The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-29
THE GERM THEORY,
A Physicians Denial OF Its Adequacy to
Explain Epidcuiics of Disease.

i
accumulated experience mako, IT practically
| accurate. Errors have been 'committel IN
/ It's name, and one Of the most disastrous OF
| these is that which, under tho guise OF ultra
| science, Is now forced on IL by the unwar-
rantei pretenslons OF tho germ theory or
disease. do not wish to DO misundcrsto Oh
In this statement firmly believe that In Its
legitimate sphere this theory has been OF
benefit to medicine. but when II attempts to
step beyond It's boundaries and assume that
| which Ia In clear ContradistlnctiOn to well es-
tablished principles OF practical experience.
| IL Is about time TO enter respectful protest
One Of its latest ssumptlonsls, mo mosquito.
no yellow fever" Stripped OF all It's fresco-
| lngs, this means that the germ of yellow fever
Is transmitted exclusively by mosquitoes to
healthy people. and that the only safeguard
against this disease Is protection against the
sting Of these insects.
That yellow fever lhas been transmitted In
this way Ia In all probability true. although the
experiments demonstrating this were per-
haps not entirely fawless. But granting
their integrity, they at best only show that
such transmission may take place. Whether
| this possibility applies TO one.thousandth
or TO nine hundred and ninety mine thou
sandths of the number infected in q given
| epidemic remains . mystery a. much a. ever.
| 20 far as the experiments show: and Yet on
the strength OF this uncertain basis all tho
! well tried and effective preventive measures
arc to be discarded. and the fate Of thousands
staked on . laboratory product. which. TO
say the least. has not yet endured tho crucial
| test Of an extended practical trial.
Tho following well authenticated medical
observations will make 1t very clear that there
| are other and perhaps more important fac
tors In the propagation OF yellow fever than
mosquitoes.
During the Memphis epidemic Of 1878 over
| thousand refugees were placed In Camp
Joe Williams. close to that city. Every
article Of clothing. bedding. DO. brought to
camp by them was burned. A number who
had been Infected before lenving the city
developed the fever in the hospital Of the
camp but these infected neither their well
follow refugees nor the people who visited
tho camp. Five OF the eight male nurses
employed In the Damp, after nursing fftee n
or twenty patients in all stages OF the fever.
believing themselves immune. and having
little to do. went to Memphis TO work for
higher wages. but failing In this they returned.
Four died In the hospital of the camp with
foyer. and the other was found dead on his
way back. Tho others remained well during
the epidemic tsevsnty-two days) and nursed
and buried their comrades.
Tho only person who had yellow fever at
Gown gton. Tenn. In 1878 was the postmas-
ter who opened heavy mail detained In
tho Memphis post office. He died three days
afterward.
On Sept. II. 1897. Mr.. and Mrs. B. fed from
Edwards. Miss. whore yellow fever pre-
vailed. to their home. seven miles away.
Here they met MIR. and Mrs. h. and three
servants MIR. D. took yellow fever Sept.
is. died Sept. II and was buried the same
day. Everything In his room was destroyed.
the room was closed up and mlfur was
burned In the adjoining hall for two weeks.
Mrs. B. destroyed oil her clothing except q
cashmere shawl. which was placed In the
garrett near the caves. On Oct. Mr. II.
found the shawl. threw 1t down stairs. and
called for some one to take 1t outdoors.
Mrs. n. and Mrs. B. removed 1t. Two days
afterward Mrs. II. sickened Of yellow fever.
B: contracted IT, Ten days subsequently two
oldents are found In he'd cii literature. but
space forb pas sh 4 So,G5n nromptuou
true ., IL IL tsttisude Il puiponsry oonsp%p.
that because oonssnption nay b produced
IN lower animals by tnoculattng them with
The Ths must sss
In spite Of The Well known fact that II q Seen-
trary to plain everyday experience: Nib
Who has WRrttsn speasi Work on this dis-
ease. either in the English or German Ian
guaee. ,unaualifedly tndorses this theory:
tho nurses and attaches q the numerOus
up to emancipation the millions Of slaves
n the south remained practically free from
this disease for more than century notwtth-
race among which the dlssass was and still
Is quite p r va .,. .,n.. III. x.- N.
negroes Is far In excess OF that m the wnltee.
L. there any reason for supP4sins that ,s .he
since ,emancipation7 Hardly. for We are
yss BY Se1 tsa up 2 apa
Ing, their clothing and bedding, sweeping
@oo 1 and literally ius '' living ss WITH them night
and day Now If the negroes remained praoti- |
shoSsh a1seS sa1s n.y. e
have been transformed from The least to the
statistics clearly show. and .without proof
oebyious that this disease does not originate
it i. therefore. without the least jpstItcs-
ton that the germ theory assumes the con-
dfs " Mo os history ASSURES A
sh ss wS sG s the N Nspss
hundred Years auo. and that after long trial
they, were abandoned on account OF their |
absolute worthessness.
Under present conditions the lot Of q con-
su mptive is pitabe He is excluded from |
hotels boarding houses and health resorts:
Is refused work and discharged when his
disease is found out: Is viewed sskant when |
coughing on the street, in public conveyances |
or In asselnblages. and worst Of all. while |
he is lsgislated against on every hand be-
cause no is accused OF carrying deadly germs.
infection of the vilest kind openly and un-
molcstedly stalks among US and sows it's
deadly poison alike among the innocent and
Again. the, remsrkably. reduced death rate
about by the Germ theory during the last |
decade is largely chimerical. In Philadel-
phia. instead of redu ctlon, there In an actual |
increase in its mortality during the last five
or ak Years. The truth of the matter is
that through the influence of general santa
tion, better living &c. this disease has been
GRADUALLY declining in every city IN the ceun-
prevention laws were thought of. That the
la tier are of no practical Importance is shown |
by the fact that In New York City, which |
has been the first and foremost In their en-
forcement. the death rate from consumption
Is very nearly the same az that of Washing
Again. any one who takes an unbiased
view Of the situation must own that the germ