The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1905-09-09
STEGOMY|A IS ONLY
MEANS OF SPREADING
DR.. White Tells of the Fight in
Havana
SUCCESS IN NEW ORLEANS
Any Community Which Keeps Itself
free of Striped-Legeed Mosquitoes
VIII Have Mo Yellow
Fever.
SUCCESS IN NEW ORLEANS

New Orleans September 9.-(Special.) y
The real yellow fever situation in New
Orleans and surrounding country is SO
generally misunderstood that Surgeon j.
H. White of the marine hospital service,
in charge here for the federal government
has deemed it advisable to request the
publication of the following statement.
showing in brief what has been done, and
what is being done in the matter of check
ing the spread of the disease and in sup
pressing it,
The same methods, adapted to local
conditions, that were employed at Ha-
vana, with perfect success, are being emu
ployed here, and DR.. White asserts with
out reservation that the warfare on the
stegomyia fasciata, or Overwhelming mos
quito, which is being relentlessly waged
cannot fail If carried to conclusion, and
that is just what the government is firm
ly determined to do. DR.. White says that
there is but one way to prevent the
spread of yellow fever, and that is by the
destruction of all striped-legged mosqui-
toes in every community. This is easily
done by the destruction, screening or oil
ing of all pools, cisterns or receptacles
of clear water in each community where
these mosquitoes breed. and by the fumi-
cation of all houses in order to kill all
live mosquitoes.
Need Have No Fear
After this is done no community need
have the least fear of the disease spread
ing even should it get in. The disease is
not carried, as once supposed, by the air
or in freights, clothing or household eff
fects consequently to successfully fight
the disease shotgun guarantees are by
no means as efficatious as screening els
terms and draining stagnant pools, and the
killing of live mosquitoes by fumiga-
ton.
Just as soon as the people of the south
begin work along these lines, WHOLESOME
ed and heartily, just as they are doing
in New Orleans and some other places.
yellow fever epidemics will become menu
cries in the United States, just as they
have in Havana said DR.. White Con-
tfnuing, he said: with regard to the
success of the work attending the present
fight In New Orleans on the part of the
public health and United States marine
hospital service, together with the city
and state boards of health, the record
assist the local and state authorities as
volunteers and some days later assumed
full control. Up to the fifth of August
the conditions were equal to those in
1873 and little in the lead. On August
g. we had a total of 119 deaths to lis in
1878. On August 16, a week later, big
drop was recorded, there being only 176
deaths as against 239 in 1873. On August
% we had 219 deaths as against 534 in
1878, and on August 80 there were 271
cases against S67 in 1878. while on Sep
TENDER 8. only 293 deaths had occurred
On the same date in 1873, there were 1889
deaths or nearly five times the number
this year.
1.-THE effect of the systematic work of
the government began to become appar-
ent about August II, and from that time
to the present there has been not only
very marked but a precipitate decrease
In cases and deaths as compared with
1875"
Wins Confidence Of People.
The federal government, through the
wonderful success of its work here has
already won the confidence of the people.
DIR. White asserts that had the anti
mosquito campaign been started last
spring instead of after the fever had OBJ
tained good Roadway there would have
been very few casese here, and as the
government will continue in charge next
year, Dr. White promises for next year
the same results the government obtained