Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-08-15
MANY STILL DOUBT.
THEY THINK YELLOw-FEvER DI'
AGyOsIs AT HAMPTON WRONG.
EPIDEMICS OF THE DISEASE.
It's Frequent Similarity 90 Ordinary
MaInriaI Fevers-Coilection of Reg
fstered Mail Natter Directly from
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Items.

WASHINGTON, ID. c., August 14.-(Spe-
cial $50 many letters have been re-
ceived here from inmates Of the Soldiers
Home. at Hampton, both by individuals
and the newspapers. denying the eNis-
tence Of yellow-fever there, that Sur
geon-General Wyman felt called upon
TO "give out" an interview, asserting that
there Is mo doubt it ia yellow-fever"
Despite this, and the reports Of the doc
tors who have diagnosed the malady as
yellow-fever. there are many experienced
physicians and others here who ara
now more firmly convinced than ever
that the whole thing was gigantic
scare, destitute Of any positive evidence
that the dread scourge had ever BEEN in
troduced or gained a foothold within the
quarantined district. The general con-
sensus Of opinion among medical men %
repute outside OF the so-called infected
region seems 10 be that the initial dag
nosis was i mistake.
THE DISEASE IN THIS COUNTRY.
1T is a well-established fact" said one
OF these. that the disease known as
yellow-feVer Is an acute febrile disorder
due to the action OF a specific virus, the
exact nature Of which has been in the
past. and Is yet. unknown. 1t occurs
endemcally In the West indies, and I'M
der certain conditions. epidemicaly IN
the Southern States. Epidemlcs Of yell
low-feyer have occurred in the United
States az far back as 1888. and during
that year the fever was the most serious
that ever prevailed in the Middle states
Philadelphia. in that year, contained a
population OF 1900, and n ia matter or
record that 3435 died. During the latter
part Of the last century. and early IN
the present, IL appeared In an epidemic
form. slightly I'm Boston. and extern
siyely IN Baltimore. In 1853 IL ragged 10
an alarming extent throughout the
Southern States, and in that year 500
deaths occurred IN New Orleans. Again.
In 1861 and In 1873. moderately severe cpl
denies prevailed, while in 1873 LOUISIANA
Alabama. and Mississippi were visited
by the scourge. with the terrible record
OF 1900 deaths
CAUSE OF THE DISEASE.
various opinions are entertained ,py
medical men as 10 the cause or the ols
ease. but the generally theory la
thar its appearance Is due 10 tne lhtio-
duction OF the poison, either Dy pat'euts
or through infected articles. IL is o lal', y.
ed that residents Tor period VI years III
southern climes ara not SO susceptible -
strangers. and temporary soJOufn"fsi thds
the mortality IS greater among hld4se
than females. and that negroes are inuS |
less susceptible than whites. aithVugn
they are not immunes. writers on ne
subject say that immunity from the ais
ease Is only acquired through long resi-
dence i'm a community IN which II appears
in an epidemic FORM, or through hayins
passed through an attack According u
The beA authorities and experts familiar
with the disease, no specific germ has
,et been discovered. The period Of incu
iatIon varies from three or four days te
seven. though in some Instances II may
be lese than twenty-tour hours. Its yisi
I n sudden and generally without warning
SO Tar as preliminary symptoms are con
| cerned. Among prominent indications o.
an attack may be mentioned chilfs. heap
ache pains in the back and limbs, afS
/ fever rising rapidly; a hot. dry skin
flushed face, furred tongue, sore throat
| neuse.. and vomiting becoming intsns'
| an the second and third day. In the thirC
| ,tage u the disease the temperature rises
| iaundice develops rapidly. vomiting IN
: creoses. and black vomt sets In. the In
gradients OF which are Transformed bloo'
: pigments, consisting OF blood ana CASTRO
| mucous. altered b, the acid juices OF th'
! stomach. The vomiting Is usually ac
, companied by great abdominal pains.
| LIKENESS TO MALARIAL FEVER.
The disease so closely Stimulates oral