The record-union., 1898-08-27
FIGHTING YELLOW FEVER.
NOT A FORMIDABLE DISEASE
UNDER PROPER CARE.
Modes Of Infection and Of Guard.
ing Against It-Sternberg
Alkaline Treatment.

~~-~~>~~~~
AS the yellow flag Of Spain has oeen
superseded by the more subtle agency
Of yellow jack in its attacks upon the
soldiers at Santiago, and as the Omteo
States Is likely for some time 10 come
to have contfoi of the islands Of Cuba
and Porto Rico, hot beds of yellow fe-
yer, 1t becomes matter or concern ana
interest to the entire nation to know
how to deal effectively with this insid1-
Gus foe. 1t is fortunate, no doubt, that
the medical staff of the army, of the
navy and of the marine hospital ser
vice, under the Treasury Department,
were so we'll prepared to treat this NAL
ady at the very outbreak of hostilities.
Surgeon General w. K. Van Reypen
is authority for the statement that
there has not been a case of yellow fe-
yer upon any vessel of the navy since
the year 1888, and this is to be attribut-
ed largely to the sanitary instructions
prepared by the Bureau of Medicine and
Surgery, such as were issued in April
by Secretary Long. These instructions
are concise and definite, and in part
would be quite applicable to residents
in dwellings,, cities and towns as to
marines. Strict attention to ventilation
is urged, the uses of pure water for
drinking and culinary purposes, careful
attention to the cooking and character
of food, to clothing, bathing and the
avoidance of infection
Under the supervision Of Surgeon
General Walter Wyman the officers of
the United States Marine Hospital SER
vice, controlling all quarantine regula-
tions, have just issued a pamphlet Of
ia pages upon the Mature, Diagnosis,
Treatment and Prophylaxis" Of this
disease. The articles are written by
Surgeons R. D. Murray, John Guiteras,
H. D. Geddings, H. r. Carter, Eugene
Wasdin, w. F. Drummer, A. H. Glennan,
Seaton Norman, J. H. White, George
B. Young, Preston H. Bailhache and E.
K. Sprague, and cover every phase of
the subject. Supervising Surgeon Wy
man, though not an immune has treat
ed many cases of yellow fever, and does
not regard it with the dread common
to inexperience.
Dr. George NJ. Sternberg, Surgeon
General Of the United States army, has
been recognized by the medical profess
sion throughout the world as an au-
thority upon this subject for many
years. He has had the disease him
self, and has treated it in its worst
as we'll as milder phases, and his pub
hshed works upon the subject are ac-
cepted standards for diagnosis and
treatment.
"A DISPUTE AS TO THE MODE OF
INFECTION.
AS to the mode Of infection, authori-
ties differ; some say from the food and
some from the air. Says DR.. Wasdin:
Yellow fever is essentially an air-borne
injection, the entrance of which into the
system has been supposed to be by way
OF the aIimentary canal; the upper in
testlne serving the purposes of incuba-
tlon OF the causative germ; the absorp-
tlon or Its poison giving rise to the dis
ease. More recently it has been ad.
Vanced that probably the germ Of yell
low fever enters the general circulation
through the respiratory organs in some
obscure manner, and, incubating in the
blood directly, poisons this life-giying
stream"
Dr. Carter says: 1.-The infection is
heavy and hangs and spreads near the
ground. 1t is unable to pass a. close
wall of any considerable hight. although
under the shady side Of such a. wall If
may spread well when once started. It
seems especially active at night. and
certainly out Of doors; is less likely 10
be contracted on clear, dry days. It is
believed, l think, universally. to be
taken into the human system by inhala-
ton, although other avenues of en-
trance, since the observations Of Sana-
relli, are assumed by pathologists."
If the temperature of a town is suffi-
ciently low, by reason either of its ele-
walton or its latitude, visitor or re-
turning resident afflicted with the dis
ease, Will not cause II to be com
municated to others. Thus a resident
of the City of Mexico may come down
with this fever after a visit to Vera
Cruz, where, during the summer
months, it is endemic; or visitor from
the coast city may develop the disease
in Mexico; yet no original cases of
yellow fever have been known to de-
velop In the Mexican capital though it
is not remarkable for its cleanliness. A
fact Of the same import has been oh
served in Petropolis, an elevated health
resort near Rio Janeiro. When the dis
ease prevailed IN New York in 1922 II
was confined to the lower part of the
city Those who went into the infected
lOcdIIly were HaDIe 10 attack, but IL
they took the disease and returned to
the healthy districts they did not COM
municate it to others.
Ordinarily it seems necessary also
that the infectious agent should find
suitable soil for the germ to develop in
order to- produce any widespread effect.
Well-paved, cleanly kept cities, with
good sewerage, are not likely to find
lodgment for the disease; and in cities
where II has become epidemic. as well
as in endemic centers, such as Havana
and Rio Janeiro, it develops and is
maintained in low-lying districts
abounding in decomposed matter of
animal origin. Certain observations
made by Surgeon General Wyman seem
very pertinent:
RELATION OF DRAINAGE TO CON-
TAGION
1.-THE drainage facilities of a city. in
order to avoid yellow fever conditions
should always be greater than the vol
ume capacity of its water supply. This
is not the case at Havana, nor probably
in any other Cuban port. The outlet