Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-05-28
SAYS IT'S YAws...Nor SMALLPOX.

A prominent and experienced Mar
shalltown physician declares that the
epidemic prevailing turnout the coun-
& try is yaws, not smallpox. Yaws is a
distinctly defined disease in medical
works. Any one with an extensive en-
cyclopedia will find reference to it.
The Encyclopedia Britannica devotes a
page to it. Yaws is the name in use in
the British West Indies and on the
coast of Africa for this peculiar disease
of the skin among negroes. lit is known
by other names in medical works The
learned name, first applied by Sauvages
in l76l, is "frambnsia,' from the like
ness of the typical eNcrescences to J;
raspberry. The Marshalltown plysi-
clan referred to has seen eases of yaws
in the West Indies. 1t is significant
that the origin of the recent disorder
prevailing among White and colared
peopl. here is traced To negroes. For
many years, however, it was Thought
yaws was peculiar TO the African me-
gro; but disease the same In svery re,
spect has lons seen known in the East
Indies, Affecting the Malays. Our re-
cent contact with Malay nations is also
suggestive.
The general course OFT the disease is as
follows: Previous to the eruption
there may or may NOT be any disorder
of health; in children cwho form q
large part OF the subjects OF yaWs@
there Will probably be rheumatic Iains
in the limbs and joints, With iansuor.
debility, and upset of digsstion; in
adults of ordinary vigor the eruption is
often the first sign. and it is attended
With few or no constitutional troubles.
The eruption begins as. small pimples
like a pins head, smooth and nearly
level with the surface; they have lit
tie whitist speck on their tops grow
rapidly and reach the size Of a sixieence
or shilling. The pustuIes then break,
and a thick, viscid cllor exudes and
dries upon them as a whitish slough
brown crust. Beneath the wtitish
slough is the raspberry excrescence or
yaw proper, a reddish fungus growth
with nodular surface. The favorite
seats of the eruption are the forehead,
face. neck. armpits, groin, genital peril
nRum and buttocks Other features of
sufficient to indicate Its type Six weeks
< is the average time ina good case from
the first eruption to the face of the ex-
crescences: in such regular cases a scar
remains, 1t may be for many months
darker than he rest Of the skin The
disease is communicable by contact.
If this is a correct diagnosis of the
disease prevailing in Iowa and else
where it is evident that some Of those
who assume to be responsible for our
physical well being have made a mis-
take that has involved great cost,
either from ignorance, the desire 70 be
on the safe side or a " llingness TO yield
to frightened humanity A great many
people have been increduleus about the
character of the disorder The Light
ness of the attacks and the Very few
fatalities have added tethe doubt Cen
uine smallpox is characterized by Other
features, particularly by the virnlencs
of the fever, the intense suffering, thu
depth and permanence of the pits
which eat into the flesh rather than tht
skin. and by large fatalities where vac
cination has not preceded the attack.
The T.-R. is ready for the testimony
OF other physicians on this subject.