The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-09
YELLOW FEVER.
How it is Propagated and How it
May be Prevented.

LYNN, MASS, Oct. 4.-EditOr Morning
Ne,os: Having advanced the theory that
the specific cause of yellow fever probably
microscopic fungi emanates from human
excrement in state of fermentation and
decay, l wish to lay before your readers
some of the facts on which the theory is
founded. The only perfect test of the
theory will be practical Applicant on of it
to cut short an epidemic, and 1t Is for the
purpose of getting people who are most IN
terested in the matter to make the trial
that | now write. 1t is not probable that
the fever germs or seeds can be originated
~ spontaneous generation, any more than
a stalk of cotton or a speck of mlldew could
grow without seed.
When the seeds of the yellow fever plant,
so to speak, are carried to a favorable
locality they terminate, grow and produce
their kind, multiplying rapidly in proper
ton to the supply of proper food, the con-
tlnued heat and the requisite moisture in
the air. These minute fungi are so small
that they cannot be seen, and so light that
they float in any moist atmosphere and
may be taken into the lungs with the air we
breathe. In the human system they grow
and propagate themselves in a manner
analogous to the growth of the yeast plant
ia fermenting a mass of dough or beer.
These supposed germs go by the various
names of spores, microbes and Zymes, the
latter being the cause of zymotic diseases;
but it will serve my purpose better, as being
easier understood, to call them the fever
plants.
Prof. Beale of London, in his work,
"Disease Germs" page 35, says: "Of mi
croscopic fungi and algse there are many
different kinds, which grow and multiply
under very different external conditions,
and live upon different kinds of food
As TO when, and where, and how, the yell
low fever plant first originated, it is outside
the scope of this article to inquire; we
might as well ask how the cotton plant or
the mildew plant, origir ated. Having been
created, these plants like all other forms of
organic life, must now be propagated from
parent plants.
While firmly believing this theory as to
the manner in which yellow fever is propa-
gated, l attempt to go step further, and
point out the particular food of the yellow
fever plant, without which food neither the
plant nor the fever could exist.
The first fact that shall mention is, that
the great unsolved problem of nearly every
civilized country is how to dispose of the
constantly accommodating human excrement.
1t is now we'll known in northern latitudes
that the germs of typhus and typhoid fever
are nourished by this filth; and it is more
than suspected that diptheria may be traced
an agent SO powerful for evil in the north
should be entirely unsuspected of harm in
the SOuta? l presume that Jacksonville,
Fla, is to-day as clean a city as any in the
United States. Probably not peck of de-
caying fruit or weeds or other matter
couldsbe found in her streets. Old fences
in the suburbs glisten with whitewash, and
the streees are white with lime. There
is no filth in the streets What, then,
feeds the pestilence9 In what does the
atmosphere of that Inflated city differ from
the air of Camp Perry near by, and the
quarantine stations? 1t differs, of course,
in the smoke of its fires, in the odors from
its meat and fish markets, its stables, and
kitchen drains; but these are all trivial and
comparatively harmless sources of impurity
by the side Of the effiuvia from imperfect
water closets, from thousands of privies,
the contents of which are in all stages of
decay in hot and moist atmosphere,
throwing out their unwelcome, but I'M
avoidable odors in the damp night air into
the streets, through every open window
into parloIs, into dining-rooms, into bed
rooms, and everywhere. That is the dis
tinctive and marked difference between
the air of any square mile
of dwelling houses in a city and square
mile of open field or forest. This is not to
the discredit of Jacksonville The substance
just mentioned is not generally regarded as
a dangerous form of filth. Dirt and filth
are matter out of place." And it might
be said that this matter is not so much out
of place as out of condition. and yet we
must have a better way of disposing of it,
Another important fact is that yellow fever
generally first breaks out in the vicinity of
neglected water closets and filthy back
yards and drains, and stays the longest
near such places, but may be carried to the
cleanest part of town, because this mate
fapdG IG llxy MI tu
everywhere in a town or city, and the NOR
tality is in proportion to the abundance Of
personal filth In BuenOs Ayres in 1870,
sometimes 700 died in day. How about
privy vaults there! They are from 40 to 60
feet deep, and the city lots are "honey-
combed with such wells.
Medical books are full of cases where ep:-
denies of this fever were connected with
ana apparently depended on personal filth.
l shall mention but two more facts in this
connection. YeJLolU feUer neuer prevails in
China, although many of the cities on the
low, moist banks of sluggish rivers, have
very filthy and offensive streets. that are
also narrow, crooked and lily ventilated, and
are, apparently, in first-class order to nour-
ish a pestlence of this kind.
The Chinese do not dLLotO the contents of
their priuies to accumulate and decay in
bulk; this material is so highly udlned as q
fertilizer that it as Immediately applied to
the land and nlired NTH the soil.
Thus by their agricultural economy they
are saved from one of the great scourges of
more enlightened nations.
Now these facts establish the following
points: First. Where personal filth is most
abundant, there the yellow fever when once
introduced takes hold with the greatest
vigor, and is attended with the greatest
mortality. Second. Where this waste ma
terial is Immediately disposed of by being
buried in the soil, there yellow fever never
comes.
According to this theory, the way to
keep the fever away from city is to cover
the contents of all privies every day with
some kind of fine, dry absorbent
earth; dry clay and dry muck
would be best, dry street dust. coal
ashes, garden soil. Pure sand would be
poorest of all, because not a good absorbent
OF moisture or gases, but would perhaps
answer the purpose. If this could be done
In Jacksonville, the present epidemic would
. probably cease in a few days, as soon as the
already poisoned air of the town could be
changed by few storms or winds.
If the testing of this theory were attended
with great expense for chemicals or explo-
sives, all of which would be expended and
wasted in the trial, should expect city
TO hesitate about trying new experiment;
put i'll this instance no expense but the
labor is incurred, and in case of a total
failure to influence the yellow fever, all the
expense for labor would be profitably In