Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-09-09

How completely the nature OF yellow
| fever and malaria was mistaken SO years
z, 49,, : 20, prior to the
malaria and discovery that these
Yellow Fever 81 6;ssl mosu ads s0sn IS
attested by the following letter signed
| by a well known physician of this city,
1 printed in The Star Of September S,
| 1878, regarding the outbreak of fever
in the South:
! This terrible disease is most formi-
dable in a tropical climate and makes
its appearance in Midsummer and con-
tinues until the temperature of the at
moSphere falls to so degrees. 1t is
most active in a climate the mean
range of which is continued for days
and weeks between rs and 80 degrees
| and principally confined in its habita-
ton to places situated 40 degrees north
and 20 degrees south. The cause is
admitted to be a malaria or bad air.
generated by the fermentation which
ensueS from compound of heat mois-
! ture and septic agents. These agents
must be dead vegetable matter. This
| process of fermentation ceases if the
| temperature rises to hundred or falls to
| so degrees; but while in operation yields
| the noXiouS product known in medical
language by the name of malaria. This
malaria poiSonS' the atmosphere in the
vicinity in which it is eliminated and
when inhaled by an individual who is
susceptible to it produces the charac-
teriStic symptoms of this terrible mall
ady. The poison is gaseous and, like
other poisonS of the atmosphere known
to produce disease, is not to be detected
by either the senses or chemistry.
yellow fever is probably nothing
than intnnCQ oV1f
form of our common bilious fever, and
mild and inf1ammatory cases begin Just
as an ordinary bilious fever begins.
Therefore it is reasonable to conclude
that bilious fever of our climate is yell
low fever in the tropical regions. 1t is
not contagious and an individual
having passed through an attack rarely
has second one and is said to enjoy
an immunity from the disease the bal
ance of his life. AS heat and moisture,
combined with septic agents, favor that
character of fermentation which evolves
the deadly gas that corrupts the at
moSphere to such an extent that when
taken into the lungs it poisons the
blood so much that death is the result
In the space of day or two, it. should
be an object of the first Importance in
all we'll regulated sanitary measures to
seek out those portions of city liable
to a visitation of yellow fever most
likely to favor this fermentation, caused
by combination of heat, moisture. and
filth. 1t is a characteristic of the dis
ease that it likes localities and always
confines its most deadly work to certain
portions of town or city" -
\ X -~
Under the new order of things con.
sequent upon the passage by Congress
Mill. at the last session of a
Olstrlct bill for the government
Finances of the District of Co.
1""'e0' lumbia," says The star
of September 5, 1878, "the District
Commissioners yesterday made their first
requiSition upon the Secretary of the
Treasury for money. The reuuisition
was for $550,00O. It was honored by
Secretary Sherman and a warrant for
the amount made out on Treasurer
Guhllan. Against this amount the Com
nissionerS viii make out checks for
funds as needed. At the end of each
quarter they will make a return to the +,
accounting officers of the Treasury of all
their expenditures This will be accom-
panied by vouchers showing exactly how
the money was expended. From the
Treasury accounting Offices these
vouchers, etc. will go to the first con-
troller, where they will be again closely
scrutinized before final approval This.
OF course, Is an entirely different methotf
from that IN vogue under the old law"