The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1888-12-19
THE YELLOW FEVER.
rho ouestioa Of stamping out--Ts rs
Contagi6usq--ItS ctSurseS

Tho 0uestton OF stamping Outs'-Es It
Coutngiousa-Its Course
was In New Orleans during the de-
vastating epidemic of 1873, 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 50 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
pllis it was at least so cent. and in Gren=
ada 20 or 80. When it was known that
the disease had obtained foothold and
that the conditions werc favorable to its
spread tine board of health bravely came
yellow fever was epidemic In the city,
and the railroads made preparations for
the outward rush of The frightened. For
a Week the stampede kept the town in
an uproar, and then New Orleans settled
down into grim silence. closed her shops.
stilled her church bells. reorganized the
I beneS6lent 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 disease begins spread
ing in a city there is always lotid med
ical howl about stamping ont. The
stamping out process, however, Seems
generally to get d screw loose and post
pone working as long as does Eeely'G
wonderful motor. Smallpox, measles,
scarlet fever or any other of tho major
exanthemeta may be stamped ont by Wig
lance. fumigation, the isolation OF pa.
tents and the prompt destruction by fire
OF all bedding and other fomites exposed
to the infection, but in the case oi
cholera, yellow fever, bilious remittent,
dangue or other of the great zymotics,
the case is different. Contagion is the
means of spread with the former
that is, the germs arc engendered within
the human body and are communicates
BY contact. The latter diseases are spread
by infection-that is, the source of the
poison is the soil. the air, drinking
water or other exrernals.
It Is much to lie doubted II yellow
fever is contagious at all. Bring pa
tient to a hospital in New York, burn
his clothing and baggage. and he viii be
! found to be as harmless as sufferer from
a gunshot wound to his physician and
attendants. That which poisoned him
is an external, the germs of which car
only be sovn in an atmosphere and in q
soil possessing the still unknown condi,
tions favorable to their increase. Ex.
/ treme humidity and long Continued heat
are regarded in New Orleans us concom
itants essential to yellow fever. but the
epidemic which ravaged Mobile fifteen
or sixteen years ago struck that towr
after tho first frost and became a per
nicious partisan Of death with fearful
activity.
An epidemic of yellow fever runs {
ninety day course. This rule has it.
exception in cases where the infection
occurred late in the season.. Heavy blacl
frosts then checked it. but in nearly al
these instances it hibernated and ON tht
following spring broke ont afresh ant
completed its course. The death ratt
usually reaches its climax in thirty days
keeps even until the SEVENTEEN and ther
begins to wane. The disease itself is no
as dangerous as typhoid when pr6perl,
handled. 1t is a single paroxysin, ,' O
continuous fever, lasting about seventy
two hours.-Henry Guy Carleton h
New York World.