The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-14
YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC.
DIR. GUITERAS' ADDRESS BEFORE
THE PATHOLOGICAL SOCIETY.
The Eminent Expert Gives the Re-
suits of His Recent Investigations
in the sOUth-SOme Errors Correct

The Eminent Expert Gives the Re-
suits of His Recent Investigations
in the SOuth-SOme Errors Correct
ed.
From Fridays Philadelphia Ledger
There was a very large attendance of the
members of the Pathological Society last
evening a its special meeting at the Col
lege of Physicians and Surgeons, to hear
the most recent views of DIR. John Gut
teras on yellow fever He is probably as
thoroughly familiar with all the phases
of the disease as any other physician in
this country. As the expert of the govern
ment he has watched the development of
every epidemic since 1881, and not from the
standpoint of the ordinary practitioner.
Speaking of the epidemic of 1897, he sad
that its two distinguishing features were
the lateness of the season at which it APP
peared and the mild character of the
cases. The communities which failed to
recognize the disease, calling it dengue
and by other names. are to be congratu-
lated on their good fortune; but they are
liable TO a secondary outbreak next year.
It viii cause amazement, he said. to hear
that The existence of yellow fever in the
native population has been entirely over
looked in ali our southern states. The
idea exists that the natives enjoy immun-
ity. Such has been the opinion in Cuba
until recently.
The great majority of children born
have had an attack in infancy, but the
disease was not recognized as such. 1t
was supposed to be only a mild febrle at
tack, without an appreciable symptom.
Nursing children generally escape, but aft
er the first year they are nearly all af-
fected. There is no disease that spreads
more universally through a non-immune
community than yellow fever. The COM
parative immunity of the colored race is
very striking. The disease is much mild
er with them.
The disease Is rarely fatal with the col
ored race When the fever RACES in the
southern states there is a mild disease
among the colored people. Some acute
intestine troubles among old people are
probably due to the same cause. DR..
Guiteras made a special study of these
cases of mild yellow fever. They differ
widely from the classic description of the
disease. Yellow fever epidemics usually
begin earlier than people generally believe
The towns Ignore the existence of the dis
ease as long as possible. If no true case
is found before Aug Is that community
mer.
There is no disease that has so many
signs by which it would be possible for an
experienced observer to suspect its presence
| before case is actually discovered in the
community. It's presence is usually denied
by the local authorities. Cases of a mild
febrile type generally escape under the
name of dengue. Fatal cases are usually
Nported as some other disease. Most of
these cases are of young people. That
means that as yellow fever prevails in the
south al intervals of ten, fifteen or twenty
years, people above the age of 20 years
are immune, having already had it as
children.
A characteristic feature is an increase in
deaths in a community among the white
population. 1t may affect special classes
like seamen. The health reports may
show an increase of deaths from conges-
ton of the stomach, or brain, meningitis,
Brights disease or bilious remittent fever.
There are three characteristic symp-
! toms-the faces, presence of albumen in
the urine and want of correlation between
the pulse and tempera ture. The first is of
the greatest Importance, and the charac-
ter of most cases can be determined by
that. 1t is difficult of description. There is
a jaundiced appearance of the eyes some
what similar to that in measles before the
eruption. 1t becomes more marked on the
third day.
The appearance of albunen comes much
earlier than in other acute febrile diseases
The third symptom, the want of correla-
ton between the pulse and the tempera-
ture, is very marked one During the eff
fervescence the pulse goes down into the
forties. The same is found in the dengue
fever. The morning temperature of the
third day will be 102. Between that time
and the fourth day the temperature will
be rising and the pulse will fall off ten or
fifteen beats. This is true in mild cases
where there is no black vomit or tendency
to hemorrhage.
DR.. Guiteras had on exhibition under the
microscope many specimens from the liv-
er, stomach and kidney of yellow fever
cases, and described the effect upon each
of these organs. He referred particularly
to the bacillus cetroides discovered by Sa-
ranelli, and obtained by him from IS per
cent. of the small number of yellow fever
cases which he had examined
He said il was interesting to note that
this particular micro-organism appears to
be the same as the bacillus X described by
DR.. Sternberg i'm his Investigations Of yell
low fever in Havana. Dr. Sternberg found
the bacillus Y in about the same propor-
ton as Saraneli had found It. The strong
| est evidence presented by Saranelli- that
he had discovered the bacillus of yellow
fever IS in his experiment upon dogs, in
which he produced the characteristics
| symptoms.
In answer to DR.. Abbott DIR. Gulteras
| said the dengue and yellow fever are en-
| tirely distinct diseases although they are
in many respects similar A person can
| have yellow fever but once, but may have
dengue every time there Is an epidemic of
It. He had himself had dengue three times
and yellow fever once and was immune
from the latter. Epidemics of yellow fever
frequently occur along with cpldemics of
dengue. There is difficulty In distinguish
ing the digoa SOS from on ,h ot,ar 81 -