Clarksville evening chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn) 1886-1890, 1888-10-20
THE YELLOW FEVER.
The Question Of stamping Quits 1t
Contagious?--Its Course.


Contngious?-Its Course.
was in New Orleans during the de-
vastating epidemic Of 1878, which
wrought such horrible havoc not only in
that city, but in Memphis, Grenada,
Holly Springs and number of other
towns. Nowhere in the world is yellow
fever so well understood and so scientific
ally handled as in New Orleans. There
was proof of this in the fact that the
death rate during the year was scarcely
IL per cent. of the cases, while at Mem
phis it was at least so cent. and in Gren-
ada 70 or so. When it was known that
the disease had obtained a foothold and
that the conditions were favorable to its
spread the board of health bravely came
out with public announcement that
yellow fever was epidemic in the city,
and the railroads made preparations for
the outward rush of the frightened. For
week the stampede kept the town in
an uproar, and then New Orleans settled
down into grim silence, closed her shops,
stilIed her church bells, reorganized the
benevolent Howard association to help
the needy, and without fuss or fret closed
in combat with her invisible foe
Now as to the question Of stamping
out" Whenever a disease begins spread
ing i'll city there is always a loud med
ical howl about stamping out. The
stamping out process, however, seems
generally to get screw loose and post
pone working as long as does Keely's
wonderful motor. Smallpox, measles,
scarlet fever or any other Of the major
eXanthemeta may be stamped out by Wig
lance, fumigation, the isolation of pa
tients and the prompt destruction by fire
of all bedding and other fomites exposed
to the infection, but in the case of
cholera, yellow fever, bilious remittent,
danguc or other of the great zymotics,
the case is different. Contagion is the
means of spread with the former
that is, the germs are engendered within
the human body and are communicated
by contact. Tho latter diseases are spread
by infection--that is, the source of the
poison is the soil, the air, drinking
water or other externals.
1t is much to he doubted if yellow
fever is contagious at all. Bring pa
tient to hospital in New York, burn
his clothing and baggage, and he viii be
fosnd to be as harmless as sufferer from
gunshot wound to his physician and
attendants. That which poisoned him
is an external, tho germs of which can
only De sown in an atmosphere and in
soil possessing the still unknown condi-
tons favorable to their increase. Ex-
tremo humidity and long continued heat
arc regarded III New Orleans as concom-
itants essential to yellow fever, but the
epidemic which ravaged Mobile fifteen
or sixteen years ago struck that town
after the first frost and became per-
nicious partisan Of death with fearful
activity.
An epidemic Of yellow fever runs q
ninety day course. This rule has its
exception in cases where tho infection
occurred late in the season. Heavy black
frosts then checked it, but in nearly all
these instances it hibernated and on the
following spring broke out afresh and
completed its course. The death rate
usually reaches its climax in thirty days,
keeps even until the seventieth and then
begins to wano. The disease itself Is not
as dangerous as typhoid when properly
handled. 1t is "slngle paroxysm,' or
continuous fever, lasting about seventy
two hours.-Henry Guy Carleton in
New York World.