The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1905-08-02
BY j. II. WHITE.
Special yellow Fever Commissioner
of The Press at New Orleans.

NEW ORLEANS. Aug. 2.-During
the last two days 1 have been in the
French quarter, where the yellow
fever is raging the fiercest.
1 have been with the doctors in
their house to house tours of in
spcction and with the nurses in the
yellow fever hospital.
| wanted to find out for The Press
just what kind of a fight is being put
up by the authorities against the
threatened epidemic. and l was able
am an immune.
l found that the routine for hunt
ing out yellow fever cases has been
reduced to an exact science. The
city of $4,000 inhabitants is divided
into small districts of four squares
each. An inspector appointed by the
city board of health makes "A house
toulouse inspection every "a hours.
All suspicious cases are immedi-
ately reported. and in fact all cases
of illness. that they may be investi-
gated if for no other reason, All
physicians in the city, of which the
city is exceptionally well supplied,
also agreed to report Immediately
each and every case to the city
board.
The inspectors are made up of
medical students and those who
have had the greatest amount of
experience with yellow fever during
former epidemics, the last of which
began here in 1897.
As soon as case is reported un-
der suspicion, if the patient lives in
his own home and that homo is in
good sanitary condition, his bed is
Immediately inGloscd with the finest
of mosquito netting.
AS NEST beds here are already
| thus guarded for the ordinary con-
vcnience of sleepers, this is not an
innovation. Any traveller familiar
with New Orleans will remember
the high bed posts and the mosquito
bars which are carefully drawn every
night, Within recent years great
many of the better class of resi-
denccs are screened against the mos
quito with copper wire.
AS there are practically no house
| flies here, the screens arc put up
especially to guard against mos
quitues. Many porchCs are screened
in to allow the citizens and their
| families free air to breathe during
the evening.
Every reputable physician In New
Orleans, with a very few exceptions,
has accepted the mosquito theory.
| that is, that yellow fever is trans
| mitted only by the mosquito. and by
but one species at that---the steGc m
via fasciata, as the scientists say.
This is the mosquito with striped
body like n tiger and only the fe-
males are said to bite.
A mosquito OF this species lives
two months. and, as rule. only
bites in the day time. He Is mouse
product and breeds in the open els
terms. which here are built above the
ground, and in northern cites would
be called tanks" which they are.
being made of cypress wood or Of
galvanized iron.
a tcacup fun of oil on the top Of
one of these cisterns prevents any
mosquitoes from Matching. All els
terms here now are being either thus
oiled or screened with fine wire at
n cost of 81 each. The various wards
have organized citizens associations.
and every gutter is being oiled in the
same way MS the cisterns. After
every rain this oiling of cutters Is
repeated.
| II n patient Is found In an unsani-
tary home, he is taken Immediately,
| under n moSquito-nettcd cot, to the
| yellow fever hospital. which is In
the French quarter where the fever
has almost wholly been confined up
| to date.
This hospital Is provided with
| double screen doors and window
openings, and each cot inside is adj
ditionally nottcd with the fine string
pauzc. Pyrethrum powder is burned
inside of the hospital twice Il day
and It kills all stray mosquitoes that
might get through the double screen
ed openings. This powder Is pleas
ant to the human smell, and Is of
the same material out of which Chi
nese joss sticks are made.
The nurses nearly all come from
the Charity hospital one of the old
est medical institutions In the United
States. These young girls are an
xious to take part In the work and
do not hesitate or ninch.
| All nurses immune are given hrst
preferoncc An immune" nurse or
individual IL one who has had the
yellow fever and therefore can not
take 1t again, The nurses get uni
formly So day. The citizens have
raised a fund and there Is plenty of
money available.
A yellow fever patient becomes a
dirty yellow as soon as the fever