The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-01-05
THE FEVER COMMITTEE.
TMR INVESTIGATION CONTINUED-THE
TESTIMONY YESTERDAY.


DIR. sMYTHE
was the first witness. and testified as follows:
To Mr.. Lamar-It has been the impression
for O hundred years that the disease was
brought here. and yetthe question Is still under
discussion. think that wherever the disease
spreads it originated there / think an epidemic
would have existed at Memphis. Grenada
vicksburg and the other places; where there
was an epidemic 1t would have originated ever
Orleans. do not think quarantine keeps II
out. The disease is pecul lar Ia being local Ii
s aea i s ss ss teD ass
ton OF some places where there was auaran.
tine. r.,
pheric conditions generate the disease. have
on vessels which had not touched at any port
stay In the house are slow to contract the dis
ease, while. those who run around take II
ton has anything to do with the disease. !
measure, There is peculiar circumstance
when We have an epidemic we have UNUSUALLY
large crops: the worse The epidemic the greater
tbs e q az mDo M
do not think that large populations have any
thing to do with 1t. l have known It to b. eak
out on plantations having scarcely any connec-
10 Mr., Gibson-I do not think that the poison
Is caDable Of propagating itself. It is not. 10
another / think that the diseas originated at
the points IN which 1t appeared on the lines Of
taken to Natchez without its spreading Just as
70 MI. Eastisniti is disputed point at the
present time whether or not the disease Is i'm
ported. A rigid quarantine would determine
the question. and | know q No better method
epidemics appeared. and the iact that they are
caused by Imp or sation has not been established
and think the fact that it Is In dispute is point
against the theory. L thi PIX national auaran-
tine. considered Independent of this disease. Is
necessity OF the near future.
TO Gen. Hooker-In. years previous to rail
road communication the disease prevailed Ia
the interior country: 1 do not think that We
ever had such favorable climatic conditions for
WIZ tS Year had snd
1t before 1.-THE disease was communicated. 1t
would be shown In the hospital. I would as
which thu Porter touched to causes existing In
the locality think that the poison can be car
ried IN clothing and goods. but / think that 1t
otherwise 1t would not spread.
To Mr.. Lamar-It is not germ which is car
Dc no DENY isa Il Is y
poison. like smallpox poison but. unlike 1t, It
does not multiply In the individual. There are
patient which can communicate the disease.
TO Mr.. PaddOck-It ID a common occurrence
IN New Orleans that ships come here with fever
70 Dr. Wooaworth s sPt believe that the poison
. mot fh sS than
living organism. I,would account for the fact
that the fever prevailed at point three N les
only ct that point, on the ground that the dis
ease does not spread that It Is Of peculiar local
as that the
70 Mr.. Paddock-f do not think that the sani-
tary condition OF hospital explains the CIR
TO DR.. Woodworth- fact that It prevailed
in the neiRhborhood Of the depots proves that
ing. II the disease spreads It shows that the
locality Is capab!s o. generating the poison. I
wa s.n member ot the Board Of Health for eight
ated here. It was about three years ago. in
the winter; II it did it would break out one
year In the spot where 1t originated In the pre-.
yious year but It does not !; It always breaks out
10 pr. ohaiiie first cases saw in 1878
were IL AUGUST. believe # is not contagious.
portabe bet az the dssise Is not
do not think that NTH causes It or assists I'm in ts
liable to second attack Of yellow fever than
they are to second attack Of small -pox. / have
only known OF two or three cases where persons
nave had the fever twice after the lapse OF
several years. One attack is comparatively an
immunity from the disease. know Of no other
contaGI GUS nor infectious. Is transportable and
yet an ettack OF which gives exemption. There
s HrG no ulseaSes whose origin can be traced to
Mrvsink oIRanlsms. ken ls simply local disease.
IneIe are diseases which originate from germs.
nave al no an n ,oca that tho d,ssos 10 ,,
propagate itself. No other disease which has
the contagious or tDfec ious nature, has that
local cnaracier-they all spread. believe that
tne SLOW process OF acclfmaton In time exempts
man from the fever. think the circum-
S saance you mention about the driver OF the
Cnar1ty Hospital wagon, for thirteen years
ariyipg the dead bodies Of yellow fever patients.
Anu men dying himself OF virulent case, only
proves that the disease Is not communicable. |
az not see why We cannot decide the cause
Inv ~ OF sne disease as we'll In this city as
~ any otner place.
DIR. AUSTIN
was next IN tho etand. Thevo hoar r.,o.,o,
In yellow fever sndenics s;nca oe soad practcng
ticed in nearly ali the anidamc .''s sir p ,ba.
time. lam member If pha Rno "a ~ Maa .Hht
/ commenced the stndy ~ velSnw f y, e1 Nth