The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-09-22
THE YELLOW FEVER.
Tho Question Of stamping Out"-hs 1t
ContaSiouss-i.s Course.


1r-os in New Orleans during the de-
vasiatiug epidemic of 1878, which
wrought such horrible havoc not only in
that citv. but in Memphis. Grenada,
Holly Springs and a number Of other
towns. Nowhere in the world is yellow
faver so well understood and so scientific
ally handled % in New Orleans. There
was proof of this in the fact that the
death rate during the gear was scarcely
10 ner cent. ct the cases. while az Mem
mis- il was a. least so cent. and IN Gren-
ada 20 or 80. When it was known that
the disease hid obtained a foO.hOld and
that the conditions were favorable 10 its
snread the board of health bravely came
ont with q public announcement that
yellow fever was epidemic in the city.
and the railroads made preparations for
the outward rush Of the frightened. For
n week the stampede kept the town In
an uproar. and then New Orleans settled
down into grim silence. closed her shops,
stiljed her church bells. rcorSanized the
benevolent Howard association TO help
:he needy. and without fuss or fret closed
in combat with her invisible foe.
Now a. 20 the question Of stamping
ont" vi enever a disease begins spread
ing in ctv there is always a loud mei-
ical how about stamping out. The
stamping ont process, however. seems
generally 20 get n screw loose and post
pone wor 'sing as long as does heely's
wonderful motor Smallpox, measles.
scarlet fever OF any other Of the major
exanthemcia may be stamped out by Wig
lance. fuuigation, the isolation Of pa
ticnts and The prompt destruction BY fire
OF al bedding and other fomites exposed
to the infection. but in the case OF
cho!era. yellow fever bilious remittent,
danguc or other Of the great zymotics,
the case is different. Contagl0n Is ghe
means Of spread with the former-
that is. the germs are cngendered within
the human body and are communicated
BIZ contact. The latter diseases are spread
by infection-that is. the source Of the
poison is the soil. the air, drinking
water or other ex,ernals.
Il j, much to bc doubted if yellow
fever is contagious at al. Bring a pa
tient to hospital in New York, burn
his clothing and baggage, and he viii be
found 10 be rs harmless as a sufferer from
a gurshot wound 20 his physician and
attendants That which poisoned him
is an external, the germs Of which can
only be sown in an atmosphere and in a
soil possessing the still unknown condi-
tons favorable to their increase. Ex-
IRENE humidity and long continued heat
age regarded in New Orleans as cOncom-
itants essential to yellow fever but the
epidemic which ravagei Mobile fifteen
or sixteen years ago struck that town
after the first frost and became q per-
nicious partisan Of death with fearful
activity.
IN epidemic Of yellow FOYER runs a
ninety day course This rule has its
exception in cases where tho infection
occurred late in the season. Heavy black
frost5 thcl chockelit, brt in ne1rly al
these instances il liberated and on the
following spring broke out af-csA and
completed lis course The death rate
usually reaches its climax il thirty lays,
keeps even until the SEVENTEEN and then
begins to wane. The disease itself Is not
rs dangerous as typhoid vhon properly
handled, II is single par0xysm or
continuous fever. lasting about seventy
two hours. Henry Guy Carleton IN
New York World.