The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-10-22

THERE Is NO FEAR
OF YELLOW JACK
It Could Not Live in Birmingham, Say
the Doctors.
CITY Is TOO HIGH AND DRY
DR.. johnson Says DiStaSO Wouldn't Spread
From Sporadic Case.
STRICT QUARANTINE REGULATIONS
Montgomery Had Fever Twice Before-Deca-
tur Had Memorable Siege and Birm-
ngham Seemed to Be Immune
The Governors Reply
CITY IS TOO HIGH AND DRY
QUARANTINE REGULATIONS


Should sporadic case of yellow fever
occur in Birmingham it would not
spread.
This is the opinion of medical authority
and those who have had experience with
epidemics of yellow fever.
Birmingham is too high. The atmos-
phere is too pure. Besides, the doctors
and everyone else point to the fact that
frost is near, and an epidemic in this
section cannot last long.
Medical authority pronounces yellow
fever an atmospheric disease, and when
frost comes the germ is killed. The germ
spreads in the atmosphere.
The doctors claim that dt can be car
ried in freight, in cars and in anything
of that kind. This is why they demand
such ngid quarantine regulations. A
person may go into town from an i'm
fedaed point, be stricken with yellow fe-
yer and the disease will spread in the at
mosphere.
Birmingham has never had yellow fe-
yer. Cities almost at its doors have had
epidemics, but Birmingham has always
seemed to be immune. The oldest citi-
zens say that this is the third Time it
has been in Montgomery. Decatur's
siege with 1T is also well rendered.
During all this Birmingham was healthy.
'iMy opinion is that yellow fever could
not live here" said DIR. w. H. Johnston.
ut is possible that some refugee might
get in here anr have 1T. The public roads
are not being guarded.
Il do not think this would have any
other effect than to scare the people"
he continued.
II am confident that III would not
spread here. Birmingham is too high
above the sea, and there is nothing here
to keep the germs alive, as the disease
is purely an atmospheric one.
yes, the sanitary condition of a city
has something 10 do with the spread OF
yellow fever "A dirty city will keep the
germs alive longer.
'sThsre is no ground fer fear in Biz
mingham. Frost will soon cut the dis
ease short. If the quarantine measures
are properly enforced there is little dan
ger of refugees gatting in here"
DR.. Johnston is mol inclined to censure
the Montgomery physicians as much as
some others.
you cannot always tell a case quick
qy," said he. Sometimes patient will
not turn yellow until after death. The
disease begins with chill and fever,
just as i'm some ciher diseases. The tenn
perature runs low, and I have had the
same expuience in other fevers.
I'm some instances black vomit comes
insthe last stages, but this does not al
ways occur. One of the surest symptoms
is pains in the back and in The forehead
and aching of the limbs.
Dr. e. H. Sholl, chairman of the COM
mtteia of health, is of the same opinion.
He does not believe that yellow jack can
thrive in Birmingham. Other physicians
are of the same opinion, but they impress
the necessity of rigid quarantine rsgu.a-
tions. A sporadic case, they claim, would
entail an unnecessary scare.
DIR. Sholl is emphatic in the statement
that the quarantine regulations will not
be modified.
The following is a full text of Gov.
Johnstons reply to the request of Mont
gomery citizens for a modification of the
quarantine rules:
Birmingham, Ala, Oct. q, 1897.
Messrs. Thos. G. Jones and others, Com
mittee, Montgomery, Ala:
The present regulations, so far as
know. had the unanimous approval of
the state board of health, number of
whom live in Montgomery. Not a mem
Der ever suggested to me that they were
l,os.,