The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-19
AVERAGE TENPERATURE


! 1889 ....-..........H
TOTAL RAINFALL IN INCHES.
1885. .........2S.C1 1890. ....,,... 10 IL
| 1897. ... .....22 l6 l99l..... ........ rs 00
l6So......... 10 80 ls92.- ............lS. O6
| From this 1t will be seen that the temper
ature has been higher aud lower, and the
| rainfall greater and less than in 1892: con-
| sequently the fever of 1892 cannot be at
| tributed to atmospheric conditions.
| In view Of the very popular impression
| that the temperature and rainfall might
have some connection with the prevalence
| OF the fever under consideration, this dis
oussion would have been incomplete with
out an analysis Of the meteorological ele-
| ments which are 80 often referred to as
| potent factors OF disease.
8. Was the fever Of local origin, or was
| 1t general throughout the country9
This is a most important question, because
| upon the reply depends the preventability
Of the disease In the future.
To determine this point l wrote to Bruins
wick, Charleston, Augusta and Macon. The
| Importance OF the replies from Brunswick
induces me 20 attach copies of them for
your consideration, for although thew make
no mention Of typhoid fever, they show
conclusiyely that the same neglect of sani-
tary laws which was seen in Savannah in
1892 was also practlced in Brunswick They
fare; the same ignoring of public warning;
the same transgression of CITY ordinances
by the very officers who we're sworn to en-
force them; and, stranger than ALL they
show that like results followed these acts in
Brunswick as in Savannah.
But these letters show something more,
which lie of vAst,importance 20 our citizens,
in that they point to the fact that the peo-
pie are not entirely at the mercy Of NUM-
oipsl authorities in sanitary matters. That
designing politicians or greedy money get
tiers, blinded by avarice, cannot usurp the
place Of science and use their power for
their own selfish ends regardless Of the lives
of the people, but that the courts will, upon
application. grant a mandamus compelling
those in charge OF the sanitation OF locality
TO do their duty in this most important
particular.
From Charleston, Dec. 20, 1892, DR.. F.
Peyre Porcher writes: I'VE have been
singularly free from the prevalence OF any
special disease in this city for the last year"
DIR. Eugene Foster, p esident Of the board
Of health Of Augusta, writes Jan. 10, 1898:
There were cases of continued malarial
fever, and of typhoid fever In our city dur
ing the summer and fall seasons, but not
more than is usual with US. l feel satisfied
that we had fewer OF these cases in 1892
than for any year in the past five years.
DR.. William F. Holt writing from Macon
Jan. 1, 1898, makes no mention of the exist
ence Of typhoid fever in that city during 1892.
From this evidence it will be seen that
typhoid fever is not general all over the
country and the conclusion is inevitable
that the cause or causes are local.
This leads up TO the question sixth. In
what respect did the circumstances in 1892
differ from those Of say, five previous years (!
Answer: In extensive street grading and
digging, and spreading Of thousands Of tons
of oyster shells during the hot months from
May to September, and repairing stone
paved streets during the same period.
Z. The next important step in this investi-
cation is to inquire if such work at such a
season Of the year would be likely to propa-
gate or originate typhoid fever.
To- give to this inquiry an intelligent
answer il is necessary 20 review briefly the
theories Of disease.
TIM GERM THEORY OF DISEASE
presupposes the existence of germs as fungi,
bacteria, bacilli and cocoi OF various kinds,
which, finding within the body suitable re-
quirements for their reproduction, rapidly
multiply and produce the phenomena which
we call disease, each variety of microscopic
organism producing a different ailment.
II will thus be evident that, according to
this theory, what we call disease is but the
outward manifestation Of the development
of a crop of these microscopic bodies: in
IhCb Ln6 k6EIus VI ulh5dbba are kQS hnAlORue5
of the seeds Of q crop, and, as the latter will
not produce crop unless the climate and the
soil are suitable thereto, SO with the former,
and therefore 10 follows that, to have a
disease, there must be the seed, the soil aud
the surroundings. One can no more grow a
crop Of bacilli upon clean plate than one
could grow a crop Of wheat In the same
situation, even supposing one co have the
seed to commence with. The keeping OF
the soil in such condition that the seeds or
germs of disease will not terminate is called
sanitation.
DE NOVO THEORY.
Ii must not be- supposed for a moment
that the germ theory is universally &C
copied, although it is just now the most
fashionable, but there are those who believe
that diseases eau and do originate 'de novon
under suitable circumstances, and they can
point to certain experiments of Pasteur
himself, and OF others, demonstrating the
truth of their position.
Pasteur takes a poisonous bacillus and BY
propsr Guilt walton, he develops an innocu-
Gus one; but then he can take ono of these
innocuous bacilli and, by cultivating it in
suitable soil, be can redevelop its poisonous
properties.
Again, DR.. Dollinger, president of the
Royal Microscopical Society, has taken q
bacillus which, growing vigorously at a
comparatively low temperature is killed by
slight rise or o. or lOS, and by careful cul-
tivRtion has 80 changed Its nature that,
from being unable 10 endure temperature
Of 90s Fanrenheit, he was able to keep it
alive and vigorous at 1907 Fahrenheit.
These experiments, it is claimed, demon
strate the immense power Of adaptability
possessed by these low forms OF mlcrosc Jpic
life, and they further show that the power
Of reaction upon the animal economy, 80 az
70 produce the phenomena which we call
disease, can be modified in either direction
OF virulence or innocuousness, according to
surrounding circumstances.
The proper surroundings for the propaga-
ton of disease germs, il the germ theory is
Il regret very much to be compelled TO
state that even at this late date have not
| received responses from all the physicians,
seven having still failed to give me their
returns l am therefore unable TO vouch
for the absolute accuracy Of the above esti-
mate, but from what can now see the ex-
act number would not depart widely from