The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1897-10-07
YELLOW FEVER MICROBES
AN ITALIAN SCIENTIST HAS FOUND
NEW SERUM-..YELLOWJ JACK"
SCARES OF THE PAST.
WOULD Be A BOON 70 NEW ORLEANS
The Discovery Is Known az Antiam-
aryl and Is Very POwerfuI-Bat-
ties with the ScOurge Tint
Have Lect Sad Memories.

Scourge of yellow fever which recently
almost threw this city into panic
could have been much more quickly
combatted and the public fears allayed
had the authorities been in possession
of new serum discovered by an
italian medical sayant.
The new serum is known as anti
mayyl. Its discoverer is Dr. Sanarelli.
whose experiments while in Brazil and
Uruguay resulted in the discovery of
the yellow fever germ. There is no
question in the minds of the physicians
here, even those who can look back to
the dread days of 1878, that had we
been blessed with the possession of this
serum the danger of epidemic would
have been entirely averted AS it is, in
New Orleans in yellow fever times, one
never feels safe until frost, the one al
ways successful foe of yellow jack. puts
in an appearance.
No one who does not live below the
18th degree of north latitude. the north
yellow fever, can imagine the absolute
error which the news of the presence
of this fearful scourge inspires. There
fore it is no eXaggeratiOn to say that
the mama that fell to the children of
Israel in the wilderness was no more
grateful than the news received here
from a reliable source that Sanarelli's
discovery in all probability meant Il new
weapon against the fever and one which
would be available at any moment.
Il, - tlA,r
serum, and the fact that the Italian
savant had his attention directed to
New Orleans as field of experiment if
ever opportunity offered, was brought
here by an American physician. recently
arrived from Montcvideo. He states
that Sanarelli told him that he believed
that New Orleans would offer, if it ever
became unfortunate enough, held Tor
experiment superior to that of any
other place in North America, owing to
the peculiar climatic conditions existing
in the city and its surroundings.
He told this physician also that while
at present it was impossible for him to
spare any of the serum he had made,
as soon as it was possible he would for
ward to him here at New Orleans
small supply to be used in case of an
of fever If this physician
had that supply now, he could sell 1t Tor
triple. yes, quadruple its weight in gold.
While the fever here has practically
been checked. for while the run can not
be instantly stayed fresh outbreaks can,
the panicky, feeling is evident on every
hand, Small wonder is there that this
is the case when one recalls that the
scourge has left it's mark in other
years, has scared the city so dreadfully
that even the mention of 1t fairly eX-
cites terror.
1t is less than twenty years since the
deaths from yellow fever in New Or
leans and Memphis exceeded 5000 with
in one month. This was in the autumn
of 1878. when the Mississippi, valley
bore far more the appearance OF Il vast
charnel house than of the. populous'
fruitful country which it ordinarily APP
pears to be. There are those living yet
who remember how death Travelled the
Mississippi and the Ohio on board the
steam tug John ID. Porter and its Two
barges. Two long months did TINS
trumvirate of disease.Strlcken clilI
move up and down the Mississippi and
Ohio rivers. spreading yellow death
wherever they touched. They commu-
nicated the fever to the town OF CALL
nolis. Ohio. where tifty-one persons TOOK
the disease and thirty-one died.
From the time these crafts left New
Orleans until they tied up at PITTS,
burg, twenty-three persons died ABOARD
of them The ghostly plague snip. or
Vanderdecken and his Flying Dutcn-
man we're never more dreaded than
these three lspreaders of the yellow
death. At Gallipolis. Ohio. on the
morning of August 10. 1878, the en-
gineers of the tug refused to work any
longer and ran the boat alongside the
bank. where all hands except two men
and the doctor deserted. 1t was from
New Orleans that the tug ana It's
barges brough the cargo OF which Sei-
low jack was master. 49,, lac.
4 pitiful story is told OF the last
ontbreak of fever of any consequence,
which took place in 1888. All Loulsl-
ana was in dire distress, when none
knew at what moment the death
head might leer in at the door. Apc
norently sporadic cases were heard OF
on every hand. DR.. LHeureauX, phE.
stefan of New Orleans, learned mat at
the house of farmer out toward Bayou
Christian, the disease had 1ouhu sev-
erol victims! all of whom were Ill plti-
ohle state. The doctor, who had no
fear of yellow jack, drove out to the
Mace and found that the majority OF
the family had gone. Across the ROAD
from the house sat the owner. beside
brightly burning bonfire of pine logs.
He told the doctor that his son was
sick in the house, but that ne was
afraid to go to him.
The doctor went in and searched the
dwelling which he found to he in con,
dition simply frightful, but discovered
no sign of the patient. At last, behind
the kitchen stove lay form that ne at
first thought was that of a negro, 6nt
on examination discovered that the "
ycar-old boy. fevered, thirsty and dying
from the dread disease had crawled
about on the filthy floors of his home IN
a vain search for water and had ut last
collapsed on the spot where ne was
found.
This is one of a hundred instances.
Yellow Jack drives courage from men
who have fearlessly faced death and
danger in many forms. There is some
thing so horrible about it that one be-
comes Tremendously alarmed with ap-
parently slight cause. What brings the
yellow fever to New Orleans is some
thing that no one knows. unless it be
that certain conditions of the atmos-
phere or certain growths of vegeta-
BILE nature result in the birth OF the
germs. The most experienced yellow
fever doctors declare that the disease
is not communicable by one person to
another. but that it makes its way
through the air by means of personal
clothing. baggage, and ordinary mer-
chandise.
In SAYING that one person can not com
,ounioota tho 1iSeoSe TO another If is