St. Paul daily globe., 1889-04-25
ANOTHER VISITATION.
There Is Yellow Fever in Florida
and 1t VIII Spread.


WASHINGTON, April pa reporter
saw Surgeon General j. B. Hamilton
to-day and had talk with him concern
ing the case of yellow fever reported
at Sanford, Fla. and the possibility of a
spread of the disease or recurrence of
the epidemic of last year. Said DR..
Hamilton: 81 learned of the appear
ance of yellow fever at Sanford from
two sources yesterday; from a special
agent who has been traversing the state
since the subsidence of the plague in
1888, and from DR.. r. p. Daniel, presi-
dent of the state board of health.
This fact shows that there will
be no attempt made to conceal
the presence of the disease, as was
done last year, and such being the case.
the danger is largely reduced. The
fear and panic excited by the knowl-
edge that the true condition of affairs is
being suppressed do much more harm,
III my Judgment, than the fever ITSELF"
i"'What are the probabilities of another
outbreak of the disease this year?''
Il should not be surprised if there
were considerable number of cases.
The danger chiefly lies in those towns
and cities which escaped the plague
last year. In the places that were Wis
tied then, there is large proportion of
acclimated residents, who have had the
fever, and are, therefore, safe, who can
remain to nurse and care for any who
are sick, so that the disease NAV com
paratlvely be easily controlled"
Are you prepared to manage an out
break should it occur?''
'1eS, much better than ever before.
Camp Perry is in such condition that it
can be put in operation in twenty-iour
hours, but it will be much better if we
do not have to fit up refugees camp.
TO do this would tend to create a panic
in surrounding towns, and that is the
most difficult thing for us to control.
Already l have received messages of
inquiry showing an alarmed state of
public feeling, for which there is no
foundation. Ever since the outbreak of
1888 ended this office has kept close
sanitary surveillance over Florida.
tracing every report of the existence of
fever, and this case at Sanford is the
only one have heard of from reliable
source. Since the epidemic of last wear
Florida has organized a state board of
health by legislative enadtment, pro-
viding heavy penalties for violations of
the regulations of the board, and these
regulations, which were promulgated on
the 9th of this month, are admirably
auapted Tor carrying out the purposes of
the act. Tie board is made effective by
the imposition of tax, the receipts
of which are set apart as a fund to be
used for public health purposes of the
state"
''Where is Sanford, the seat of the
present outbreak?"
''lt is about 100 miles almost directly
east OF Tampa in Central Florida. [
can readily account for the presence of
the disease there. 1t is only six miles
from Enterprise across the lake, where
the fever ragged last year, and there was
an uninterrupted intercourse between
the places. After the fever was SUBJ
dued, an attempt was made at disinfect-
ing the place, but it was not thorough
by any means, nothing like the house to
house inspection and destruction of in
fected material carried Oh at Jackson
Vile by this department. But after the
government ceased to pay for the arti-
cleS destroyed. the destruction ceased,
the people would not give up their
property unless paid for it. and in
great measure the inspection stopped.
Sanford was visited by the yellow fever
in 1881, when there were $50 cases there,
the presence of which was concealed
from the authorities. That is the thing
most to be feared-a suppression of the
facts. If publication can only be Sc
cured, apprehension and terror are al
layed, and the greater part of the diff
Guilty in controlling the disease is over
anna