Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-08-16
THE SOUTHERN EPIDEMIC.

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Times contains timely editorial OIL
the yellow fever, touching NOR,
especially some of the prevalent
theories as to tits causes. That tn,
Mosquito is an active agent in the
dissemination of the dread disease
seems to be pretty well established
1t is claimed by some that Archbishop
Choppelle became inoc culated through
the bite of the mosquito. though it il
claimed that the deceased prelate
acquired the scourge because he in
sisted on visiting among his stricken
people. No matter what it's origin
may be there is no getting around the
fact that its spread is due chiefly to
the bite of peculiar species of mos
quito known as the steeomyia. 1t is
believed that some of these insects was
carried to New Orleans in cargoes of
fruit from Central America. and that
they are supposed to heve stung some
OF the workmen who unloaded the
ships and thus have inoculated them
with the dread disease. Strenuous
Efforts to prevent the spread of the
scourge will continue TO be made and
it is not likely under the increased
knowledge Of and the improved
methods in medeical science that it
will read the proportions in fatality
to those Of 1878. when the death list
in only two cities, New Orleans and
Memphis reached a total of 5000.
1.-THE United States marine hospital
service clings to the theory that yell
low fever can not be transmitted
without the aid of the mosquito. A
physician at st. Louis says the in.
fection mavbe carried by the wind.
When the doctors disagree the case
goes TO the jury of the people and
they are entitled to return a verdict
based on the testimony submitted.
The hospital service relies on certain
experiments conducted in Cuba. where
physicians who passed in out of the
yellow fever wards escaped infection
unless bitten by mosquitoes. while
those who allowed themselves to be
bitten by mosquitoes which had suck
ed the blood of yellow fever patients
invariably contracted the disease.
This proves that the infected mosquito
can and does transmit the infection by
his sting, but does it prove that it
can not otherwise be transmitted?
Does it excluded the theory of tran.
smission by the wind?
The ST. Louis physician who thinks
not cites the fact that typhoid fever
and swamp fever, of which yellow
fever is combination. are carried
without the aid Of the mosquito and
that the yellow fever epidemic at
Memphis in 1878 occurred when the
wind was blowing from a swamp to
the north into which sewage had heen
drained. His theory is that the in
lection may be carr led in the air and
that when the disease is prevalent
in the vicinity the only safety lies
in covering the exterior of the air
passages with sterilized cotton which
the fever germs will not penetrate.
The people of New Orleans and
vicinity believe that neither theory is
quite correct. Thew know of cases
in which the disease has been tran
smitted without the known agency
OF the mosquito. but they reason
that the presence Of decayed animal
and vegetable matter in combination
in places exposed to the sun is not
sucffiient to produce the yellow fever
ferment or Yeast. as in this case an
epidemic in New Orleans every sum-
mer. as the combination mentioned
has presumably been present all along
in the swamps west of the city
which the drainage runs.
They believe that the fruit ships from
the Central American countries car.
ried in the disease and that the germs
found congenial homes in the filth of
the Italian quarters.
While public attention is centered
on the southern epidemic the city of
New York is in the throes of typhoid
at this writing. (Aug. l2) no less
than 1900 cases are reported with a
of S95 or more than three
times as many deaths as have occur
red. up to the present time. from the
ravages of yellow fever. Thus it be-
hooves every city, large or small, to
look well to its sanitary conditions,
l.