The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1879-04-24
A New Theory for the Transmission OF
the YellOW.Feyer Germ.

DR.. Jacob S. West has published in
the Boerne (Texas) Register an ably
written letter on the subject of yellow
fever. In this letter the Doctor makes
statements which are of rather an alarm
ing nature, because of their showing
that the yellow-fever germ finds favor
ite and 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
hot-beds of the yellow-fever pestilence,
the following extracts will be read with
interest:
"In 1867 the town of Liberty had de-
clared and was enforcing quarantine
against Galveston, where yellow fever
was prevailing, and it being small
town, and every body on the alert, q
stranger could not have come nor goods
have been imported without it being
known. The steamboat Ruthven came
from Galveston, and when within q mile
OF. 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 steam
er down the river. This permission was
granted, 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
servants were the next cases, and then
it spread all over the town. In this in
stance the yellow-fever infection was
clearly traceable through this sack OF
coffee. The second instance is as fol-
lows: In 1870, in passing through Gal
weston on my way to Corpus Christi, l
met Hon. E. B. Pickett, who gave me .
list of names of families who had moved
from Liberty County some years be-
fore, and had settled ON the Nueces Riv-
er near Corpus Christi. On reaching
Corpus Christi 1 visited the settlement
mentioned, and learned that nearly all
the families we're dead; had died of
yellow fever. The story as related to
me in person by several parties living
in the immediate neighborhood, and by
few members of the stricken families
who had survived the scourge, is as fol-
lows:
"During the epidemic Of 1867. coffee
gave out in the neghborhood, and man
who had had the yellow fever was se-
lected to go to Corpus Christi, fifteen
miles distant, to buy sack of coffee
and drive to q certain mesquit tree in
the Nueces Valley. near place known
as Meansville, and there to divide the
coffee into separate sacks, pre-
viously deposited in this tree
top and limbs. In twenty-four hours
after the coffee was thus divided and
suspended 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. I felt deep interest in the
matter and was very particular in my
inquiries, and the testimony of all par
ties interested proved beyond doubt
that it was the sack of coffee that con-
veyed the disease, for not single fami-
ly escaped who used the coffee, and
other families did escape who had no
interest in the coffee and received none.
and from the further fact that all fami-
lies were attacked about the same time.
and no other communication with Cor.
pus Christi or other place Of infection
was had. It will be observed that this
sack of coffee was transported in q
wagon exposed in the open air for II
/ miles and then opened, divided, ther
placed in small sacks and again exposed
in the open air TOR "a hours. The vel
low fever germ still lived, and as soor
as the conditions were favorable acted
with great virulence."
CooKIEs-1 cupful Of butter, Il cup
fuls Of sugar, eggs well beaten, ! cup
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