New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-08-02
THE ORIGIY or PLAG UES.

Common sense rather than medical science ex-
plains the recent outbreak Of yellow fever IN the
Southwest. Its origin this season Is attributed by
The Memphis Arnidnche to the cupidity and criminal
folly of those who either neglected or refused to ne
stroy the bed-cothng, and especially the woollen
blankets upon which patients had died during the
previous year. 1t is now known that in many IN
stances woollen clothing that had been hangingIn
sicll-rooms was packed in trunks. and that during
the Winter the poorer classes slept upon bed
ding and between blankets that had been exposed
to infection. One woman, for example, preserved
in a wooden box all the clothing worn by her hus-
band. who had died of the fever, and was unwilling
to burn even the bed-clothcs on which he had died,
stained as they were with black vomit The frosts
could have no effect uponfever germs in fabrics that
were kept warm by kitchen fires during the day,
and in some instances by the heat of the sleepels
body at night and when the midsummer days
came, the poisons of pestilence were generated
anew. THIS Is the theory which is generally ac-
ceped i'm Memphis.
A similar conclusion respecting the origin Of the
Aslatic plague has been reached by one OF the
greatest authorities on infectious diseases. This
is Professor ,iTsch, the chef commissioner sent to
the Yolga Valley by the German Governments In
the course Of a lecture recently delivered before the
Medical Association of Berlin, he stated that there
were only two countries which had been visited by
the plague before the outbreak in Wetlianka.
These were Persia and Mesopotamia. For couclu-
siye reasons he rejected the theory of introduce
ton of the disease from Persia. He also declared
that after the most thorough investigation he was
convinced that an infection of the Turkish Army by
troops from Baglad and a consequent cOmmunIca-
ton of the plague germs TO the Russian Army could
not have taken place. A devastating epidemic
could not have remained latent IN
great army. Spotted typhus had appeared,
but even among the Cossacks sent home not
a single case Of plague had been reported. Profess
Hrsch contends that only one hypothesis is ten
able namely, that the plague was transmitted by
infected blankets and clothing, Booty had been
sent from Armenia to Wctauka in post packets,
and in many Instances illness and death followed
the opening and handling of these infected goods.
The objection has been raised that although booty
IN abundance had been sent to many other villages,
yet the plague was confined TO comparatively
small section OF the Yoiga Valley. The Professors
explanation is that the spoil which fell into the
hands Of a few regiments or companies consisted of
packed goods sent to Armenia from MesOpotamia,
where there had been an outbreak of the plague.
When these blankets and woollen goods were I'M
packed in che Russian villages, the poison was diff
fused and the contag6n communicated. The rest
of the spoil did not come from pague-Spots.
The analogy between these sCOurgeS so far as
their origin Is concerned, is remarkable In each
case the germs preserved in woollen fabrics for
many months, and are communicated under atmos-
pher.c conditions favorable TO their development.
Professor IIirsch and his associates Of the German
Commission did not reach the pague-striclen re-
giOn until the disease had been stamped out, but
they made a careful examination of the topograph-
zeal features of the Volca Valley and of the sani-
tary condition of the villages, and collected mass
Of testimony bearing upon the nature and spread of
the plague Their report will remove many mi>con-
ceptions and do much good. Our own National
Board of Health, wuIch was organized last June,
might probably promote investigations of this
kind in the Mississippi Valley. It's body invested
with supervisory control over local boards of health
but its utility is still to be demonstrated. 1t occu-
pies itself mainly in publishing circulars concerning
disiniectants and quarantine, and IN compiling an
elaborate National Health Bulletin" There is
useful and necessary work which this National
Board can do If it viii. 1t ought TO brace up and
do