The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-01
The worla Knows 1t Al.

Tho discussion OF the question as to
whether the yellow fever at Brunswick
was imported or not has already been
begun. Now that the epidemic is draw
ing to an end physicians, and others who
take an interest in the question, will have
f. probably good deal to say in respect to
it.
The New York World has taken
. lively interest in the epidemic, and has
. done much towards getting contributions
Of food and money for the Brunswick suf-
fcrers. 1t makes the assertion that the
( fever was not imported. but that it
originated in Brunswick This view
( of the matter will not be agreeable to
I Brunswick, nor will it be generally ac-
copied
The World states its views as follows:
I The present outbreak at Brunswick is
/ clearly no. 'trdceable to foreign importa-
/ ton No case of the fever has been i'm
/ ported. No infected ship or cargo has
/ arrived al that port The first case oc-
/ Cured far from the water-side and the
/ victim had been nowhere exposed TO CON
/ tagion. In many parts Of the south cases
/ occur every year which are indistinguish-
| abic from yellow fever, and which are
not called by that name simply because
/ there has been no known importation Of
the germs and there in nowhere an cpl
dcmic prevailing That they are true
yellow fever cases many experts are
thoroughly convinced. Al Brunswick,
the conditions fayoring. one such case
has created an epidemic, and that is all
there is Of it."
The World speaks as If it knew it all.
and that there is no use of any further
discussion OF the matter. It viii find,
however, that its summary way of dis
posing Of the qucs ion as being finally and
forever settled in accordance with the
view 1t has expressed will not stop the
discussion. Doubting ones will ask. what
docs the World know about yellow fever.
or the question whether or not it ever
originates in this country? AS matter
Of fact there is nothing to justify the CON
clusion that it knows anything in particu-
lar, ard what it says uron the subject win
hardly be regarded in the light of valu-
able contribution to yellow fever Htera-
turo or medical science.
The New York Medical Record takes a
Wow entirely different from that OK
pressed in the World ana its view is
much more likely to be accepted than
shat of the World. In a recent issue ii
said:
The appearance Of yellow fever in cpl
demic form in Brunswick, Ga, carries
with it an impressive lesson regarding
neglected preventive measures, which
should not be lightly regarded There
docs not now appear to be any doubt that
the first cases which occurred were not
properly reported and the result of
such neglect of a plain duty is painfully
apparent in the CONSERVATION Of the in
habitants. IL is also well known that the
disease was brought this year to Bruins
wick at the end OF July by two infected
vessels from The West Indies, and that
the immediate result was five deaths
| Then the policy of Concealment for bust
ness purposes obtained, and the result is
as we have stated. 1t seems a great pity
that such should have been the case.
VIXEN we consider how much nowadays
can be accomplished by the early adop-
tion Of proper measures for staying the
/ progress Of. the insidiously spreading and
disastroCsly fatal epidemic"
The foregoing is quoted simply to show
that the Medical Record asserts rosl-
lively that the fever was imported. and
that is the view that prevails in this sec
ton Whether it is correct or not may
never be determined to the satisfaction of
/ everybody. There appears to be some
facts to support it, however. while the
Worlds theory does not seom to have
much, if any, support
The Medical Record makes the charge
! that the first cases were concealed.
| This must be mistake. The
first recognized case was that of
Marine Hospital Surgeon Branhan.
| II any cases We're concealed the
city and health authorities were not
aware of it. In fact the promptncss with
which the health officer pronounced DR..
| Branham's case one of yellow fever
| caused him to be quite severely criticised,
! because the opinion was held by not a few
| that the disease was not yellow fever.
This Brunswick epidemic will undoubt-
eddy cause the discussion of the old ques-
ton of whether yellow fever ever origi-
mates in this country to be renewed, and
that, too without much prospect of final
and satisfactory settlement of that ques-
ton