The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1889-03-03
DIR. J. C0CHRANE.
Views Alabama's Health 0iiC@r,
He Says rilth Has Nothing TO Do
With Yellow Fever,
And Is Positive There's No Danger
for Next Summer.
An Interesting and Somewhat Rev.
dictionary Interview
The Information Theory Attacked
in Worry Positive Terms.
Also the Current Theories on Dlsin-
lection aud Sanitation.
An Interesting and Som swhat Rev.
dictionary Interview.
Also the Current Theories on Dlsin-
lection aud Sanitation.
What ne Has to Say About Quarantine
-"Non-Intorcourse Quarantine in
Lailroad Towns" He says, 80
Quite Practicable"

Quite Practicable"
From the staff Correspondent Of The Appeal.
MONTGOMERY, Ala, March .. - DIR.
jerome Cochran, OF Montgomery, Ala,
is an honor TO his State, aud, how
ever much other scientists may disagree
with him, there can bc but one opinion as
TO his surprising ability aud eminent at
tainments. lie is man OF about fifty
years OF ogc, of small stature, stoutly
built and with slight stoop. His hair
and beard, originally yellow, is Literally
frosted with the marks OF age. Ills ica.
lures arc regular, his hcad iirmiy set on
broad shoulders. andNhis square jaw be-
tokens uausual decision aud strength OF
will. lie is man OF great learning aud
wide culture, aud spends NIL his time in
an atmosphere Of books. lie Is a master
OF all modern languages and authority ON
all questions affecting yellow fever. For
twenty-five years he has made that sub
jcct OF special investigation. lie first saw
yellow fever in 1855. lie was thon asiudcnt
In medicine. Since 1897 he has had some
thing 10 do with every epidemic that has
occurred in the SouihiH various capacities
lie has treated the disease rs practi-
toner; was Tor several years health officer
Of Mobile; has had charge OF guarantees,
both by land aud soa; was u member OF
the yellow Fever Commission u 1878; wis
a member Of the Hoard OF Exports ap.
pointed by Congress in 1879, aud all the
conclusions OF that board I'm reference TO
the natural history aud determinations Of
yellow fever were written los him. lie has
written enough papers on yellow fever to
I'M a large volume. For the last ten years
hc has been health officer OF the State Of
Alabama and II In love with his work.
lie has seen yellow over IN more than
fifty towns.
The Doctor received me politely ard |
lost no time In going to work. The follow
ing questions aud answers represent a i've
hours Interview
Qucsiion-What do YOU think Is the
possible result next summer lrum this
wholesale neglect OF the ordinary prudent.
ial sanitary precautions Of arrcsii0n, disin.
lection or funigition at Decatur
Answcr-Thcrc has been no Wholesale
ncglcc, Of ordinary prudential sanitary
precautions NJ Decatur There was yellow
fever In Decatur In 1873, a sweeping cpl.
demic Decatur remained free from yellow
fever then up To last year, without having
used any other precautions than have
been used this year. In 1873 lao towns
and cities In the South had yellow fever.
There was no posl-epidcmic destruction or
disInicction in any Of them. Yellow fever
REQUIRED Ia 1870 in only two OF those
places. namely New Orleans and Mem
pIis. In New Orleans II was
clearly traced 10 new importalion
which gave rise 10 u small epidemic IN the
Fourth District At Memphis Il has been
very commonly believed that the fever Of
1879 had It's origin In germs that lived
through the winter. There is no proof at
all Of this, not even presumptiyo proof.
except the bare fact OF the recurrence Of
the fever In 1879. Tho inst cases In 1879
occurred in houses that were not infected
In 1878, and under Circumstance, that fur.
nlsh not oven reasonable suspicion that
they had any connection with the cpl.
denic vi the previous year. ] WIS In Mem
pitts IN the fall Of 1878 ~ a member Ol the
yellow Fever Commission, which WIS
composed OF DR.. Dennis, oi New Orleans,
Dr. Howard. oi Baltimore, Col. llaflce, a
New Orleans engineer, nnd myself. ! was
In Memphis again In tie winter Of 1873 q,
late la December AMI early In January, ~
member oi the Board ol Experts ap.
pointed by Congress TO investigate the epi.
dcmic ! was In nemphis ag iin during the
prevalence Of the fever OF 1879 ~ the rep.
rrtcniatiye OF the National Board Of
Health aud made the most thorough In.
ycstigntion Of both Cp.domiS that was
possible for me, and the foregoing state.
ments are based upon my personal knOwl.
edge Of tho facts. Tho same lessons that
we're taught by the 40 towns that were
injected In 1873 have also been taught by
the entire history Of yellow fever Tor more
Than 200 years. In the Hns' In which the
word Information IL nscd IN this country
yellow fever does not hibernate at all,
neither here nor anywhere else. IL does
not go 10 sleep when irusi comes IN the
fall 10 remain dormant ior four OF five on
six months 10 spring again into malignant
life under the influence ol suns Of sue
cccding summer. In Havana, Vera Cruzand
Rio Janciro and perhapl one or two other
places IL hibernatcs hnbiiulllv, that Is 10
sny II lives habitually through tho win
tens, but IL lives by the continual occur
renee Of eases. springng up irom time 10
| time until the return Ol the vpiIomio sea
son Of tho year, when u again bccpinos
| epidemic. IL doesn't matter whether there
Is any frost or not; II yellow lever disap'
pears from any place ior three or four con.
sccuuyc months Il will not rccur without
a fresh importation. In many places IN
the West Indies Islands, where frost "a en-
tiroly unknown, from timC 10 timo they
have cpidemics Of yellow fever, which
subside for few months and then disap'
pear often for years. In Key West, where
they never have frost, there have been nj
teen or sixteen epidemic since ~ hrsi
settlement by wreckcrs from the lhhamas'
There yellow fever has never been known
70 hibernate and, strange ~ say, the ma
ioriiy Of the cpidcmics disappear ~ Au'
gust My information Ia regard 10 yellow
lever at Key West was collected on inc
spot | was there some three months 10
1873 and 1879. In the winter Of 1878 inc
yellow foyer hibernaied at several places
In Florida, especially On MlnaIcc MVei