The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-31
YELLOW JACK CONQUERED.
THE SOUTH LEARNS THAT TIE FEVER
az he CONTROLLER.

yellow fever in the United States. mainly
through the good work Of the United States ma
rino hospital service. Is a notable achievement.
Tho action Of tho marine hospital service has
proved that the disease can easily be crushed
out by efficient and energetic management,
and has robbed tho malady Of It's former evil
reputation. Tho fact that II can be kept con-
fned to ono place and that what has been called
the McHenry epidemic has boon tcradicnted
without tho loss VI q single life has done much
to remove the old panicky feeling that prevailed
In the South whenever yellow fever was mon
toned. Last years experience gave that
panicky feeling q shock; the McHenry OK
perience OF this summer has probably killed II.
The old view Of the disease was that II was
endemic In certain parts OF the country. and
that no quarantine could check or prevent II.
Those who came within the yellow fever terri
tory did so at their own risk. and the usualidea
was 70 have the fever as soon as possible and
get through with II. 1t Is true that ones
chances OF dying were one in four; but II you
wished to settle In yellow fever territory you
had to take your chances. The disease held
over from year to year. and it was thought i'm
possible to prevent II from doing so. Even
when q better quarantine kept the disease out
of the country. except on rare occasions, it was
recognized that the danger Of its breaking out
the year after an epidemic, as in Memphis In
Aot's" WIS V eAAlN ~ " w OlA
1t was the recollection OF past experience
and ideas that caused the many wild and I'M
reasonable panics Of last year. The result OF
that epidemic. brought about by fighting the
disease for the first time In a reasonable. intel
ligent and systematic manner. was so entirely
different from what was expected as to stagger
completely the oldest citizen. They learned. for
instance. that yellow fever could be fenced in
by united and intelligent action. although
I . LAl ~
in the past and they learned that with good
! treatment, careful nursing. new methods
and thorough disinfection tho dreaded yellow
plague was a comparatively mild malady. kill
ing from 2 to 10 per cent. only. or ono in from
ten to fifty persons sick. and that 1t was not to
be compared In It's death rate with typhoid
and q hundred other fevers far less dreaded In
the past. so striking was this lesEon that a
great many Of the old fogies. disappointed at
the failure OF their prediction. INSISTED that the
disease OF last year was not yellow fever ut all,
but dengue or some other milder complaint.
Thu epidemic OF 189T caught the South I'M
prepared, and while a magnificent fight was
made. 1t was made only after the disease had
got entrance into the country and was scattered
in half q dozen places. The preparations for
the campaign this year were thorough, and
the result was even better than expected.
30 perfect was the defence from the start that
the announcement that the fever had made its
appearance at McHenry caused no thrill
Of uneasiness; and now that all the health
boards announce that the fever is over without
the loss OF a life q feeling Of confidence
prevails that can scarcely be appre-
ciated outside OF the yellow fever zone.
1t is the dissipation OF q nightmare and
terror which has hung over the South
for years. Yellow Jack is shown to be de-
crepit. no longer to be feared. IL fought with
the proper weapons. There will be no moro
panics or business disturbances when the dis
ease is again announced. il it is ever an
nounced. on our shores. but effective means
will be at once taken to get rid OF it.
The means adopted at McHenry. and so thor
oughly and effectively tested there, have be-
come. therefore. OF the utmost importance.
especially as the disease. Just at the mo-
ment It disappeared from this country.
made its appearance in Skaters army In
Santiago.
The first case OF yellow fever at McHenry.
Miss. to which the epidemic was restricted. oc-
Cured on May 20. McHenry. it should be ex-
planned. is a backwoods lumber town. cut OF
from the world. where ordinarily the fever
would prevail for a month or two before dis
covery. The local physician knew nothing Of
the disease. had never seen ii. and consequent
ly did not know or report it when 1t occurred.
But the United States marine hospital service
and the several State Boards OF Health
were on the lookout for Just this condition I;
and on juno z. eighteen days after the
first case occurred. the McHenry fever was dis
covered by a physician OF the Mississippi Board
of Health to be genuine yellow fever. There
were then four cases in the town. So thorough
and prompt was the health organization that
within an hour OF the time the disease was dis
covered there was u complete Gordon around
the town.
From that time to the end of tho epidemic. II
1t can be called epidemic. all the energies OF
the health officers were devoted to preventing
the disease from spreading from McHenry. TO
keeping it down in that town. and to saving
the sick. There was no doubt "a to the dis
ease; every case showed its characteristics
clearly. There were twenty-six cases in all and
not q death. There were nine foci, Of which
six houses were burned. that having been
foundt the safest and surest way OF disinfection
and of getting rid Of the disease. Gen. Miles's
action in burning the infected houses in Sibo-
ney was, as shown by the experience at Nc
Henry. the right and proper thing to do. One
OF the infected loci burned was an icehouse,
where one would scarcely expect to find
yellow fever lingering through the winter. as
Ice is supposed 10 be q deadly enemy OF this
tropical bacillus: but there was every reason
to believe that this icehouse was one OF the
primary foci of the epidemic. Sawdus has
been found, on many occasions. a hiding place
or vidus for the disease. and most OF the cpl
denies have broken out or fingered longest In
Bawdust towns. In the sawdust OF this Ice
house the disease undoubtedly found refuge.
and the building was promptly condemned and
burned by tho health authorities. Fire was
found the only purifier; Ice of little value.
The first step taken was to restrict the dis
ease to McHenry. There was little difficulty
encountered in placing q Gordon or guard
around the town 80 as to keep the disease
within it's limits after 1t was first announced
but as nothing was known o the existence OF 1.-THE
yellow fever between May 80 and June y, and
AZ McHenry was open to the entire world and
vico versa during that period. It was possible
that infected cases might have gone from there
to other towns. and might establish fresh
centres Of the disease. The health au-
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