The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-22
NO rnresr AT YELLOW rsvER.

NO FRf011T AT HBLLOW WDvB1s
 Esght years ago the announcement of cases of yellow fever at New orleans this carly in the season would have struck terror to the heart of the whole Southern States. Today. such has been the progress of science, there will De nothing of the kind. The doctors now know to a certainty just how the dread disease is communicated. and how to eradicate 1t.
 This change has been brought about by the work of the medical corps or the United States Army at Havana. Ex- periments there demonstrated to mathematical certainty that yellow fe- yer is communicated to human beings by a certain variety of mosquito. ana the fever was stamped out in Havana for the first time in two hundred years by precautions directed entirely at the mosouito. Yellow fever patients were kept fin rooms sol protected with wire rauxe that mosquitoes could not reach them, and hence the disease waS not communicated. Then a comprehensive campaign against the breeding of mos ouitoes was pushed to the limit by the military authorities.
 In the light of the present knowi- edEe of this disease, 1t should De erad- icated in New Orleans In few weeks at .he utmost. There should not be score of new cases permitted there. Nor can 1t spread to surrounding cities. if proper precautions are observed there.
 It is to be hoped that the Boards of Health of various States and cities will keep their heads at this juncture and prevent the absurd and outrageous fea- lures of the old-time shotgun auaran- tir es. There should not be any inter- ruption of commerce The disease is n,t communicated by clothing. much less by furniture. groceries or hard vare. In the experiments at Havana persons were put into beds on which others had died of yell low fever. and yet the disease was not contracted. simply because infected mosquitoes were kept away from them Reasonable precautions should be taken, of course, to keep out persons who have been directly exposed to ex- isting cases of fever, but there Is no effec tiveness,in precautions beyond that object.
 We are very glad to learn that the Board of Health of this city has all ready conferre on this subject, and has | decided that there is no necessity for that body's inaugurating a quarantine. Whatsoever precautions are to be taken will be directed by the State Board of Health. which s entirely competent to handle the present situation and in all probability any future developments.
 With Boards of Health everywhere looking at this matter in this way there will be no excit ement among the masses | of people in the South. and no stam- 1 pede out of New Orleans or any other city. ~.*. -~-~ .:-- It is the part of wisdom for Boards of Health in Mobile. Montgomery and | elsewhere at once to inaugurate cam paigns for the extirpation of mosqui- toes. That is fundamental and effect i've protection. A little kerosene oil on every pond and pool occasionally. and proper vigilance about the premises and the work Is done. There Is nc great amount of expense about it-not at all comparable to that of the old time methods of officers on every train It Is to be hoped that the County and City Bo irds of Health will at once take
 in hand a campaign of this sort ana ex- terminate tie mosquito evil, which is
 just beginning to show itself in this vi-
 cinity. It will not only prevent yellow
 fever getting a foothold under any cir cumstances. but it will also prevent
 other forms of malarial fever common
 at this season .~-