The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-08
fnE FEVER COMMITTEE
IMPORTANT TESTIMONY.
tiou or mrs. Richardson, Urick-
Ell. Axsou ana Mercier.

DIR. II. q. RICHARDSON.
=. senator Lamar-Has been living herr
q ..-,.tv years. off and on Has no positive
a 81 s.,,.viedre of epidemic yellow fever In thii
S-s.,n,rv. Was not i'm this city during cpl
sss,ica previous to tho last. Is not entitled
= hold a very decided opir.ion In regard to itl
{ .,,lgin. Az to its being Imported or indigo
so,,s that question is OF such complicated
sst,,re that / would not venture to express .
...,sitive opinion without very much greater
;krvaatleatlon than have ever given 1t. As t.
4h,a germ theory Of yellow fever, 1 do no
think IL quite covers the ground. think thu
ether theory which Is not quite so popular
row.a-days, which is known as the secretory
- ulandular theory--tha theory that 1t L
glven off from the body by secretion or ema
r.tiop-it seems to me, is q much more philo
4 sonhical doctrine. That question Is some
that Of Importance with reference to the
! laws that govern yellow fever, and In eluci.
dating those laws. tits simply an organized
.orm. that can be waited anywhere by the
linda. II It Is a secretion or emanation from
the body. then It ID not 80 liable to be carried
In the air. =,
n Den. Gjbson-I cannot say that 1t will
oonse TO exist after q suitable length of time
Alter its emanatiOn or secretion. III It ~
secreted. OF course IL cofnes out through the
sir which we expire and the surface OF the
akin. and mingles with the OBJECTIONS OF the
hodv. iust as Ia cholera, and its bearing upon
Tia question OF Importation Is one OF con-
adorable interest. To my mind, IL the dis
ease had been germ, II might very readily
IA conveyed through atmospheric Influences
winds and currents OF air. But | dls6elieye
contrary on that polnt-that the disease can
nat be carried by currents OF air. The Ameri-
f,au Consul at Vera Cruz, who La physician,
informed me that he never witnessed case Of
yellow fever on en- American vessel lying In
fhe roadstead at that place, Notwithstanding
the fact that the fever YVES raging In the city
n Vera Cruz, The anchorage is between The
fort and the city, about mile from land ;
therefore he has been compelled to give clean
bills Of health to all American vessels leaving
Dr. Green (having been absent when DIR.
Richardson began questioned the doctor re-
rarding his theory as to. the origin OF yellow
fever. The doctor repeated the facts recorded
above for the information of DR.. Green, and
also stated that he had no knowledge Of the
ps Ia Gen. Gibson~The first epidemic in Rio
Japero was in 1s49 or 1850. The inhabitants
Of Rio arc positive that yellow fever Is i'm
ported, and not indigenous.
TO Senator Lamar--Hls attention has never
been given to the practical operation Of quar-
antine laws.
DIR. D. ". HRIcKELL
was next examined.
To Senator Lamar Came here thirty years
ago. His first acquaintance with epidemic
yellow fever was In 1s4s, the next In 1856, and
from then on. His opinion is that no facts
can be adduced to prove that yellow fever Is
imported: that Of 1867, as well as the past
epidemic included. Does not think that 1t can
be proven that the Souder brought the fever
Tbaro haa haftp npgfivp nrnOf thnt
Mr.. Clark died with yellow fever. The same
can be said with reference to Mr.. Elliott. The
physician who attended MIR. Elliott before his
admission to Hotel Dieu did not pronounce
his case of fever. but 1t was so determined
ate. his death by post norton examination.
In the search for facts. independent OF opin-
Ion, there Is no witness connected with those
cases who can prove, from personal knowl-
edge, that Clark and Elliott died Of yellow
fever. In the epidemic Of 1867. from personal
knowledge, he has no idea that the fever OF
that year was imported. The first case Of
that year was the servant ian Englishman) of
j. O. Nixon, tie proprietor OF the Crescent.
This case occurred L. the ne. month .A q June;
case published In the DEMOCRAT during the
last epidemic, In relation to the evasion OF
quarantine during Buffers reign, In 1862. The
Doctor informed the committee that the dy-
ing man stated to him that he had DO ught his
way through Buffers quarantine In Septem-
Is perfectly willing to admit that the vel.
low fever was first imported here: he is sat
lsfied that It has occurred, and will occur
should Be placed IN perfect sanitary condi.
ton, In order to mitigate that or any other
epidemic. Does not believe that man is hon.
est enough to quarantine himself. Does not
believe that Mr.. Clark was subjected TO g
critical examination In order to test whether
he had yellow fever ornot.
To Gen. Hooker--In 1866 he was carried on
board OF q steamship bound for New York; he
was sick. He was the only physician on the
vessel. He attended many cases Of fever on
board Of the vessel, after leaving this port.
The quarantine officer came on board the cap
tain OF the vessel came to him, and requested
him, II he did not wish to be quarantined to
allow himself to be placed on deck. The
officer was introduced to him. The
health of the vessel, which were answered. |
he did not inspect any one on the ship. There
we're many sick. One gentleman was propped |
up In chair, surrounded by ladies, and q |
newspaper placed In his hand. That official
81 It, with cigars and brandy. The captain
was spoken to In regard to the matter,
md he said lit was nobody's business" l
q september, 1873. he was called. to
New York. In that month one man
Yellow fever. He died. Black vomit was on
lie clothes. He died In the slums OF New
fork. No one else took the fever. II New
FORK does quarantine, she only shuts the
ront door and opens the back. Because It
I'D prevail once In New York, and because
few York did quarantine, is no reason WHY I
has not prevailed since. He knows it has
occurred there since. Believes that New
FORK and philadelphia will have yellow fever
gain. On the point Of post-mortem examin-
lions he expressed his opinion with q great
cal OF difildence. The probability OF Elliott's
aving yellow fever Ia strong
To Senator Lamar--He attributes the emf
emic outside Of the city. and the proba Bill
les are very strong, to the fact that il was
arried to Grenada, Vicksburg, Holly
prings, etc. In 1858, he went to Cooper's
FELL; it was crowded. Within four or five
avs an Irish servant girl whom he had en-
aged at Yazoo City, took the fever. He
[e had gone to Vicksburg to buy some toilet
rticles for his barber shop. He was re- ,
loved to shanty and got we'll No one else
Cooper's Well took the fever that year. {
ext year the town was depopulated by yell
w fever. Mobile had yellow fever |
lie ond Lnauv huf cfin 49,