Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1905-10-10
FIG Il TIN c FEW Err
GOVERNMENTAL EXPERIMENTS
REGARDING SPREAD OF
PLAGUE IN SOUTHLAND.
sllI Every Mosquito Is the Slogan
Results of Tests Conducted on Per-
sons Not Immune-No infection
From Association With Victims.

NSSOCidtiOIl WIFI tlCltInSs
Nearly everyone is interested in the
battle of the government with yellow
ever in the south and steps taken for
the determination of the mosquito as
the possible cause of spreading the
disease The latest issue of the Iowa
Health Bulletin gives the following ac-
count of the disease and the expert
ments conducted by the medical pro-
fession:
The disease has different names,
such as sailors fever, yellow jack,
bilious malignant fever, black vomit,
typhus icterode, etc.
It may be defined as an acute infec-
tlous and paroxysmal disease. found
almost exclusively in warm climates,
consisting Of three stages-the febrile,
the remission and the collapse, accom-
panied by high fever, yellowness of
black or coffee-ground vomiting While
Its natural habitat is warm climates,
yet northern cities have not been ex-
empt. A little more than a century
ago thousands of people were carried
off by its ravages in Philadelphia, New
York and Boston. 1t is said that it
usually prevails at sea levels at sea
ports and along streams, and that it
has seldom been known to occur at
points a few hundred feet above sea
level. 1t most usually attacks persons
not acclimated. 1t used to be said
that 1t never attacked negroes, but
this is incorrect, though they possess
a large degree of immunity and have
it in very light form. One attack
usually protects the individual against
another A sharp frost usually ter
inmates the disease at once.
Exterminate Mosquitoes.
The cause of the disease cannot be
said to be fully settled The most
popular theory and the working theory
adopted by the government is that it
is caused and spread wholly by the
mosquito-the stegomyia fasciata-
that this insect fills itself with the
blood OF a yellow fever patient and
that after an incubation period of
about twelve days if it bites a person
not immune the disease will be repro
duced in the person so bitten. This is
the pretty generally accepted theory
and yet there is abundant room for
doubt. The southern people who have
suffered most with the disease are the
slowest to accept the mosquito theory.
They deserve great credit, however,
for practically discarding their own
theory and giving the governm ent
generous sum of money and full right
of way for the government to use its
best endeavors to not only prevent the
spread OF the disease, but to eradicate
1t entirely by preventing mosquitoes of
all kinds from having access to yellow
fever patients. The slogan is, kill ev-
cry mosquito possible and keep those
that escape from contact with persons
having yellow fever. 1t is to be sin
cerely hoped that these efforts will
prove entirely successful and will re-
suit in the forming of mosquito bril-
grades all over the country. OF course,
much is gained by good sanitation.
General Butler, who knew nothing of
the mosquito theory, by hygienic
measures put New Orleans into such
a good sanitary condition that yellow
fever was practically banished for
years. A number of interesting expert
ments were made to test the theory
of mosquito infection. Physicians Of
the United States army are entitled to
great praise for what they did in the
way of settling this question. Drs.
Reed, Lazear, Agramonte and Carroll
were especially active. Drs. Lazear
and Reed both allowed themselves to
be bitten by mosquitoes that had pre-
viously bitten yellow fever patients.
Both contracted the disease and DR.. |
Lazear died-a martyr to scientific re-
search.
Make Many Tests.
These experiments have since been
repeated on large number of persons
who were not immune. OF this num-
Der eighty-five per cent, it was report
ed, contracted the disease provided
twelve days-the required period of in
cubation-had elapsed after the mos
quito was infected before the party
was bitten.
Another test was reported where the
building was screened so as to keep
out the mosquitoes. Here seven per-
SONS who were not immune slept on
an average of three weeks each on
beds with the linen soiled by the fecal
discharge of yellow fever patients and |
In clothing worn by them and not one
of them contracted the disease This
was regarded as conclusive that the
disease is not transmitted by exposure
of the most direct kind to the dis
charges and soiled belongings of those
affected Notwithstanding the results
of these tests, and because of them,
more than usual interest is centered |
In the supreme effort now being made
and If the results are as satisfactory
when applied over such wide areas
and under so many circumstances that
are necessarily unfavorable and OBJ
structive as when applied in the lab
oratory and hopsital, it will be one of
the greatest achievements of the age,
and will result in the systematic ex-
termination of the mosquito as the !
possible cause of other diseases as |
well as of source Of great annoy
ance.
One reason why more men do not
on IN church ic that MANY nf than |