, | met Hon. +. B. Pickett.
who gave me a list Of names Of fami-
lies who had moved from Liberty
county some years before. and had
settled on the Nueees river. near
Corpus Christi. On reaching COrUus
Christi | visited the settlements men
toned, and learned that nearly all the
families we're dead-had died Of yel-
low fever. The story as related to me
IN person BY several parties living in
the immediate neighborhood. and by
a few members Of the stricken fami.
lies, who had survived the scourge. is /
rs follows
During the epidemic of 1861 coffee
gave out in the neighborhood. and a
mar who had had the yellow fever was
selected to go to Corpus Christi, if
teen miles distant, to buy a sack Of
coffee and drive to a certain mes1uit
tree in the Nueces valley, near a place
known as Meanwhile. and there TO
divide the coffee into separate sacks.
previously deposited in this tree ton
and limbs. In twenty-fou hours after
the coffee was thus divided aud sus-
pended in the tree top, the several
parties interested went there and got
their respective portions of coffee. and
into every family in which this coffee
was introduced, in a few days yellow
fever broke out and ragged with fearful
fatality. felt a deep interest in the
matter, and was very particular in
my inquiries, and the testimony
OF all parties interested proved be-
yond a doubt that it was the sack of
coffee that conveyed the disease. for
not a single family escaped who used
the coffee, and other families did
escape who had no interest in the cof-
fee and received none, and from the
farther fact that all the families were
attacked about the same time, and no
other communication with Corpus
Christi or other place Of infection wa.
had. It will be observed that thil
sack Of coffee was transported in a
wagon exposed in the open air for ff.
teen miles and then opened, divided
then placed in small sacks and agair
exposed in the open air for twenty,
four hours. The yellow fever germ
still lived, aud as o o as the con.
ditions were favorable acted with
great yiru lence.