River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-01-29
MOSQUITO AND YELLOW FEVER
The Fact Established That the In
sects Do Act rs Transmitters
of the Disease.

was most interesting contribution
to sanitary science on many points
to the laity. A disease
which caused America many thou
sands of lives and many disturbing
panics in the past was stripped of
most of its horrors and shown to be
one of the most easily controlled and
protected against. When we read
from the history of yellow fever the
thousands of theories advanced in re-
gard to it, the wonder is that the re-
cent discoveries made of the trans
mission of the disease by mosquitoes
was not stumbled on long ago, says
The New Orleans Times-Democrat
Nearly every other theory that could
be suggested was advanced, although
it was admitted by even the most ar.
dent hackers of these theories that
there were serious flaws and defects
in them.
For years the question whether
quarantine did or did not keep the
fever out of a country was discussed,
and at different times the quarantine
lists and anti-quarantinists were ION
top" The commission appointed in
1853 to investigate the epidemic of
that year was doubtful OF most
points, and was convinced on only
one, that the disturbance of the
earth, excavations during the sum-
mer, tended to cause the spread of
the disease, and as a res alt of this
report nearly all public improve
ments were seriously handicapped.
The rats were looked on with suspi-
cion, then filth, decaying vegetation,
an excessive rainfall, the water sup
ply, and a dozen other causes were
cited for the disease. In many cases
these theories were apparently sup
ported by the prevailing conditions,
but another year the conditions
changed and theories formerly up
held and apparently built upon rock
were completely shattered.
1t seems strange, considering how
often and how carefully the subject
was investigat ted, that the recent dis
coveries in regard to the mosquito
and yellow fever were not made.
There were some vague hints on this
point, but nothing to attract general
attention or bring about the accept
ance of the mosquito theory by ply
sicians and sanitarians. Yet as soon
as this idea was advanced it was seen
that, alone of all the theories, it
filled every condition of the disease
and explained every apparent peculi-
arity about it.
The discussion before the Ameri-
can Public Health association fully
confirmed what has already been said
on this subject. The matter is no
longer theory, but an established
fact, as thoroughly demonstrated as
any scientific question has ever been.
Practical experiments made in half
dozen different localities all
brought the same result, and micro
scopy explained and proved them.
The convention was unanimous on
the point that the mosquito could
and did transmit yellow fever from
a person affected by it to another.
Doctors from Cuba and Mexico
agreed with the physicians of this
country, and the evidence was 50
overwhelming that no one who has
investigated the matter can longer
entertain a doubt.
This makes protection against the
fever far simpler than we have ever
thought it to be, and does away with
the complicated, expensive, and often
fol ron hinh
have frequently been resorted to in
the past. The humiliation of the
mosquitoes in community would as
sure it complete immunity if mosqui-
toes are the sole means of transmit
ting the disease; or if this annihila-
ton be impossible, an ordinary mos
quito bar for the person sick of yell
low fever, SO as to prevent the mos
quitoes from getting at him, and thus
becoming infected and the source OF
danger to others, is the simple pro-
lection needed.
It will be noted that on one point
the members of the association were
not fully agreed. All accepted the
mosquito theory, that the insect
could transmit yellow fever. ma
iority were of the opinion that the
disease was transmitted only in this
way, but the minority, while unable
to produce any very strong evidence
to the contrary, refused to accept
that proposition and favored the
Scotch verdict, "Not proven" In
other words, while the evidence IS
strongly and, indeed, convincingly in
favor of the mosquito theory, it does
not prove that the disease cannot be
propagated by fomites or in other
ways.
To a lay mind this conclusion
seems to be prudent if not a cor
rect one. 1t is not pretended tina
the mosquito creates or generates
the disease, but simply that it trans
mits it from one person to another.
The origin of the fever is, therefore,
due to some other cause, and it would
seem that this cause which origi-
nally produced it may produce it
again. 1t would seem wise, there
fore, not to go too far, not to ADAM
don all the safeguards of quaran-
tine, but to keep up an investigation
which has been productive of such
excellent results and which we may
hope to see sooner or later explain
all the mysteries of this malady.
There has been perhaps too great d
Willingness of late to accept new sci
entific theories as proved in all par