The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-10-15
YELLOW FEVER sUPERsTIT1oNs.
Wearing Sulphur in the Shoes Will
Not Keep Off the Disease.
From the Washington Post

A very useful and earnest periodical is
"Our Dumb Animals, - published at Bos-
ton, with Mr.. George I. Angel as editor.
But although Mr., Angel is doing good
work within the lines of his peculiar spe-
cialJy, and is entitled to all honor and
commentator on that score, he makes a
mistake in the October number of his
journal when he undertakes to furnish
the world with reliable safeguard
against yellow fever. Here it is:
The painful accounts in Boston papers OF
the yellow fever at Brunswick, ana OF the
condition of the people there confined in the
city by shotgun quarantine, and the fear
felt IN Savannah and other southern towns,
lead me to say that the Hon. Casey Young,
member Of congress from Memphis, Tenn.
told me some years ago at Washington that
when the peStllence did It's fearful work at
Memphis he and many others escaped by the
simple device of constantly wearing powdered
sulphur in their stockings; that on one ocea-
sion he urged large number Of gentlemen
assembled in his ONCE to adopt this plan, and
that every man who acted upon his advice es-
capped yellow fever, while others who did not
died with the disease. To the above l will
also add that an eminent German physician,
in his medical book, which has been trans
lated into English, declares that no case can
be found where any man wearing sulphur
constantly IN his stockings, and complying
with the ordinary rules OF health, has had the
cholera. will also add that the time when
the grip was raging in Boston l caused in
y 3
and found that of all the persons employed in
that establishment working in sulphur not
one had the grip.
OF course, we assume that Mr. An
CELL believes he heard Hon, Casey Young
make the statement quoted, and, equally,
of course, if Hon. Casey Young did make
it, as alleged, he imagined that he was
importing a great and valuable truth
| The facts remain, however, that the
proposition is about as nonsensical and
miscellaneous as could be. 1t bears 10
surdity upon its face, because if Hon
Casey Young discovered in 1S1S-the year
of the great epidemic--that powdered
sulphur in ones stockings would protect
man from the pestilence, why did he per-
nit the fever to return to Memphis the
following year and destroy hundreds of
lives which he could so easily have saved
Why, indeed, has there been yellow fever
anywhere on the continent since if little
powdered sulphur and pair of cheap cot
ton hose afford absolute protection for
human lifel
A man like Mr.. Angel, engaged in con-
Quoting publication of high character
and ambitious purposes, should examine
very carefully such statements as this
which he has just set ahoat. How does
! he know but that philanthropic persons
here and there may accept it as trust
! worthy and come to dire grief in cOnse-
| quence} A moments reflection should
! tell him that if such preventive had
/ really been discovered and authenticated
/ in lS1S-ffteen years ago-science would
| have adopted it long since, and that yell
/ low fever would not be desolating Bruins
! wick now. Even if the masses of the
/ people had not known it the yellow fever
experts would have known it, and even
though one or two unfOrtunates had died
before help came in the form Of powdered
sulphur, the havoc would have been
arrested weeks ago. Does Mr.. Angel
perceive no significance in the fact that a
medical man was among the first victims
at Brunswick and that the epidemic has
been spreadtC ever since}
We assure MIR. Angel that his proposed
preventive is about as impotent as the
charcoal biscuit, the carbolic acid spray,
the smell Of burnt feathers, the cold water
sprinkle, or any other of the absurd aud
/ fruitiess supersttiOns that have at
various times been resorted to. To under
take to stand off yellow fever by putting
powdered sulphur IN ones stockings is on
| par with trying 10 break drought by
beating ton-toms, or to repel invasion BY
/ throwing stink-pots. Mr. Angel should
I call in that rocrback before 10 kills some
/ body
/ a new English invention is the Princess