THE FIGHT AGAINST YELLOW FEVER. 343 



So much for the hot countries of Europe. In the uiore temperate 

 regions of France and England north of the forty-third })arallel 

 there haA^e frequently been yellow-fever cases imported by shi])s. but 

 ueyer a real epidemic. 



In France the ship (luarantines of Marseille and of Brest receiyed 

 patients afflicted with yellow fever in 1S02, 1804:, 1807, 1821, 1836, 

 1839, and, later, nearly every year from 1891 to 1900. In each case 

 the workmen employed in unloading the vessels were infected, but 

 there Avas no contagion ashore. 



The incidents at Marseille in 1821 and at Saint-Xazaire in 18G1 

 are esiDecially interesting; Messrs. Chantemesse and Borel have shown 

 how instructive they are. While Spain was violently infected during 

 the summer of 1821, a brig, the Nicolivo, left the port of Malaga 

 bound for Marseille. Upon the day of its departure, August 26, a 

 yellow-fever patient died on board. During the trip a second case 

 broke out, and on September 7, upon the ship's arrival in Marseille, 

 the patient Avas sent to the hospital at Pomegue and the A^essel held 

 in the quarantine basin. Other A^essels to the number of 40, hailing 

 from such countries as Tunis, Cyprus, and Alexandria, Avhere yelloAV 

 feA'er had never existed, Avere moored along the quays of the basin 

 and kept strictly apart Avithout the least contact Avith each other. 

 NeA^ertheless cases of yelloAv fever broke out around the brig, even in 

 the quarantine basin. From September 7 to October 2, 22 persons 

 Avere infected. These Avere some sailors on the neighboring ships, 

 some health officers stationed on board for their surA'eillance. and a 

 laborer Avorking on a pontoon anchored a short distance aAvay. 



It Avas a matter of surprise that the disease so contagious on ship- 

 board and in its immediate Ancinity Avas not contagious from the pa- 

 tients transferred to the hospital, nor, as in the case of the Avorkman, 

 in their hoTises in the city. No case of contagion in fact originated 

 either in the hospital or in the city. It is not, then, the sick man 

 himself nor his clothing, nor his linen, that are the vehicles of the 

 disease, nor eA'en the shrouds of the deceased ones, but the A^ehicles 

 are the mosquitoes, the Stegomyia^ household insects, Avhich of their 

 own accord Avander no more than a fcAV hundred yards from their 

 birthplace. In the present instance the breeding place of the infec- 

 tious mos(iuitoes, their home, Avas the obscure corners of the ship 

 Xicolino. 



The epidemic of Saint-Xazaire in 1S()1 furnislu>s an analogous 

 example. The ship Anne-Marie sailed from Habana June 12 and 

 arriA'ed at Saint-Xazaire July 25. Xine sailors Avere attacked Avith 

 yelloAV fever during the voyage, but tliey had recoA^ered. The ship's 

 sanitary condition being good it Avas admitted to i)ort. They opened 

 the hold, the haunt of the insects, a \eritable box of Pandora. They 



