The Asheville citizen. [volume] (Asheville, N.C.) 1885-1889, 1888-10-05
For the Asnesine CITIZEN
YELLOW FEVER.
How it May Be Stripped of Its Ter.
rors.


Some City years ago Dr. sAmue
III. Dickson said tn the writer
yellow fever seems to rqtiire 9
collection of homes As | under
stood him, it would not thrive IN
open places. He added, sit spreads
slowly from a centre, and one could
keep out of the way OF it.
In watch of fifty years | have
never seen it otherwise.
Il spread slowly in Jacksonville l.
and has only now reached the SUI
burbs.
The only time { ever saw it or
Sullivan's island it began on Fort
Moultrie and did not spread to the
west end OF Moultrieville, although
-25 per cent. of the garrison died oi
it. / think that a mile away from
its centre, in any other direction, the
air was as healthful as ever. No
quarantine was thought of.
When Capt. Wilson, of Augusta,
Ga, died, | took his boy 10 ny
house. No harm came of that.
In Charleston it always came
from the hold of West India yes :
sci and l could note its spread. and
along in the forties, do not think
it spread over the neck or to Hamp-
sted. Gadsden's wharf and its via
cinity seemed free from it. Houses
were scattered; the winds had free
play, and certainly the people
seemed to feel little anxiety for
their children.
Believing that the poison of yell
low fever is as deadly as that OF the
rattlesnake, I do not believe that
there is ever occasion for panic or
stampede.
Those near The spot from which
it is starting cannot be too quick to
move, but, if into tents, say from
Jacksonville, they could and should
camp only a few miles away, say on
the first real safe pine land ridge.
Then, in advance of the disease, the
people should move from the next
circle, and so on. l should move
more quickly if in the current of a
steady breeze.
It can and has been waited IN a
steady breeze, say from one mans
of-war to another, one hundred
yards away, into Mt. Pleasant, from
a fleet of fever vessels, and the ships
and houses then furnished all that
was wanted to make new centres Of
disease.
So yellow fever does not crawl on
the ground neither does it go with
the bodies of the sick for it never
spread in all the years in South Caro-
lima, from one single patient. They
never had it in Summeryille or Co
lumbia, or anywhere else away from
the hold of . vessel and this makes,
the chief difference between Column
bia and Augusta. Box cars may
carry it off with the person il they are
allowed tc. stay among houses too
near the track. 1t would be safe in
view of present ignorance, to have
temporary depots, say quarter OF
a mile outside of towns in open
places.
1t has living germ, tor vessels
with it have been ordered north into
cold that seemed to have killed it;
but on going back in mid ocean to
warmer weather, it broke forth again
almost proving the powe: to repro
duce itself. Some warm part OF the
ship had preserved the necessary
force to begiu the work again
Jacksonville people may find more
than burglars in their houses if they
are not open TO the cold before they
sleep in them. The burning of fur
nitdre, clothing ETC., is unnecessary
1t obeys laws very different from
cholera. small pox, typhus or scar
let fever. The source of trouble
must be sought for in the air, anC
it will be found to have life able tC
propagate itself. 1t did not for
merly go into the hill country o
Cuba any more than away from SCI
and water in the South.
What railroads may do, remains
to be seen. There is one clear dut.
for all Christian people and that il
to have for every town outside o
cities, hospitals for contagsous or IN
fectious diseases so that such peo
pie can be cared for. Every towl
owes this to itself, and none NOR
so than Asheville. Good health /
her trade mark, and yet, our pas
| ovnarioDca 10 fb>t If IL were fOunt
that the sea Sc pent was dangerous
| there are no lack of loud mouth
which would rend the air with as
sertions that the streets of Asheyill
were full of sea serpents, that Bat
terry Park had been abandoned t
them. Let US have out of tow
hospitals; let US say we will care 70
all sick, but we will have no con
tagious diseases in Asheville, an
then let us see whaG our slanderer
will do about it. L. M. II.