National Republican., 1883-08-02
THE TAWNY TERROR.
Is it Produced by PhOSphOreNent Poison from
the Sea?
Views OF Physician who Has Pissed
Through Twenty-Five Epldemics.

One of the best practical authorities on
yellow fever in the country is DR.. Greenville
Dowell, late of Galveston, Texas, professor of
surgery in the Texas medical college and
hospital. He has passed through twenty-f
epdemics of yellow fever, and it is only rea-
sonable to assume that he is well posted on
the subject. He passed through Washington
few days ago, on his way to New York, and
while here he was interviewed on the causes
of yellow fever and the means of cure.
There is an investigation now being made,
he said to show the similarity between phos-
phorus poison and yellow fever. The atten-
tion of the profession was first called to this
fact by an eminent physician of Paris in a
clinical lecture on phosphorus poison. This in
vestigation is continued by Mellier in his work
on yellow fever He demonstrates that the ship
which brought the yellow fever to st. Lazaire
had been in the harbor of Havana, and that
seventeen days after leaving there the fever
broke out during storm when the matches
were battoned down. He was satisfied that
the ship had received the phosphorous poison
in the harbor of Havana from the phosphor-
essence of the sea, and he gave other instances
under which similar results had been observed.
The doctor says upon further investigation
of this subject by French authors that the
fact had been mentioned before by Other
French authors. Coudelicie observed this
phosphorescence in the bay of Martanague,
and on investigation found that 1T was pro-
duced by the microscopic germ noctilucer
meialices, this germ being taken into the
ship, where it became decomposed by excess
sive heat and developed free phoshhorus. This
was inhaled by the sailors, and produced q
specified poison that developed into an cpl
demic of yellow fever.
He further states that the ship which
brought it to Mazilla affected all who went
aboard of her, and the sailors who were taken
away, when they were treated, affected
Others they came in contact with.
This investigation has been continued by
other French writers and investigators, con-
inued DR.. Dowell, and it seems to be now
lettled that this is the true cause of yellow
fever, adding: This comes nearer explaining
the cause Of yellow fever than anything yet
set forth
1876 is known to have been caused by the
throwing out of the ballast Of an infected
ship in the harbor.
How long do you consider the disease can
remain in the system before it is developed
into fever?
Judging from what have seen myself, it
may develop any time within twenty-four
hours or twenty -four days. In Memphis out
of sixty-fve doctors, who went there and who
had not suffered from yellow fever, sixty -four
took it, The earliest period after exposure,
that any of them were effected, was twenty
four hours and the latest twenty-tour days,
the average being ten days.
We have accounts of ships leaving infected
ports in which the disease did not develop
under twenty-five days, and there is an in
stance where it was forty-three days.
The doctor gave it as his belief that the
fever is contagious, and stated that he is sus-
tanned in that belief by most of the Spanish,
French, and Portuguese authors. So far as the
words infection and contagion are concerned
dictionaries make no distinction. The word
contagion in its strict sense means such
diseases as can be taken by direct contact.
Infectious diseases spread their poison through
such mediums as atmospheric air, water, &c.
To the latter class, strictly speaking, believe
yellow fever to belong.
Constant change of the atmosphere con-
slider to be a perfect protection, and think
that cold, condensng, or freezing will destroy
the poison so that it cannot be taken into the
system.
Being asked what he would do to destroy
the poison in ship he replied that he was
satisfied that reduction of the temperature
inside of ship to point below freezing will
destroy the poison or prevent it from acting.
The doctor further says that it is not always
practical to produce this temperature, and
he suggests that all ships trading in sec
tions liable to be infected with yellow fever
be built so that they can be dsinfected by
wind sails or fans in the bow and stern, so as
to make current of air and produce constant
change of atmosphere in the whole ship. All
bilge water can be pumped out without re-
moving the cargoes. All ballast should be
round stones, iron, or iron tanks filled with
water.
On the question of quarantine the doctor
gave the following thought: 81 think all
ships coming from an infected port and known
lnVn had the liSnnSa hoard m
quarantined; but countries where the disease
had not been known TO exist should not be
quarantined against"
As there are now only five places in the
world where yellow fever is known to be
prevailing it would only be necessary to
quarantine against those places. In justifica-
tion of this fact it is we'll known that yellow
fever has not existed at any one place con-
tinuously where it has appeared and been in
its worst form; it has run it's course and dis
appeared not appearing again for from fifty
to one hundred and fifty years.
Being asked how he could on this theory
account for the redevelopment of yellow fever
on the United States man-of-war Plymouth,
replied that I'm a cold latitude the poison
was neutrali2ed by a reduction of the tenn
perature so that it could not be taken into
the system, but that when the Plymouth re-
turned to q hot climate this poison was re-
volatalized and by that means it filed the at
mosphere and was introduced into the system.
We have instances where ships have been
broken to pieces when persons engaged in re-
moving the wreck have taken the fever For
instance, in the case of the ship Virginia, at
New Orleans in 1864, when she was put on
the dry docks and her bilge water let out
the captain and men who worked on her took
the yellow fever.
SMILE the Longfelow Cigars. You'll like
it. ~,