Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-14

to be made, the lesser interests must
, always give way to the greater We may
mourn the wholesale slaughter of the
mosquito on one hand and glory in the
destruction of the yellow fever on the
other. The difference between the life
of a lower animal and an insignificant
mosquito is only question of degree,
when good can come. There was enough
at STAKE to tempt even some of the noble
hearted experimenters willingly to lay
down their lives for others in that grand
warfare of science against pestilence.
But consider what the se1f-Sacrifce
of these heroes has accomplished toward
Kidding the race of one of the most
deadly foes to human life. Yellow fever
has been devastating the cities and
villages of the tropics for centuries.
Now, science, although cruel, it is true,
to the poor mosquito, has the upper hand
of the situation, and with proper sanitary
precautions there need be no more fear
of yellow-fever epidemics than those of
any other preventable ma1adies.
The hope and desire to save life, in
stead of destroying it with guns, has
become international. 1t is the new
scientific gospel of universal peace to
man. What happens now? Cholera
appears at Hamburg. The cable sends
an announcement of the fact to every
part Of the world. A universal quarantine
against Hamburg is instituted. The press
of civilization, always in the van of
progress, does its part. Volunteers step
forth from the ranks of the medical
profession, willing to go to the point of
greatest danger to aid in checking the
epidemic. Many of them never return;
but those who do come back are charged
with knowledge about the best methods
of treatment, that will be impaired to
their fellow-countrymen Here the news
paper, that wonderful product of Our
time, re6nters. It's columns are at the
service of the leaders of the new crusade.
Thus are the great masses of the people
instructed against the introduction of the
contagion, the preventive measures that
are to be taken, and the lines of conduct
in the event of its defiant approach from
afar.
This was striking1y exemplifed in the
recent yellow-fever epidemic in New
Orleans. The press of the entire country
promulgated the mosquito theory; the
public alarm was quoted, efficient SAM
tation was intelligently established, and
the scourge was promptly banished. The
proper education of the public was at
the bottom of the whole business
The open-air treatment for tuber-
culosis has great promise in it, and is
founded on the broad principle which
applies to tuberculosis in general. So
far the results have been gratifying not
only in this country but abroad By
abundance of fresh air, outdoor life,
good food and plenty of sunshine the
general system is not only placed in the
best possible condition to arrest the
progress of the disease, but ultimately
to promise an absolute cure. Here too
as in other instances the conservative
method of treatment appeals to surgery
as against the more radical one of directly
removing the diseased parts by exsection
of joints and the like. Much as the
triumph of surgery owes to the knife, it is
always willing to yield to simpler methods
of treatment when they give the faintest
prospects of success. The main question
always must be how one can avoid the