Evening star., 1898-07-23

sunshine as possibles sand with very strict
attention to- diet The published prescrip-
ticn, which contemplates powerful anti
septic is as 5follows;aBi of soda,
$50 grains; bichloride eef mercury 1-3 grain
pure water, quart; dose, 3 tablespoonfuls
every hour; to be given ice cold. This mode
of treatment has BEEN tested by many ply
sicians in. the United States, Cuba, Brazil
and other localities. and with very crafty
ing results. In 3I4 cases treated by ten
physicians, of 301 white patients, there was
a mortality of but la per cent and T3
cases of blacks with no mortality.
Negro Race NotTWholIy Immune.
1t is popularity supposed that the negro
race is quite completely. il not wholly, i'm
mu.e from this disease. The truth seems
to be that whenever-an epidemic occurs
all persons who are exposed to it are liable
to its attacks, blacks usually being less
susceptible and developing the disease in
mider form. According to an authority
the deaths among the whites in Jamaica
were 102 per 1000, and among the blacks
per 900. while in the Bahamas the NOR
tality of whites was 80 per 1000 and of
blacks sc per 1000. When the epidemic
ragged in the south in 1878 there were 1872
cases among the coored population OF
Brownsville, Tennessee, with Il deaths: at
Chattanooga there were in all eS5 cases, of
which 429 were coored. with a mortality
of 46, and 256 whites, with 11S deaths; at
Decatur, Ala bama, there were - deaths
among "a whites and 81 deaths among 1S6
cases of blacks having the disease In
general, the farther north the nativity of
the person attacked the greater the danger.
AS result of observations made in Guiana
Dr. Blair says: ',The lower the winter tenn
perature in the native country of those at
tackled the more severe was there sickness,
SO that While the mortality among the ma
tive West Indians amounted to only 60
per cent of the sick, it rose to III among
the Italians and French, 1913 among the
English, 2e.2 among the Germans and
TNt,r1
and Russians"
Second Attacks Possible.
A single attack of yellow fever does
not always render one immune from a sec
ond, though second attacks are compara-
lively rare. DR.. Jackson states that TWEEN
ty well-authenticated instances of persons
being attacked who had had the disease
before came within his knowledge during
the epidemic of 1920 in Spain. DR.. Wragg
mentions six cases during the epidemic at
Charleston in 1854. Some OF the patients
were identified as having gone through the
fever in the Roper hospital in 1852, throw
ing UP black vomit on both occasions"
Dr. Rush mentions second attacks hav-
ing occurred at Philadelphia in the case of
patients who had previously suffered mild
attacks. In regard to the immunity oe
natives, Gen. Sternberg says: In locali-
ties such as Havana and Rio de Janeiro.
where yellow fever has established itself
as endemic disease. the adult native
population enjoys an immunity which is
almost absolute, and has been supposed TO
be hereditary This view until recently
was generally accepted by physicians
siding in these endemic foci of the disease.
There Is, however, accommodating evidence
that the immunity enjoyed by 'creoles' is
not inherited. but results from a mild and
usually anrecognized attack during in
fancy or childhood" AS confirmatory of
this, DIR. Dowler's report of the epidemic
| of 1853 in New Orleans is cited. Many
creole children had during the epidemic of
1858 fever, a slight Efever-yellow fever,
If you please, known such rather by
| the coexistence of the, epidemic than from
any severe symptoms among the children
a slight fever never yet described, having
generally but one paroxysm. lasting from
six hours to one, two or three days, scarce
ly ever requiring medication. That a few
of these cases acquired alarming vio-
lence and even proved fatal is most true,
| most deplorable." Dr.-Guiteras regards the
immunity among admit creoles as resulting
from an unrecognzeh attack during child
hood; and DR.. Blair referring to the cpl
was one Of the most, favoringz causes of
the action of yellelw Fever poison The
constitution of they newborn or Young
white creole was highly susceptible He
| or she was truly in the category of new
comers-n
PrOphylactic Suggestions.
1t is true, how sver that old residents Of
immunity from the disease, and foreigners
may reside for,years at Havana, Rio ia
neiro, Vera Graz or San Juan without suf-
ferng any attack. This suggests the in
| curry whether there is any way in which
the system may be successfully fortified
against It. During seasons of unusual cpl
demlc prevalence some residents of the
vest Indies are said to take prophy-
tactic equal parts of lemon juice and olive
| oil, while others abstain from rum and
sn oke. strong cigars 1t seams. that care
fu. sanitary habits and the maintenance
OF such degree of physical health as to
avert anxiety and fear of the disease are
| very efficacious toward warding 1t off
Many Illustration could be given where
owing to sanitary precautions, nurses and
physicians in no respect immune and con-
stantly employed among yellow fever pa
tlents nave failed to contract the disease
Yellow fever has been one of the great
scourses OF the world, ranking in this re-
spect with smallpox, cholera and the black
plague. The earliest authentic accounts re-
Ter TO 1t as breaking out in the Lesser
Antilles about the middle of the seven
teenth century. The first cases were re-
ported among the French colony at Guade-
lonps In 1885 and 1910, and at Bridgetown
barbados. in 16f. 1t was called nova
pestis, and 1t was supposed to have orig
mated from some vessels which arrived in
those ports, but the West Indies have been
regarded as the birthplace and indeed
!
| have attempted to trace it's origin histori-
cally assert that the germs Of this disease
| nrst originated in a ship engaged in the
african slave trade. Many facts were
brought together and generalized by Au-
douard at Paris in 1925 going to establish
TINS theory. and it has received numerous
adherents. Ths Encyclopedia Britannica
says: There is no other theory Of yellow
lever to contest the field with the slave
trade hypothesis; that alone satisfies all
the conditions of corrsct synthesis-his-
tcrical, geographical. chronological, physio-
logical, and. some would say, even ethical :"
The points urged by those who advocate
| tnls theory are: That yellow fever has
| dogged the steps of the slave trade; that
! tha negro race are largely immune to the
| fever, and that the filthy accumulations
and harbor discharges of slave ships af-
| forded suitable indus or Matching place
| Tor the germ to first develop.
Circumscribed Limits.
1t has been regarded as a very curious
| fact also. and perhaps bearing favorably
| upon this view, that while yellow fever re-
| quires high temperatures and hot climates
| for its development. that it should have
| been confired chiefly to the tropical re-
| gicns and coasts of the Atlantic, and never
found in China, India or the Indian ocean.
| 1t has appeared along our Atlantic coast
N toc{ -t~-~l -f, f>SN&s s-v,~y l.