The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-10-08
"Origin Of Yellow Fever."

Editor Morning Ne,cS: A rational hy-
pothesis on the origin of yellow fever
would seem to be the following, based upon
DR.. Gibier's experiment. He says in sub
stance: The disease he looks upon as a
local one, and that the germ is found in the
intestinal tract The germs survive long
time in salt water. An acid solution seems
to destroy or make inactive also dry atmos-
phere. We infer from the above that they
survive and thrive in an alkaline medium,
as the intestinal juices are alkaline, and "he
found the germ there" Therefore they
may also thrive in the blood, which is an
alkaline fluid at has been considered that
the yellow fever originated on shipboard."
Now may not the home of the yellow
fever germ be the salt water, which we
know teens with every variety if
life, and, though found there, be perfectly
harmless until an alteration of circum-
stances develops it into a malignant being
This change in thing from benign to malig-
nant or the reverse is not theoretical In
all life, vegetqble and animal, we see the
change occurring under altere conditions
OF life. Food, climate, and, in fact. differ
emit environment are the cause and mea
which change the benign into the malig-
nant, and the reverse, the tame to lid, and
the gentle to savage and cruel, or the wild
and cruel to gentle and docile. Hence the
ben gnity of the harmless becomes malig-
nant by altered circumstances. AS proof
Of the different manif stations under altered
environment, witness the transition be.
tween the wild and tame cat, wild and tame
dogs, rats, ETC., crabapple ard apple, the
sweet cultivated violet and its relation in
the woods. and other stances so mantle st
in this world of ours due to change in con j.
ton and in the cultivatio o. a species: as
the transition between ancient aud
modern Celt and the present civilized
condition of mankind. See how easy
it is to transform the civilized man into a
barbarous one by change Of environment,
different kinds Of food, especially too much
meat, and particularly alcohol, which
quickly makes benign creature a malg-
nant ore. All we want is a change Of con-
dition as respects food, education, ETC., to
convert a barbarian into a civilized being.
or the reverse. Just so with micro-organism
The small. pox germ Is most malignant in
man, next so in the horse, and less in the
COW. The germ or virus of the smallpox
in its passage through the COW becomes
modified and is called vaccine, and when
introdu ed into the system of man it pro-
duces a disease called vaccine. IL the true
germ of smallpox gets into the system
after successful vaccination, 1t
either has no effect or produces a
mild disease called varioloid But bear
in mind, the virus from one affected with
varioloid can and does produce the small
pox in those coming In contact with il,
unless the individuals system has been pro-
tected by vaccination. Here we see that it
only requires modification in the ENVIRON
ment to produce a greater degree of malig-
nancy. Just so with all germs-with the
yellow fever poison. We assume its home
to be the salt water--that il is utterly harm
less there, but thst it enters a ship and
a. n -.