New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-09-27
EDIsoY,s YELLOW FEVER PREVENTIVE
SURE THAT THE MICROBES ARE ANIMALS AND
THAT GASOLINE Will KILL THEM

SURE THAT THE MICROBES AEE ANlMAIIo AMI
THAT GASOLINE WILL KILL THEM.
Thomas A. Edison the inventor, since the middle OF
the month has been conducting series of experiments
i'm order 10 discover cheap and effective way 10
destroy the germs of yellow fever That the germs
arc carried in the air a ridiculous idea, because the
fever would at once spread all district he SAID
TO Tribune reporter yesterday "And Just as plainly
are the germs organic and not Inorganic because their
spread is always stopped by the coming OF cold
weather | am therefore forced to one OF two con-
clusions-eiher the fever germs must be animal or
ranisms or they must be fungus growths
al believe that the fever microbes are parasites
which crawl along the ground in several instances
their spread has been known to have been stopped
by street pavements. l first began experimenting In
1873 to find some chemical to destroy the Colorado
beetles / tried every KIND Of chemical substance on
the beetles and found gasoline 10 be the most effective
As we have not had yellow fever germs. we have been
exnorimentinc on insects which extremely tenar
cjous of life glass Jar was filed with moulding
sand and at depths of Z 16, TO- %, 2o and 30 cent?
metres from the surface, little cell prsons were made
1with their open ends against the glass. Anus
were placed in these cells aud mayor
% gasoline o0 centimetrcs in thickness was
,opred on the surface Of tho sand.
The ceDtimetre ants died at the end OF IS minutes.
.be les at the end OF 10 minutes, the l9s after 40
minutes and IN three hours all were apparently oeaa
except the lowest 80 centimctre ants, whico ap-
psarcd siupefed However, the next morning inc
three lowest grades had recovered Satisfactory eS-
perlrsn,s were also made on CLANS earthworms and
cheese mites.
IN. onIv WV TO stop the spread Of the disease is
70 mt Gordon Of gasoline around the infected place.
II that don't stop Il. nothing can IL wouid cos' S-4
TO sprinkle $50 feet long by 60 ieet pfosa WIN
gasoline and that would Kill everything In inc SOIL
Caustio soda should te used In damp places a
square YARD could be covered with causiic soda 10
~ fnch i L.
Organism could possibly survive IT. In room hoateu
10 40 degrees FshrcEhcit coat was 6pped IN rh'so
lnc, ana In fifteen minutes the temperature VI 'n'
:-ll to o3 degrees and the coat vas eoVeieo WIN
boar frost Now. cold weather is known encciuany
10 destroy the fever microbes THIS would prove an
effective way Of dsnfccting clothing as the rhgoine
will evaporatc within half an hour
Experiment has shown that after the sasohhe mas
been applied for len minutes It so2ks into tho so anu
there is 10 danger Of It's becoming ignited wnoie
year has been wasted. which should have been gwen
10 experiments the means Of checmns yellow fever
81 500 o. 81 900 IN few days TO use Ia these In
In Dccaiui and Gainesville had at oace been sur
rounded Ly Gordon oi gasoiins or causile soda 5000
OK pended In this way Ia each place would have pre
vented the pamc~
THE SOUTH AS A WINTER RESORT THIS YEAR
Chicago Sept. o6.-CcneraI Manager Jeffrey OF
the Illinois Central Railroad, speaking OF the att fude
OF that corporation toward the people In the yellow
fever district said: "om policy is one Of hberality
and kindness We realize that the interests OF the
communities on tho railroad arc Identical In every
respect with ours
"wl tho result Of this outbreak OF yenow rover pr
vent The usual winter immigration 10 The oouth even
after yellow fever Is all stamped oufY'
.yes | ih,nk IL viii, 10 some extent, lessen 'he
numbcr of visitors In Florida, although there woud DC
really no danger in their going tn their accustomed
resorts after tho epidemic subsidies one fact tha'
ought 10 be borne Ia mind is that in the Lower sss-
sIpp Valley that is. from Cairo to Nsworsans' 'a'f'