Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-02-11
YELLOW FEVER EJACULATION.
The zo-ospores of the Mexican savAnt
Subjected to Close scrutiny
.r -s,, .1a Negs York Herald.

From rho AcdG iOfh Aefusos
Much interest has been aroused among
tho physicians OF New York city by the
disnatch from Washington to the effect
tbat Congress was about TO APP
noi8ts commissioner to investi-
cate the prevention Of yellow
ever by the methods of DR.. Carmona, OF
Mexico. and DR.. F'reire, of Brazil. The
description of DIR. Carmona's germ theory
n,ethod of incubation was widely read
and discussed, not only by the saVants,
mt alaO by that large class or New
Yorkers who by business or family ues
areintimately connected with the portion
If the country liable to receive this sum-
qer visit from ''yellow jack" On all
sides the hope was fervently expressed
that Congress would not falter II Its pur-
nose. hut would pass the bill creating a
Commission. which would begin work at
once.a
Among physicians DR.. CarmOna's theo-
|. Ysfes and methods were subjected TO much
criticism, which was in the greater part
favorable. Below are given interviews
with a few medical men who have had
more or less knowledge Of yellow fever
and the germ theory Of disease.
DIR. DOUGLAS AGREES WITH CARMoNA.
..The article" said DIR. j. II. Douglas,
"on DR.. CarmOna's method is a very
valuable contribution to medical science.
The theory propounded is in accordance
with my own ideas and my own practice.
] have always regarded intermittent
faver and epidemic catarrh as caused by
the presence OF vegetable parasite, and
have treated all my cases on that sup
position with the object of destroying the
parasites. My methods of cure have been
on the line OF Carmona's method, though
his application or it in the way OF inOcula-
ton must be regarded for the present as
experimental.
~ had heard of this Brazilian method
of DR.. Freire, but had not become
familiar with it in its various details I'M
til read the article in the Herald. |
think that the incubation method has in
it the power of preventing the deadly eff
fects of yellow fever and of saving the
life OF tho patient. But still it should be
remembered that we who are here in this
part of the country know very little about
yellow fever, mainly because we have
so few opportunities OF dealing
with it. l have lived in
New Orleans and pracHced there,
yet would not undertake to speak with
any authority about it. l attach cOnsid-
cradle importance to CarmOnas method,
because it is the application Of the same
practice that we adopt in incubation for
bH6 bluhil-pOA ny tu6 lulIOuuCt4Ou VI Tic
bovine virus. So that when CarmOna
says that the 'inoculation zO-ospOres are
incapable OF producing the yellow fever,
since, between the Zo-ospOres and the
mucedinee, or mushroom growth from
the spOre, there is still an evolution which
has not taken place. l am inclined to
think that that is in conformity with all
that we know Of the true principle Of in
OculatiOn."
''ON THE RIGHT TRACK"
81 have had very much to do with vel
low fever patients" said DR.. S. A. Brown,
"and come frequently in contact with per-
sons from South America and the South
ern States, where this fever most prevails.
] have read the article on CarmOna's
method and l think that it has reason on
its side. While, of course, the mode
adopted is at present in an experimental
stage, and, therefore, cannot be spoken
about with very great confidence at pres
ent, still / have no doubt that in time 1t
:. will be received with as much approval
and respect as the application of bovine
virus for the smallpox. In the classified
tion of the microphyte Carmona is on the
right track and l thoroughly believe that
epidemic feVerS are traceable to Vegeta-
bic parasite in the system"
PATIENT INVESTIGATION NEEDED.
81 think" said DR.. H. n. Biggs, ''that
all that can be said of this 'prOphylactiC
against yellow fever by the incubation of
sO-called attenuated virus which l see is
the way it is described in this resolution
OF Congress, is that il must be regarded as
altogether empirical. [ don't see that it
can be looked at in any other way.
Whether it is removed from the condition
of experiment depends, l think, upon
three things-frst, whether the expert
menter is a competent man; second,
whether his experiments and ObserVa-
lions have been carefully and correctly
made; third, whether the results claimed
by those experiments are subse-
quently obtained by other expert
mentors and observers. l think that these
three points must be observed before any
satisfactory or abiding result can be rea-
sonably expected. Carmona's methods
are so different from anything that pathO-
lOgists have hitherto heard OF that we
must wait for further tests before accept
Ing all that is said for it.. In saying that
do not wish TO be understood as saying
that have doubts as to the efficacy of the
method. All l wish to be understood as
saying is that the proper attitude of
Psychologists toward so wonderful a dis
covery is patient and continuous inves-
tigatlOn before accepting it as certain
preventive OF the disease"
PRAIsING AN AMERICAN MICROSCOPES.
'SOme physicians suppose that yellow
fever comes from germ that grows on
the ground" said DR.. John. g. Peters, of
Madison avenue, who has made special
study Of contagious and epidemic dis
eases; land that it is stopped by street
paVements on which il cannot grow. This
fungus is supposed to grow along the
ground at the rate OF so many yards a
day. We have had no yellow fever cpl
demic here since 1922, when II was landed
from United States war Vessel-the
sloop Enterprise-at the foot Of Rector
street. II was good many weeks before
ttreached Broadway. Greenwich street
at that time, from Rector street down
and the lower part of Broadway. was the
fashionable residence locality OF the city.
sit spread down Greenwich street and
up Broadway Its great mortality was
in the neighborhoOd OF Trinity church.
yard A great many people who died OF
the fever were buried there. The scOurge
went down hill to Greenwich and Wash |
lngton streets, and got into the cellars Of
The houses there, spreading the disease.
We had no Groton water in those DAYS.
The pumps were over the cutters and AZ
street corners. and the offensive fluid got
Into the pumps and occasioned a great
mortality, Some Of the mombers Of my
lamily lived az the corner Of Liberty street
and Broadway at that time, and l remem-
Der hearing my mother and my aunt tell
III the favaRes OF the fever"