Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1906-01-29
BLAME MOSQUITO
FOR DREAD FEVER
ENTOMOLOGISTS CONVINCED IN
SECTS SPREAD DISEASE.
CONTAGI0N THEORY OLD
Professor Washburn of Minnesota De-
ciares Science Has Found the True
Source of the New Orleans Epi-
demIc-An Aged Physician at Last
Renounces a False Theory.

Notwithstanding the argument of a
very meager minority of physicians
that yellow fever is contagious and
that the mosquito theory is given too
much Importance, the proceedings of
the American Association of Entomol-
ogists, indicate that the as yet uniden-
titled germ is spread by insects and
IN no other way. Professor f. l..
WaShburn Of the Minnesota expert
ment station has returned from New
Orleans, where the entomologists have
just concluded their meeting, even
more convinced that the mosquito is
responsible for the recent epidemic of
the dread disease in the southern
metropolis.
Since the germ of yellow fever is
transmitted by mosquito, the yellow
fever question seems to be one be-
longing as much to economic entomol-
cgists as to doctors, for injury to
crops on the part of insects is insig-
nificant when compared with loss of
life through them,' said Professor
WashbuTn. The entOmologists, there
fore, having discussed various phases
of their work relating to agriculture,
met with the section devoted to exper-
mental medicine and listened to some
excellent articles on the yellow fever
conditions, and the prospect of com
batting the disease in that southern
city.
q was told that everyone in New
Orleans thoroughly believed in the
doctrine, that the mosquito was the in
termediate host Of the so far unidenti.
fed germ. l found, however, that
there were a few dOubters. At the
meeting of physicians, however, such
expressions were rare, since we had
in attendance some of the leading men
in the science from all parts of the
country. One man, however, dis
credited it. AS soon as he was
seated the dean of the medical depart
ment of Tulane university arose, a
man Of surely between 70 and 80
years, gray-haired and gray-whiskered,
bowed down by years Of work and re-
sponsibility. He said:
Gentlemen, have practiced medi
cine here for fifty years; 1 have been
through many an epidemic Of yellow
fever; I believe that it was a con-
tagiOus disease; I grew up with this
idea and was thoroughly convinced of
it. But I am now convinced that re
/ cent experiments have demonstrated
beyond all question that the disease
( is transmitted by this mosquito, and
am willing, and do cheerfully renOunce
my old beliefs and accept unhesitat-
ingIy these new truths that have been
brought to light by the scientists of
I the present day"
THE audience went wild and
cheered the old man to the echo. 1t
was quite touching, the fact that one
Of the cid school, as It were, was so
willing to dismiss his old and evident
Iy erroneous beliefs. One sees in
New Orleans behind every residence,
cisterns above ground. These are the
: greatest menace to the city in connec-
ton with the yellow fever, for it is in
/ the water of these cisterns that steg-
: omyia breeds. There is now an Ordi-
nance which obliges citizens of New
Orleans to screen their cisternS with a
small enough mesh to keep out these
! dangerous insects. This was to have
gone into effect Jan. 1, but the mayor
has allowed an extension to Feb. l.
In view of the fact that by many of
the poorer people of the city river
water. is placed In barrels and tubs
and allowed to settle, it apparently
will be a great task for the authori-
ties to get track OF all the sources
which offer breeding places for this
mosquito
81 met one lady who had had yellow
| fever, probably one of the very few, if
not the only one of any social stand
ing who was affected She said that
she was at no time alarmed at her
condition. She felt apathetic, and at
times was semi-delirious. She said
she resisted the black vOmit,' making
I'D her mind that she simply would
not yield to it, and got through with
out that sickening feature, although it
| called for exertion Of strong will. The
/ fever is rightly named; Why she
said, a sunfcwer is dull-colored III
comparison to my appearance
was a brighter yellow than any yell
| low flower ever created