Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-01-04

The Investigation at New Orleans--Doctors
Disasrcoing as to the Cause, One Claiming
it is Not Indigenous, and Another That
It's.
New ORLEANS, Jan. 3.-Before the yellow
fever commission, DR.. Loeber, practicing
physician and member Of the board of
healty, testified to the case of Elliott, of the
steamer Souder, who was treated by him.
The case was congestive fever, and this dag
nosis was concurred in by Dr.. Boyer, of the
Hotel Dieu, who saw Elliott before his death.
DR.. Loeber said in the course of his exami-
nation:
l believe yellow fever to be indigenous to
thu place, and I do not think that the cpl
demic of 1873 can be traced to any imported
causes. do not believe quarantine can
affect the appearance of an epidemic. I
believe in the germ theory, and that fever is
reproduced from a specific germ not liable
tc destruction, as Far as Z can aather from
my experiments by chemical means I be-
lleve yellow fever to be indigenous because
it has never been satisfactorily proven to me
to be imported. But at the same time I
cannot say that it has always
been indigenous. If the conditions.
atmospheric and other causes are not pres
ent, or not favorable, disease is not gene
rated from the germ, and in this way I ac-
count for the years in which we have es-
capped yellow fever in an epidemic form.
also believe the germs to be indigenous to
Mobile and Galveston. AS regards Vicks-
burg and Memphis, believe it to have been
imported from New Orleans. believe that
the best means of prevention are by a thor
ouSh hygenlc system in this city, such
as IS in operation in New York and
Baltimore, where also believe the germs to
have been indigenous, and where believe
these were eradicated by strenuous sanitary
regulations Necessary conditions are heat,
long continued moisture, a lack of efficient
hy5en1c measures, improper drainage, and
general low condition of sanitary regula-
tlons. In some regions of this city which
were extremely filthy, account for the alb
sence OF fever by the absence of germ.
Had the germ been present think fever in
an aggravated form would have been pres
ent. believe in atmospheric influence to
the extent that the germs may be trans
mltted by currents of air, but to what ex-
tent cannot say.
DIR. Jos. Jones, member of the board of
health, was examined. He says yellow fever
Cail pe Imported, DuI ne could not trace the
last epidemic to that source. He believes
epidemic can occur in New Orleans without
importation, provided causes are favorable.
Is in favor of rigid quarantine, not of the
present lax system, rigid quarantine here,
and also against Mobile and Calves
ton if quarantine there should be lax, and
inefficient. He believes in the germ theory,
although he has not much studied it. Be-
lieyes the disease can be reproduced. Has
experimental with animals by injecting
yellow fever germs in their bodies, which
resulted in the death of the animal in twelve
hours. Has never seen such results accruinp
from injections with the blood of Other
febrile diseases.
The committee adjourned till tomorrow
Senator Paddock will leave tomorrow fcl
Washington; perhaps also General Hooker
The rest of the committee will continue the
Investigation