The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-10-27
G|JITERAS ON THE FEVER.
He Does not Look for a severe
Mem Orleans Times Democrat.

IL
DIR, Guiteras conversed interestingly
upon the subject Of the fever in gen.
eral.
'sThere seems to be moral fear on
the part of people outside OF the In
fected locality that infection is posi-.
5 BILE breathing the same atmosphere
as that inspired by person who has
happened to be for a brief period IN
an infected neighborhood, remarked
the United States marine hospital ex-1
merit with smile. ''To this fear was
due the scant welcome given me, but.
the Fear is absurd, as it is a matter OF
iimpossibility for infection to be con-
sveyed in this manner. A physician
will not carry the infection to anyone,
because ne himselfis notinfected, and
the germ (for there is undoubtedly a
eerm9i unable to multiply in the dry
clothing, particularly where the wear
er submits himself to the sterilizlng
influences Of the dry air and sunshine,
sItis possible for,the very room In
which a yellow fever patient is lying
to be void Of infection. and there is
no danger of infection by thefact that
aperson submits himself to the inHu-
s ence Of the sick room for brief
period under any circumstances. In
fection is made possible by the lack OF
sanitation and disinfection in the
early stages OF the, disease. For IN
stance, a person may become infected
by remaining in an infected .housefor.
toe longa period. He or she becomes
part Of the infected locality, and may
be taken ..aown with the fever. By
disinfecting the,clothipg ola yellow
fever patient, together with all matter
voided BY the patient, from the incep-
tioas. Of the fever, and continuing this
process thoroughly, the danger of in
fection to other persons In the dwell
ing is reduced to a minimum;
ssI speak from experience inLthis re-
gard, /. have had cases Of fever under
myeare in the.crowded ward of hos
pital, attended by nurses fresh from
Bellevue and surrounded by other pa
tients, and yet, bypursuing the'oourse
Indicated, not another case. Of the
fever developed. Other experiences
along the sameline have demonstrated
the virtues ofthis disinfection even
during epidemics, where fever hos
pital has failed to spreadthe infection
in a locality Of which it was the cen
tire and when itcontained alarge num-
ber of patients, aud in other instances
of like nature.
&c know thatla case Of yellow fever
can be SO cared for in a hotel filed
With, non-infeeted guests as to abso-
lutely avoid danger Of infection to
other persons. A dwelling in which
fever exists must, however, be thor
oughly sanitated. This must be Kept
up from the very start, and under
these circumstances the house will not
become infected, and the danger re-
duesd to nothing as faras adjoining
hopseholders.are concerned. and even
to tae other dWellers in the building.
If, however, this disinfection is not
carried on the building will become so
filed With the poisonous germs as to
threaten an entire neighborhood, even
taking into consideration the immun-
izing influences of the sunligh ht and
theiface that the germs must travel
the cir. They generate so rapidly as
to east out very wave, and this re-
suit may take place in one or two
days. With ordinary care there can
be 10 danger &c a person living next
door or across Che street from case OF
yellow fever.
"Yellow fever is disease well
known but not always understood. 1t
may do one thing this year and some
thing entirely different upon another
occasion. There are things about 1t
that none Of us,are able to correctly
sound. It's origin,i in this country may
always be tracedto Cuba. Never does
it appear here but what Cuba is the
source of its being. 1t may be brought
over by person who becomes infect
ed on the island aud takes sick here,
and then it may be brought over In
personal effects, like clothing in closed
boxes or trunks where moist eondi-
tion always prevails. The yellow
fever germ is one that revels in most
environment and Cannot increase save
under these conditions.
"Fhe present outbreak may have
had it's beginning at Mobile or at one
Of the Mississippi coast towns, but it
a. -