The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-04-19

y Washington, April 17.-Surgeon Gen.
eral Sternberg has just given his ap-
proval without reservation, to the re-
port of the special board composed of
Surgeons Reed, Carroll and Agrarnonte,
upon the "Etiology of Yellow Fever
in which the conclusion was reached
that the mosquito is responsible for the
transmission of this fell disease. More
over, the medical department of the ar
my is moving energetically to put into
practical operation methods of treat
ment for the prevention of yellow fever,
involving a radical reversal of existing
methods, which form the basis of the
report
Today Surgeon General Sternberg
formally approved a circular prepared
\ by Chief Surgeon Havard, at Havana,
with this endorsement:
I'm my opinion the present state Of
our knowledge fully justifies the publi-
cation of this circular"
The text Of the circular, which will
form the instructions for all medical
officers in the army in treating fever, is
attached The general orders referred
founder head No. 1, provide for the lib
eral use of coal Oil to prevent the hatch
ing out OF mosquito eggs. The circular
says:
1.-The recent experiments made in Ha-
vana by the medical department of the
army having proved that yellow fever,
like malarial fever, is conveyed chiefly.
and probably exclusively, by the bite
Rf infected mosquitoes, important
Changes in the measures used for. the
\ prevention and treatment of this dis
ease have become necessary.
so far as yellow fever is concerned,
infection of a room or building simply
means that it contains infected mosqui-
tees; that is, mosquetoes which have fed
on yellow fever patients. Direct infec-
ton, therefore, means the employ
ment of measures aimed at the destruc
ton of these mosquitoes. The most eff
fective of these measures is fumigation,
either with sulphur, formaldehyde or
insect powder. The fumes of sulphur
are the quickest and the most effective
insecticide, but are otherwise objection
able. Formaldehyde gas is quite effec
tive if the infected rooms are kept clos
ed and sealed for two or three hours.
Ehe smoke of insect powder has also
been proved useful; but it readily stupe-
fies mosquitoes which drop to the floor
and can be easily destroyed.
1.-The washing of walls, floors, ceilings
and furniture with disinfectants is un-
necessary
LAS it has been demonstrated that
yellow fever cannot be conveyed by
bedding, clothing, effects and baggage,
they need not be subject to any special
disinfection. Care should be taken,
however not to remove them from the
infected rooms until after formaldehyde
fumigation, so that they may not har
bor any infected mosquitoes.
Medical officers taking care of yell
low fever patients need not be isolated;
thy can attend other patients and as
sociate with non-immunes with perfect
safety to the garrison Nurses and at
tendants taking care of yellow fever
patients shall remain isolated, so as to
avoid any possible danger of their con-
AEeying mosquitoes from patients to
non-immunes-
''Malarial fever, like yellow fever, is
communicated by mosquito bites and,
therefore, is just as much of an infec-
ton disease and requires the same
measures of protection against mosqui-
toes. On the assumption that mosqui-
toes remain in the vicinity Of their
1raa5;nor place or never travel far the
prevalence of malarial fever at a post
would indicate want Of proper care and
diligence on the part of the surgeon
uad commanding officer"