The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-10
LETTER FROM DIR. BRICKELL.
VIEWS OF AN EMINENT PHYSICIAN
ON YELLOW FEVER.

compelled t0appear and to state facts and Civ
opinions, and suppose the same will be en-
DOdied In your report to the country and &
Congress, Of course desire to appear prop
eriy on the record, and / most respectfuli,
present you the following summary Of fact.
and opinions, and beg that it be received an,
appended to your report. Ii am not mis-
taken, this favor has been extended to Dr
Chopin and others.
/. have seen and treated the disease
low fever.from the epidemic of 1S4S to tina
OF 1878 inclusive; and In city and country.
O. believe that the disease can be- and has
been, imported.
3. believe that the disease is transmissi
BILE and that 1t is not-that is, that when car
rled from one point to another 1t must fine
tne conditions or surroundings necessary Il
Its propegation, or 1t will not spread.
Therefore, the disease has at times beer
brought to New Orleans and to other places
and has not spread.
In illustration OF this point, cited the cas-,
| carried to Cooper's Well In 1853 mot will
fully, the case that bought its way through
Gen. Buffers boasted military quarantine II
September, 1869, and the case carried from
Memphis or Shreveport into New York City
by rail, In September, 1873-as well as cases
known il,9 % TO have been carried into New York BY
rail during the past summer.
4. la view OF the foregoing, It Is difficult to
establish the fact that u given shin or nerson
spreads yellow fever. Yet ali the probabili.
ties OF the ship or person having done SO NAV
be strong, and even satisfactory TO many
minds.
8. believe that 1t most probable that vel
low fever was originally brought to New Or
leans; but l also believe that It has long ago
become engrafted on us, and that 1t has ap-
peared mere In summers. and will appear
again, independent OF importation from
abroad. l am satisfied that saw the first
case that appeared here In 1s67-the young
English servant man OF Mr.. j. o. Nixon. liy-
Ing on st. Charles street, between Julia and
tilrod-the central and granite paved por-
ton 9f our city. The most careful inquiry
revealed no connection OF this man with any
ship, or passengers OF q ship; the city was
perfectly healthy at the time and I Onlv saw
the patient after the fever had passed off. /
predicted an epidemic on the strength OF the
case, and 1t came speedily.
6. On the subject of quarantine. really de-
sire to see the experiment OF a thorough QUAR-
antine tried. 1t will be pure experiment.. but
IL Is demanded by all the existing conditions.
!. But when asked Ii quarantine will keen
fever out say 1t is my opinion that an ab-
solatsiy sffielent quarantine cannot be Of
1ected: Why? Because man Is not honest
enough to quarantine himself Not that all
men are dishonest, but because many are.
and most are more or less weak.
l Illustrated this by. giving an account Of
my seeing the New York quarantine violated
which let the ship Emily Souder through In
1878. l also illustrated the proposition that
man can defeat man by calling attention to
The necessary progressive growth OF thick
ness OF iron armOr on ships, In consequences of
trate.
II you will allow me. / will add another H.
ustratiOn.
During the late war the city OF vicksburp
vas completely invested by the army and
lavy OF the United States. Gen. Pemberton
mi Txxh
md gentleman and soldier (now living) was
ound to safely carry out and return with dis
patches. No quarantine will ever be SO com
,lete as the investment Of Vicksburg.
also called attention to the positive VIOLA
ion OF Gen, Buffers military quarantine in
1862 through the influence OF money
q L condemned the so-called ''shot-gun
quarantine, when extended to the point OF
abroad lines and rivers being cut by com
nunities living thereon. A town has right
Q 3 prevent passengers or freight stopping In
is limits, but no right to prevent trains or
'oats passing to other points.
.. When asked II believed that the Emily
ouder brought the late epidemic here. / re-
lied, no. First, because the case Of Purser
LARK never had been proved to be yellow
les were very strong that Elliott did have
elbow fever. nevertheless the fact that his |
a6e was never so pronounced by his attend |
~ physicians while he lived, together with |
ne fact that the officially recorded certificate |
Ahlbits ~! different cause OF death, strongly
l1litated against the proposition.
But was reminded that competent medical |
len mad examined the body OF Elliott and /
ad pronounced the pathological phenomena |
oserved to be positively those of yellow fe- |
er; and was asked If did not recognize
lch phenomena as being positively indicative
replied that the great weight OF profess
onal opinion was against me on this subject |
tne pathology OF yellow fever, and IL was
ltn great diffdence that announced that I |
q not consider this point settled one-that
en- dled at an dates in yellow fever (from
< or twelve hours to ten daysl and could
)t therefore, present the same pathological
nenOmena; and that it was not in NV
oinion, settled fact that the phenomena
aimed were peculiar to yellow fever. / also
'Id tnat my own personal observations did
ere always to be found.
gave another reason, which consider
rong, why l did not believe the SOuder
ought yellow fever here, viz: That it was
e or six weeks after Clark and Elliott died
fore the disease appeared among our peo-
e, and then it appeared remote from the
,lnts where these men died.
'. Being asked what relation filth bears to
g spread OF yellow fever, | said that INV
union Is that there Is no reason to believe
az Nth produces the disease, but that, as in
Idemics OF other diseases, most probably
,anliness Is advantageous.
10. Mobile being cited as probably being a
immunity that had escaped an epidemic !,
though having yellow fever) because OF ..
ing cut off from New Orleans, / denied the
oposition, and pointed to the facts OF yellow
'er often existing to u limited extent In many ,
nmunities, and especially to this fact ia the 3
20 OF the large city OF New Orleans OF late 2
ars.
!. denied the proposition that so-calIed q
nported cases" Of yellow fever are any y
re likely to produce epidemics or that epi- I
mics following importation are any more y y
1ere. Iot
respectfully beg to say that the foregoing, .
hOugh not In positive words, Is In sub q
nee the expression OF my views before the e
nmission. OF course, during my examina- y
q there was much more said than is here q
bodied, but nothing that would at all
lnge the sense or meaning OF what 1 here In
down. tE
lost respectfully, your obedient servant. Il
d. WARREN BRICKELI. M. ID. III
lew Orleans. January 9, 1879. IN
/. ,B-When asked II did not believe that =.
tchez had escaped yellow fever "a l67S. and n
!. as result Of quarantine, I replied thSf n
i hoe did not always mean pyoi3fer ~ a -
chez did escape; but dId ~ fnSsvy fTst ~