The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-08-11
THE MOSQUITO THEORY.
Southern Physician on the Dissent
 nation of Yellow Fever.

NA0SAOh VI 4S11Ow EcVGIs
 Dr. John H. Purnell of Vicksburg, Miss, who was State Health Officer in charge during the epidemic at Edwards Mlssp In 1897, and Jackson, Miss, in lS9S, contributes to the current num- Der of The Philadelphia Medical Jour nal an article on the mosquito a. "an insignificant factor in the propaga ton of yellow fever" Commenting on the claim that the mosquito, alone and unaided, is responsible" for yellow teVer. pr. Purnell eXpresse sdoubt as to the conclusiveness of "a saries of experiments conducted in a camp on eighteen or twenty subjects in the winter season, when the virulence of the yellow fever germ is on the wane."
 ordinarily in midsummer says Dr. Purnell, we can control an epidemic IT the people can be moved to a camp: Fort Monroe in 1899, for example. As to the soiled material which was intro- duced into the little cabin being suf- nclent upon which to base an absolute cohcIuslon, l point to the fact that in nearly every epidemic analogous in stances may be found-La Roche teem with them-and cases of fever do not occur simply because the infection is apsent. Stench and filth are incapa- nie Of producing infection. What does IS shrouded in mystery. The germs. as they are discharged from the human body, do not at first seem capable or injecting, but must remain for a time In an undsturbed atmospheric area before infection is possible. Un- less the proper meteorological condi- tions prevail the poison seems to be inert.
 The mosuqito's capability of convey Ing the yellow fever poison from man to man seems proved-that is, F days anter its having been infected it's sting may produce yellow fever in the hu- man. From the clinical histories of the cases reported as resulting from the mosquito stings, the impression is gained that the attacks were extremely mild. Is it not possible that after pass ing through the organism of the mos quito the poison Is so attenuadted that immunity may thus be gained with but small risk to life? Be that as 1t may. 1t is agreed that the mosquito, acting as a host, produces yellow fever, and that it's supply of poison is obtained by stinging person suffering with the disease. Where did the primary in- lection come from? If from a source independent of the mosquito, then it is reasonable to suppose that it may still pS So OUtd!HeQ. Df. Pufnell cites q number of cases to support his view and adds: Among the many sanitary measures adopted looking to the con trol of yellow fever epidemice, and to the compleet eradication of the disease, no exertions were ever directed to- ward the m1squitos extermination un- til the onslaught was made on the hatcheries around the suburbs of Pa- Vana within the last four months Other islands besides Cuba, in the same vicinity suffered from the ravages of yellow fever. and succeeded in freeing themselves from it, but not by the use of coal oil, insect powder and mos quito bars! Several instances with in the last few years in the South have occurred where yellow fever has been completely stamped out. without. so far as is known. the killing of a moskuito In 1899 the disease appeared In the Soldiers Home Fort Monroe, and by establishing camps and prose- cutting sanitary measures the epidemic was promptly checked. No effort was directed toward mosquito extermna- ton. nor was there in tha control of the fever at McHenry. Miss. hy the Marine Hospital Service and the Mis- sissippi State Board of Health The prompt measures adopted by the Mis-