The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1899-08-10

if not an entire cessation, of the alarm
over the yellow fever epidemic at
Hampton. There can be no doubt that
the grounds for the alarm were greatly
exaggerated. DR. Bradford, well
known Washington physician. makes
the following statement
There is no Yellow fever at the
Hampton Soldiers Home. Hardly any
new cases and not death in two days,
and this among four thousand old vet
Grams who are susceptible To maladies
of all kinds particularly in the sum
mer They say now that they have the
scourge well in hand. and that they
have checked it, Check: They had
nothing to check 1t is nothing but IA
terribly bad scare. If actual yellow
fever had broken ont at the Hampton
home ten days ago, there would have
been hundreds of cases there by this
time. and a large number of deaths
every day Everybody is running away
from bugaboo The very name Of
1tlAOM JAIN IL u bOAN ANAANAf RhN fNN
pie around Norfolk who recollect the
epidemic Of 1885 are naturally fright
ened
Whether DR.. Radford does not take
too cheerful view Of the situation
may perhaps be questioned, bit there
can be no doubt that communities are
liable 10 unreasonable panics, Just as
old veterans relate that companies and
regiments, and even divisions, were
liable to be stampeded in the civil war.
The Atlanta Constitution says that DR..
Arnold, Of Savannah. used to declare
that he treated many more cases Of
yellow fright than yellow fever in that
city in 1854 1t is Of the first import
ance that cities and communities sup
posed to be threatened with this scourge
should observe two precautions, namely,
to keep cool, and TO keep clean. 1t is
an established fact that yellow fever
cannot become epidemic in any locality
unless the conditions for its spread ac-
tually exist. Filthy streets and alleys
and backyards, and lack of thorough
drainage, are conditions that invite
this pestilence. But where there is
good ventilation. good drainage and
thorough cleanliness there need be no
fear of yellow fever. Even if cases Of
the disease are brought into such COM
munities there will be no spread of the
pest. The Norfolk Landmark recalls the
fact that during the fearful Norfolk ep-
idemic in 1855 hundreds of people of
that city sought refuge on the Eastern
Shore of Virginia and that while there
were cases of yellow fever among these
refugees. who carried the germs OF the
fever with them, the disease did not, in
a single instance, communicate itself
to any resident of the peninsula on the
other side Of the bay. Just as there
can be no combustion unless the in
flammable conditions exist, so there can
be no epidemic of yellow fever unless
the disease is invited by lack Of sani-
tary precautions. In this view Of the
matter it would seem that DR.. Open
heimer, President of the Richmond
Board Of Health, goes TO an extreme
length, indeed, an uDjustifiable length,
when ne declares that 1.-The moment a
single case of yellow fever appears in
Norfolk up goes quarantine against
that city" The presence Of yellow
fever in Norfolk would be no cause for
alarm in Richmond if the people Of the
latter city take the proper sanitary
steps against the spread of the disease.
The existence Of one case, or dozen
cases. or fifty cases of clearly defined
fever brought into the city from Nor
folk, or from any community suffering
from the epidemic, would be no ground
for apprehension of an epidemic in
Richmond, unless by neglect of sani-
tary precautions the conditions that
favor a spread of the disease were per-
mitted to prevail. Some diseases, such
as scarlet fever and smallpox, are con-
tagious, that is communicable by con-
tact. Other diseases are not directly
communicated by proximity or contact.
bat become epidemic, or diffused
through the community, by the exist.
ence of conditions favorable to the
spread Of the pestilence. OF this class
is yellow fever.
The Burrows Interview.
natro;t Mich Au0 & -CanatOr Rnr-