The Washington times., 1901-07-17
yellow Fever and Mosquitoes.

Some experiments have been made at
Havana on the relations of mosquitoes
and yellow fever, and it has been dem
onstrated that the relations are close.
It may not be generally understood that
the scientist often has to be ready to
sacrifice his life to his work, If he be
interested in such problems as this. 1t IS
not very heroic death to die of a mos
quito bic, but one of the surgeons con-
Quoting these experiments proved his
hypothesis with his life. Seven persons,
of whom he was one, permitted them
selves to be bitten by mosquitoes which
had previously bitten yellow fever pa
tients: and six out of the seven con-
tracted the disease, the surgeon dying
of it. In other experiments the subjects
slept in the bedding and wore the
clothes of yellow fever patients. but did
not contract the disease.
The conclusion seems to be that if the
mosquitoes which carry the disease can
be exterminated the danger of yellow
fever in Havana and elsewhere will be
greatly diminished. Heretofore precau-
tions against this epidemic have been
mainly confined to keeping persons af-
f1icted with it from travelling and spread
ing the contagion, and this has proved
fairly effective. Sanitary precautions
have also been of great use in prevent
ing both the outbreak and the spread of
fevers. But neither of these facts con-
fiicts with the mosquito theory, since,
obviously. If there is but one patient in
a place the risk of contagion is not as
great as if there were a hundred, and
also cleanliness and good drainage pre-
vent the development of the insects said
to carry the disease. Moreover. the
care which is taken of every fever pa
tient nowadays probably has something
to do with the stamping out of the cpl
demic. In former times a poor person,
or even one moderately well to-do, when
seized with a contagious disease. was
apt to be abandoned to die or get well
as he might. The only isolation was
that caused by the terror of the neigh
enough for the disease germs to be car
ried by insects and 1t may also have
led, in many cases, to the concealing of
cases of disease, so that people We're ex-
posed without knowine-it. There is not
much question that the lack of proper
hospitals for contagious diseases, and
the irrational terror with which the
more deadly of this kind are regarded,
have contributed to the spread of such
epidemics as smallpox. The only proper
way to secure the safety of the COM
munity is to have a well-fitted hospital.
or. at least. comfortable house. in
every city and town of any considerable
size, to be used for contagious diseases
1t is not hard to fit up an ordinary
dwelling house so that 1t will serve this
purpose. Every possible care should be
taken 10 keep it clean and purify it of
disease germs, and to explain to the
people that under proper care a con-
tagious disease is no more dangerous
than one not contagious, so far as the
neighbors are concerned. AS rule,
any serious illness can be better treated
In a hospital than in the home of the
patient, but II might be possible. in
cases where some near relative or
friend of the patient is competent to
give the proper care, to allow private
nursing. The nurse would, of course,
have to be isolated with the patient. 1t
is often better, especially in the case of
children or nervous invalids. to allow
some member of the family to do the
nursing rather than stranger, always,
of course, with the condition that the
nurse is pronounced competent by a
physician