The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-08-29
More Proof of the Truth of the Mos
 quito Theory.

More Proof of the Truth of the Mos- Mobile Register
 It Is admitted by physicians of good treatment of yellow fever that there has been in late years no marked change in the therapeutics or medical agents employed with relation to this disease It Is true that the sweating method. once In high favor. has been abandoned, but now. as always, 1t has been recognized that there Is little to be achieved by the use of drugs. The physicians seek to eliminate the waste material from the system of the sick person, and, having done that, they all these years no specific remedy has been found. and no considerable ad- vance in medical treatment has been noted: It may well be accepted that human intelligence can .contrive.
 If, therefore, there has been no change in the medical treatment how shall we account for the fact that the disease, that appeared in New Orleans early in July. has at this date, the last week in August, attained no great pro- per cent. of the number of cases an- nounced, whereas, in 1878 the fatality was as high as 20 per cent: and in some other epidemies, much higher than this?
 In 1878, there was some 10000 peo- pie sick. About two-fifths of the fever season has elapsed. and the total cases reported are, 1900. This would give us "a decided falling off from the figures of 1878; and this in spite of the fact that New Orleans has increased 50,000
 There were 1000 deaths in New Or leans in 1878 This year there have been but 226 deaths. At the same rate situation) there will be not more than 500 deaths. Again, a decided decrease in mortality.
 Now, since we cannot account for the small mortality by alleging an im- proVement in treatment. we are forced to adopt one of two alternatives Either the type of the disease has people chased as yellow fever patients who are sick of some other kind of fever.
 type has changed somewhat. and 10 a mflder form of the disease. The nor tality. rate in 1858 was much greater than in 1878 and again in 1897, the rate a marked change in type would not ac- count for a decrease in death rate from 20 per cent. to IA per cent; and we think it will be admitted that the al- formative that must be accepted is that drag net has been cast and that every undetined fever case in New Orleans this season Is yard d as suspicious until proved to be not yellow fever; and every case reported counts as a yellow fever case, whether 1t be yellow fever or not.
 Yet. there is this remarkable fact to be noted Despite the drag net method. the total number of cases is far below what it was at this date in 1878. In- of about fifty.
 The unav oidable conclusion is that the disease has been prevented from spreading.
 This year, for the first time in New Orleans the fever fighters have acted on the theory that the mosquito is the sole agent for the spread of the dis ease. They have screened the patients, they have fumigated the infected breeding places, they have prevented mosquitoes from access to water in cisterns, water receDtacleS. etc: and we behold the result. The figures speak eloquently their tribute to the sound ness of the theory and the sincerity with which the theory has been an piled.
 We have called attention heretofore to the proof positive of the truth of the mosquito theory as shown in the stamping out of the fever in Montgom- cry, Ala, Tampa. Fla and Lumberton, Miss.-one case, and no more apnear- Ing at each place; but in New orleans we have an object lesson of a whole sale fight against the fever. with re- suits that must be regarded as equally as positive in support of the theory, no longer of of the theory He says 1t we shall all be with him in his now firm belief that the true way to con. quer the fever has been found ana de- monstrated.