The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-08-05
THE PLAGUE OF YELLOW FEVER
AGAIN SC0URGES- THE SOUTHLAND

nj EW ORLEANS, Aug. 2-Today's
N report of the fever situation
showed an increase in the number
of deaths but the health authorities
confessed to no alarm over the situa-
ton and said that more fatalities were
to be looked for from the fact that in
the past three or four days there has
been sufficient increase in the number
of cases to warrant the expectation of
heavier mortality High temperatures,
succeeded by heavy precipitation and
cooler weather, produced climatic con-
ditions also favorable to fatalities.
Practically all of the deaths were of
Italians and nearly all of them were
either in the emergency hospital or in
the district adjacent thereto. Some of
the. victims were unfortunates whose
cases We're only reported in the last
two days indicating they were in a
practically moribund condition when
their illness was reported. 1t is con-
fidently believed that once the infec-
ton begins to decline in the section be-
low Canal street, where the sanitation
conditions are more favorable FOR the
spread of the disease there will be lit
tie difficulty in stamping out the mall
ady which may be under treatment
elsewhere. There is no attempt to con-
ceal the fact that the extent of the
fever shows a serious state of affairs,
but there is believed not to be any
justification for the terror which seems
to have spread over the country out
side of New Orleans.
That the fever continues as an
Italian infection is shown by the fact
that in the list of 43, the Italian VIC
Tins number 80. The six dead are re-
lations.
Conceal the Sick.
In spite of all that has been done to
reassure them, many Of the Italians
continue to make efforts to conceal their
cases. They are still panic-stricken
and turn in fear from the physicians
and health officers. 1t was due largely
to the energy with which the marine
hospital forces set about the work of
discovering hidden cases that Tues
days record was made so large.
With local inspectors they ignored
the custom and insisted upon reach
ing spots where they believed cases to
exist. Since this campaign has been in
progress cases have turned I'D in the
most unexpected places In one in
stance when the officers had made
thorough inspection of premises and
failed to find what they were looking
for they went through a skylight and
found sick man lying on the roof.
In another case they found a patient
concealed under a. cistern. The other
day a wagon loaded with household
goods and accompanied by Italians
started to cross on the ferry. Suspi-
cious officers insisted on an investiga-
ton and when the wagon was un-
loaded a very sick man was found
One of the reasons the fever has
spread among the Italians is because
they sleep without protection against
mosquitoes.
Postoffice Bars Mail.
Postmaster Woodward today re-
ceived letter from the railway mail
service at Atlanta saying that Green
VINE, Miss, has notified that office that
hereafter it will receive no letter
mailed from New. Orleans that has not
been disinfected and that under, no
circumstances will it receive news
papers, whether gdisinfected or NOT
1t was said at the state board Of
health today that Secretary Hunter of
the Mississippi board would probably
be here shortly to survey the situa-
ton generally, and especially to study
the scientific fight now in progress.
based on the mosquito theory. How
ever the SLouisiAia officials expect If.
tie modification of the quarantine ,regu-
lations, until the. fever is entirely,
stamped out, owing to the widespread
dlslnclination of the Mississippi public
toA accept the mosquito theory.
Interstate Row.
Surgeon White Of the Marine hos
pltal service has returned from the
Mississippi coast, from which point he
talked over the long distance telephone
with Governor Vardaman DR.. White
said the governor had given courteous
consent to the establishment of de-
tention camp on the Mississippi side of
the state line of the Louisville & Nash
vile road and would arrange for the
admission to Mississippi points of per-
sons from New Orleans who enter the
camp ana are discharged with GER.