New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-08
THE YELLOW FEVER OUTBREAK.

After nine years Of hopeful and tranqulliiznS
immunity the Gulf States are threatened win
another epidemic Of yellow fever. lhere
seems 10 be no question now that the recent
fever cases at Ocean Springs. a mississippi
va,cr!ny-place at first wrongly diagnosed as
denCue constitute a genuine visitation OF the
dreaded yellow jack. Hundreds or VISITORS NJ
the Gulf resort have now scattered 20 thelr
homes IN the States of Mississippi. Alabama
Louisiana and Texas, and 1t Is only natural
that The Gulf cities and towns should ~"
thrown for the time being into state ot ner-
vous panic over the prospect ut general
snrcad of the insidious aud fatal yellow
plague Quarantncs have. Of course, hceh
hastily established against tn" iiccipG reiu
gees from Ocean Sprlngs. but for day or TWO
il cannot he known With c'rtainiy that they
have been effective 70 stay III" march OF inc
Infection 50 tar'ily discovered and proclaimed
The origin of tho new epidemic seems as
obscure ~ It's first manifestations Wcrc mls-
leading and deceptive. by some AUTHORITIES
on The spot the appearance Of tho fever Ia at
1rihuted 10 the consumption Of oysters winch
had fed or sewage pollutlon. By others the
even wagner theory is br0achcd that the plague
was carried over from Havana ny certain
mysterious Cuban visitors Whatever IN"
source Of the disease. its progress has be"h
marked SO far by singular lack or vTulfnct
for though ii had been prevalent N me MIS-
sssippi watering place for several weeks. l'N
cases had resulted fatally Until within the last
few days. The niildness OF the epidemic 'N II
led the medical authorities nj Washington 10
question AT first whether genuine yellow ieVer
Lad developed on the Gulf Coast. although the
unanimous opinions Of the quarantine ana
Health Board officials OF Louisiana ana Mis-
sisslppi now leave practically no doubt as To
the real character Of the disease Its compara-
tive innocuousncss, however, offers the en-
coura cement that It's ravages may be the more
easily mastered and It's progress the more
quickly checked.
Everything indeed. points now to the posi-
bility Of restricting the threatened epidemic
within comparatively narrow limits The late
ness of the season is in itself partial Suaf"h-
toe against general spread OF the disease
Though fresh cases OF yellow fever have been
contracted in the Gulf States as lat" IN the
year as November. yet most epideinics nave
reached their height late in August or III the
first half of September. In lSSS nj Jhchsoh-
vile the fever broke out in vrulcnt form as
early as August II; while ten years before Inc
great plague which rayaged Mississippi ana
Western Tennessee was actively raging III the
early part OF the same month. The Jackson
Vile epidemic was not over, however until well
into November. and, though practically con
fined 10 single city. the infection attacked
nearly five thousand persons ana left n mai
death roll Of about five hundred names.
There Is another encouraging feature In the
present situation. The Southern States have
learned useful lessons from the cpd"mics OF
1878 and 1855 and the local quarantine ana
health administration in many al III" cur CT
les Is to-day far more painstakins and thor
1ugh Than WAS ever the case before. Co-opcra-
ton. too. with the National authorities, espe-
cially with the agents OF til" United States Ma
rinc Hospital Service. has lately brought the
machinery for fighting epiGcmics Ike ycllow(
FOYER and cholera 10 a new and gratifying
standard Of efficiency What vrulcnce the
present epidemic may develop is ~ present
wholly conjectural But Tint II viii ind us
progress more skilf,Illv disputed than usual and
many Of It's former tcrrors ahat"l can h" a.
copied as beyond dispute. II should be added
that in Northern states. which are v-ani!y
protected rnd which viii soon b. yisltcd 10y
frosts, there is not the slightest reason Tor
alarm.