San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-10-18

suppression of urine, high tenn
perature, etc, occurs and it will be
seen what q number of "circum-
stantial evidences have to be
taken into consideration by the
medical attendant to correctly
diagnose the case. One Of the
main guides in dengue is the lum-
bar pain and pain along the joints
and a series OF other symptoms
that distinguish it from yellow
fever case. yellow fever, it is we'll
known, is disease confined most
ly to coast regions and swampy
regions; dengue, like, the ala
grippe" on the other hand occurs in
large epidemics all over this
country and In all ATTITUDES. The
intense hot summer experienced a
few months ago and the rather
sudden chsngesinto the cooler fall,
had perharps much to do with the
disease, although it seems rather
bacterial life is the main cause !;
these disease breeders being propa-
gated through different unsanita-
ry conditions, especially the decay
ing of immense quantities of vege-
table and animal substances along
the coast regions and other places
and carried by the wind currents
al over the continent. Much, OF
course, has to be learned yet in
this particular direction, it is to
me at least, about the only correct
theory how such immense epidem-
ic diseases invade all of sudden
certain towns and localities, infect
one person after the other and
then, like our fine Texas sunshine
after dreary, rainy day, makes
its exit, not to return soon again
or perhaps to infect only those
who had not beer "immune" from
previous epidemic.
And now, let me call your atten-
tion to one more point in connec-
ton with these public matters
which corcern all OF us. In the
face of all undisputed data concern
ing yellow fever in the climate of
Texas, is it not high time that this
panic producing quarantine bust
ness be better regulated in the
future? Go to Dallas, Fort Worth,
even to the coast towns, and all
other Texas towns and get full
statistic of genuine yellow fever
cases in their past history and find
out il there is really such need to
quarantine every little village and
town in the state in the manner it
has been done lately; il it is an
undisputed fact, that in our climate
yellow fever is not the contagious
disease it is shown to be in
swampy regions by their statistics,
then, what good does all this pud-
dle-muddle and panic-causing
quarantine business do?
The health officers are due all
respect and thanks of the COM
munity as guardians Of health for
their arduous labor and untiring
effort to please the people, but
gentlemen it is overdone in many
instances and you often receive
instead of thanks, a "kick," so to
say, and speak from experience
having went through the "fire" for
the last ten years as health official
myself. With as strict quaran-
tine regulation, as our Justly hon.
ored state health officer exercises
the year around along all coast
regions, it seems that the local
authorities should be relieved of
quarantining one town after the
other, except in cases ofviruleut
smallpox. The local health Of
ficers are now so well informed
and know how to handle infectious
diseases, that it is surely gone too
far to quarantine the entire state
for a few cases of infectious dis
ease, but full confidence and assis-
lance should be awarded them as
health guardians of the COM
munity.
/ hope / have not went into any
personalities, and perhaps the
above statements belong only in a
medical periodical, but it is a
public matter, that is now-"after
the ball is over" subject to discus
sion by any one, and this more
this people are informed about
sanitary matters the more precau-
tions and less panics will be
created. DR.. Herff, now sojourn-
ing in Boerne, one of our oldest
and most experienced physicians
and who has devoted more than a
half century of close observation
to climate diseases in Texas and
in particular to the occurrence OF
yellow fever cases in San Antonio