The age-herald., 1897-09-09
ETCHINGS FROM
 CURRENT TOPICS

The vigorous effonts now being made by the medical authorities, national, state ari1 municipal to quarantine against the further inroads of yellow fe- yer gives hopeful indication of the speedy uprooting of this dread disease. It is contended by the majority of phy- sioians that this fever of the tropics rever originates upon American sol, but is always imported into the country. Tho belief in this theory has enabled the proper authorities to keep the dis ease from our shores for many years; even New Orleans has not had a serious epidemic of yellow fever for long time. In conjunction with strict quar- ani.ine measures, there has been a change in public sentiment regarding the importance of being perfectly truth ful about the presence of yellow fever in 8 community. The osd-fashioned idea of suppressing the facts for fear of tn- turing the financial interests of ely has long since been exploded. It was fourd to be 11urtful fn the extreme, for while citizens were busy denying that town was affected with the plague, for fear of the effect upon business, the plague was buster destroying hundreds of lives, under the gu.se of dengue fever.
 
 Nearly all yellow fever epidemics in the past have been preceded by whalb was called dengue fever. This foreign sounding name was used to allay the faers of the citizens of a town by meif- cal and municipal authorities Observa- eicm has taught that where dengue rage5 1t would be we'll for the people to find other quarters for this mild, but painful, disease has an almost invariable habit of dropping into the deadly symptoms of yellow fever.
 The prompt action of those in power, and their evident desire to deal honestly with the people, has done much to es- tablish confidence in the public mind as to the probability of there being no further serious trouble. The time for deception in all things which appertains to the health of the people has long past away. The citizens of every town should be canddly dealt with by medical and municipal boards. If a city is not kept perfectly clean and wholesome, the peo- pie have a right, and should exercise it, to inquire why it is not. They pay taxes for certain purposes, and they should see that they receive the great est possible personal benefit from these taxes. There is no excuse for municipal sensitiveness. If a town is properly at- tended to there will be none; if it is not, then the people should have the privi- lege of inquiring into the matter. There is not nearly so much injury done a town by attempting to rectify neglect or carelessness through the public press or otherwise as there is by the suppression of certain facts which in themselves mean sickness and death to the citizens. It should be the desire of every man and woman to do his and her part to- wards the upbuilding of Birmingham, but there can be no especial benefit de- rived from shutting our eyes to exist ing evils patent to every one, especially at this time when public attention is naturally directed towards the public health.
 The citizens of every community should be familiar with the condition of the drainage, sewerage, water works, and every other agency which has to deal with the health of the town. If any of these agencies are faulty it should be known; public attention should be drawn to it, and every effort made to rectify the trouble.
 Birmingham is so many hundreds of feet above the sea level that it is gen. erally conceded there is no natural req son for the existence of any serious form of malaria1 or typhoid fever in the city or suburbs. Such levers have been fre- quent in Birmingham for weeks, and many cases have terminated fatally, darkening many hitherto happy homes. If Birmingham is above the malarial level there certainly must be some other cause for typhoid fever and other kin dred ailments which have been almost epidemic in the city. There can be no better time for a thorough investiga- tion of this important matter by the board of health than just now, when the public mind is aroused on the sub ject of health and disease. In every part of the city this matter is being earnestly discussed. There is a general and well-founded uneasiness among all classes. and this can be best allayed by prompt and complete investigation by the board of health. It would be advisable to look somewhat more closely after the physical, well being of the citizens we already have than neglect their interests in the effort to induce new people to come to Birmingham. There must be some cause for the many cases of typhoid and malarial fever we have had during August and September. What is it? BALL.
 Better Than Alaska. From the Pittsburg Dispatch.
 Some workmen will do better to ac.