Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-04
INSTRUCTIONS IGNORED.
Why Yellow Fever Has Not Yet Been
Stamped Out

The fact that the epidemic of yellow
fever in Louisiana has not spread as ran
idly as have former epidemics is giving us
very hopeful feeling as to the outcome
OF the efforts being made to stamp it out"
said DR.. Walter Wyman, surgeon general of
the public health and marine hospital serv-
ice. today.
"A difficulty we are meeting is the failure
OF the people affected by the epidemic and
those threatened by 1t to comply with our
instructions" continued the surgeon gem
eral.
DR.. Wyman declined to enter into any
representation of events in connection with
the yellow fever epidemic. He believes the
scientific man should deal In facts and not
enter upon fortune telling business when
engaged in the treatment of epidemic.
therefore he did not care to speculate on
what the outcome of the condition now ex-
listing in Louisiana will be. But II is gen.
orally said by those who have been con-
nected with the treatment of conditions
such as now inf1ict New Orleans that among
the ignorant 1t is most difficult to get n
compliance with hygienic regulations either
before or after an epidemic
IN the present case the people infected at
New Orleans being. as Il class ignorant
Italians only constant watching and care
can secure anything like compliance kith
the regulations that have been promulga ed
iVl 'ilS 9tsi.IiplIS out OF the disease. To
tell one OF these men that the fussy little
mosquito is at the bottom of the yellow
fever epidemic and that the buzzing thing
carries all the trouble in his bill suggests
only the ridiculous But the health depart-
ment Is doing all it can to impress upon
the public generally that the MOSQUITO and
nothing else Is at the root of the epidemic
When the mosquitoes stop biting the disea 81
stops spreading. Like the trusts there a re.
good and bad mosquitoes but, like the
trusts, II is impossible for the average oh
server to tell them apart SO that Dr. Wv
man advises slapping every MOSQUITO that
shows It's head.
If ladies in Louisiana and any other
place In which the yellow fever epidemic
is raging would regularly wear wells il
would help materially in preventing the
spread OF the contagion," remarked a phy-
stefan today.
During the Spanish war 1 thought of
suggesting that the army provide wells for
the soldiers and require them to wear gloves
In order to prevent mosquito bites" con-
tinued the doctor, but the idea had so
much of the ridiculous in 1t that I con-
cluded to keep quiet. But / predict here
and now that the time will come when our
army in invading places in which there is
yellow fever will go there in wells and thick
gloves.
The scientists are taking a good deal of
consolation from the fact that there must
be human being for the MOSQUITOES to
operate on else the yellow fever virus would
give out. The mosquitoes connot inoculate
one another. To spread the disease the
mosquito must get the poison Of the dis
ease from human subject and then pass
1t TO another human subject. Another mos
quito cannot be an Intermediary.
From now on the health department will
wage relentless war on the mosquito In
louisiana.