The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1903-10-02
FELLOW FEVER II Teas.

necessity OF quick anu Naslllve
action on the part OF the proper
authorities in order to keep yellow
fever from reaching that city The
Inquirer, however, seems to have
greater faith in the competency of
local authorities than in that OF
the State health officer, DR.. George
B. Tabor. The inquirer says in
late issue:
Yellow fever is now across the
border and is in this country. The
yellow fever experts pronounced the
two deaths at Laredo pure yellow
fever. DR.. Guiteras. the yellow fever
expert, says it has existed on the
Mexican side for six weeks and the
two deaths on this side show that
there are two foci OF disease on the
side. People have been fleeing from
both places for several weeks and
scattering over the State without
hindrance. After the two deaths
train went into San Antonio. While
quarantine has been declared
against travel, the conditions of the
quarantine indicate that it will not
be effective. Train crews will not
be molested as long as they remain
on the right of wav in Laredo. we
are told. Who ever heard OF such
folly? Who ever heard of basing
quarantine on the good conduct of
people?
Such quarantine regulations are
simply childish. There is only one
quarantine that is effective and that
is absolute DIR. Guiteras says the
present visitation may not spread,
but there is every reason why it
may. He believes that the State has
been lax already and the damage
done. 1t is now wisdom for towns
to take some precautiSnem speak
ing of the sprea disease, DR..
Guiteras says:
yellow few y caused by in
onoculation from a yellow fever
mosquito. He is different from the
ordinary mosquito in that the or
binary mosquito does not carry
the yellow fever poison. A yellow
fever mosquito becomes inoculated
by contact with a person having
that disease. 1t requires several
days for the disease to develop in
the insect In fact, the mosquito
himself virtually has the fever and
then it may transmit the disease to
human being
/ The way to fight yellow fever is
/ to destroy the mosquito. Medical
science has demonstrated the fact
beyond any question that yellow
fever is conveyed by the mosquito
and bv no other means. The people
of the city should he encouraged to
destroy thu mosquito pest In fact,
the press of the entire country
should second the efforts of science
in teaching the public the rea Cause
OF the disease and the best means
Of combating it. =
If the doctor is right in his OPP
inions, and he has every reason -
believe that he is, az it has been Il
life study, the people have the
situation in their own hands and
can prevent It's spreading by lit
tie precaution. By doing away with
the mosquito pest we can prevent
the spread OF the disease. but the
careeSSnrs< of some peorle maze it
necessary fnr the city authorities 10
force regulations and see that they
are carried out.
If the disease breaks out in the
interior OF this State, we will be
closed off from the others and great
loss result. It would have been far
better to have stopped the little
Mexican trade weeks ago than have
the whole State tied up.
Deaths have occurred in Coma
les from the disease and will occur
again if it gets here. We may escape,
but it is wisdom to be prepared. A
health officer that had every warn
ing of It's approach to the State and
every means of enforcing the quar-
antine, and then failed to keep it
from crossing the Rio Grande, can
not very confidently be expected TO
hold it down in the State.
The city authorities of Gonzales