Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-03-25

apprehension as TO lew remarks ABOUT
yellow fever which appeared in the
HERALD Of Sunday, apropos Of the In.
tsrview Of . reporter Of this paper with
Behor Loustannau, the Secretary OF State
for Sonora, in which that gentleman
stated that two cases Of this fell disease
had already appeared at Guaymas. While
It Is right that all proper sanitary pre-.
cautions should be taken, at all times,
against both epidemical and endemical
diseases, whether they should reach Los
Angeles from China or Mexico or be gen.
Grated here, we do not propose to figure
In the role OF an alarmist. Last year,
while the yellow fever was not only dec
imating but annihilating the people OF
Guaymas and Hermosillo-when the
death record In that sparsely settled re-
gion ran up to the hundreds daily, and
was 80 great as to appall the stoutest
hearts that beat within one hundred
miles Of the Mexican line. the HERALD
assured the people Of Los Angeles that
they were In no danger if they would
adopt the most ordinary sanitary pre-
cautions. II IL well known fact that
yellow fever stops at amountain altitude
Of twenty-seven hundred feet. There ID
In tho atmosphere Of Los Angeles
purity and q vigor, during the
Summer season, begotton Of tho daily
land and sea broezcs, which Is moro than
the equivalent Of the rarefied and repel.
lent mountain air in opidemics Of this
description. We do not believe that II
10 possible for Yellow Fever to germinate
here, and we are quite certain that the
most ordinary precautions would render
. chance imported patient, If properly
guarded, absolutely innocuous to the
public health. At the same time we do
not propose to take any risks; and,
should the Yellow Fever again appear
with great virulsnce in Sonora this city
yla.5dndoubtedly station o competent
sanitary official OF Yuma and at the
Colorado crossing Of the Southern
Pacific to make 1t certain that those
already attacked by the malady, who
should seek refuge here. would be
stopped at the California line. 1t is
worthy Of note that the only year in
which the Yellow Fever ever put in an
appearance in Sonora was during the
unsxampled drouth, for that region, of
last year. Thus, On the Pacific Coast Of
Mexico, o scant rainfall seems to be the
favorable local condition for the ravages
Of the black vomit. In this connection
II will be remembered that the famous
season of drouth lS76-77 was coincidsnt, in
Los Angeles county, with the memorable
smallpox epidemic which SO devastated
the native California element OF this
city. While in the tropical portions Of
Mexico and Of the West Indies heavy
rainfall seems to favor all forms Of Cpl
dsmio and endemic disease, in the west.
ern States of Mexico and the United
Statea itseems to have directly contrary
effect. The cause is not far to seek. In
the tropical countries there is always
present innumerable fungus growths
which, under the conditions of supera.
bundant moisture and superheated at
mosphere, evolve miasmatic and mala.
rial diseases. On the other hand,
countries like Sonora, which are as dry
a. punk, and which depend upon the
drenching, seasonal rains to do their
scavenger work in the towns, the failure
of the usual precipitation, with the pres
ence of the inevitable tropical sun in the
Spring and Summer, are placed precisely
in the plight Of the inhabitants OF Vera
Cruz and Of the West Indies. The chem
isal agencies are different, but the path
illogical result is the same.
If proper sanitary precautions had
been taken in the handling of the dead
yellow fever patients of Guaymas ant
Hermosillo last year, the restoration O.
the normal rainfall ofSonora would have
also brought back her usual modest
death record. We are inclined to be
lieve that this will be largely the cas-,
anyhow. At all events Los Angeles
W hich has been drenshed as she wal
never drenched before since the Ameri
can occupation, will be radiantly health,
during the coming twelvemonth. The
only question will be as to whether W,
shall suffer ourselves to be made hos
pital for our Sonora and Sinaloa neigh
bors Of the sister Republic of Mexico.
Let no one doubt that the reputation
which Los Angeles has received as 1
sanitarium will be maintained in the fu
ture as in the past. The native Califor
mans having at last consented to be vac
cinated, the last danger from an cpl
demic has disappeared.