The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1882-08-17
YELLOW rsvEn

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OF late years the country, especially this
ection oft, Is subjected 10 mn annual yis-
tation ofuneasiness and alarm caused by
The possible appearance Of that yellow iiend
that has sometimes carried such deynsta- |
ton In his course. BRONZE JonS or yellow
fever. For four summers IL has been care
fully guarded against and kept out OF the
city where in former times II has done such
havoc New Orleans. 1t now appears on
the western portion OF the gulf coast,
Brownsville, Vera Cruz, etc. DIR. SWEAR
IgGEN, OF Austin, has just telegraphed
to the governor of its virulence ct those
points. At Matamoras the Doctor says an
epidemic is prevailing. 1t is to be hoped
that all due precautions will be taken to
prevent the spread of the evil. The Cres-
cent City has fortunately escaped thus far,
nor is it unlikely that she will go through
the season with equal good fortune. The
fearful epidemics of 1858, 1858, 1857, and
1873 were surely enough to entitle that I'M
lucky city to long exemption. with all
the progress that medical science has
made, it has failed to either learn
the nature of that dread disease or
to provide remedy or antiseptic.
Within the past twenty-five years 1t has
decidedly changed some of its most pre-
dominating characteristics. There was
time when to be among the pineries was
considered q sure exemption, no cases ever
l. RI there.
Again, before the war it rarely, if ever, at
tackled the negro. Another popularity was
its close and intimate friendship for the
coast and its absence from the interior All
these things have changed. In 1867 large
number of the colored people were attack
ed, with fatal consequences ensuing In
1873 the story of Memphis contradicted
more positively than on prior occasion
the theory that it never found its
resiuence in the interior. One
m noticeable feature in the New Orleans
epidemic of four summers ago was ITS
prevalence in the most clearly, aristocratic
and ordinarily most heslthful portion OF
the city, viz: the beautiful first and fourth
districts. In the second and third districts,
where the streets were narrow, where the
markets, with refuse vegetables, meats,
fruits. ETC., were giving out apparently I'M
healthy CARNATIONS, and where foul, close
tenements were numerous, there was less
of the fever. So, too, of Metarie ridge,
where many places were submerged ana
where che stagnant waters were covered
with bilious, greenish yellow. Whether
this fatal disease is indigenous to such
places as New Orleans, Memphis, etc., or
whether it is imported, has as
vet received no positive answer.
Whether it is contagious or not, that is to
say, whether person living and sleeping
in the same room with another one who is
afflicted with it, will contract it, is also an
open question. Often they Will ana as
often, perhaps, not. So too, we are with
out information as to whether the germ
theory will apply. five are not mistaken,
the blood of persons suffering from maIa-
rial poisons, parasitic organisms, trans
parent, spherical forms provided with hne
filaments in rapid movement, have ire
quently been detected, supposed to be AMI
malcules. These are said to be quickly
DESTROYED by solution Of sulphate OF
auininc. 1t would seem as If this one step
in the process might lead to additional
light, as the yellow fever is very much like
the malarial in all its symptoms and in
much of its progress. Indeed SO near AKIN
are they in the first three or four days de-
yelopment that the most skilled yellow
fever physicians in the carly summer III
yellow fever districts, are puzzled to dis
tinctlv tell the real status of the case.
What is to be done in all this ignorance 1t
is difficult to say. Are we to wait for some
accidental discovery, like vaccination pre-
or some other curative remedial
like quinine.agsinst the return of chills and
ever? Is Impossible that innoculatson to
produce the fever in mild form is the solu- |
ion? Indeed, being only layman, We
niebt 90 on with dozens of suggestions
probably absurd 10 the profession
Il mind. but 1t would really seem
hat disease that brings such
iayoc when once it starts on its career is
worthy OF the most serious consideration oil
he people, the physicians and the govern
nent. Only the other day we saw S1S'Ooo
~ the United States government appro,
,riated for the purposes OF the national
BOARD of health, which has its existence
mainly because oil such a disease - tic ycI- /
ow fever. We saw nearly OO,oOo given
o rivers and harbors. In It's lavish gener-
,sity II congress had have offered portion
# either sum, as sort Of premium or prize,
o any person who should discover a pre-
entatiye against the intrusion into these
Iarbors, or a remedy for the infections OF
hat sailor, BRONZE JoHS, that nov carries
# into the port Of the Nevermore thous-
nds Of life's yoyagers, it might have been
hat some great boon would have fallen to
ne lap Of poor humanity.