24 YELLOW FEVER PROPHYLAXIS IN NEW ORLEANS 



4. Appeal for an Educational Campaign. 

 Another circular is issued on the 24th, directed to the Board' of 

 Health, pointing out the necessity of a Campaign of Education, and 

 urging the importance of asking the Clergy to especially disseminate 

 knowledge from the pulpit in the matter of Yellow Fever. The 

 circular then proceeds to give useful information in case of infection 

 and finally appeals for united action in a general warfare against the 



Stegomyia. 



New Orleans, 



July z^th, 1905. 

 Gentlemen, 



The condition existing at present is one that calls for the most strenuous, prompt 

 and vigorous measures capable of institution. In view of the absence of the necessity 

 for obnoxious local or house quarantine, the co-operation of physician and house- 

 holder should be a matter of comparatively easy solution. A campaign of education 

 should be boldly inaugurated. The clergyman, during his rounds and from his 

 pulpit, should be a valuable agent in the dissemination of this knowledge. The 

 Advisory Committee of the Orleans Parish Medical Society begs to recommend that 

 the following measures be instituted at once, with the view of stamping out the few 

 foci of infection of Yellow Fever which now exist in our City. 



Cases of fever of any character developing in the infected area may be regarded as 

 suspicious, and the patient immediately protected from mosquitoes. The house, 

 cisterns, yards, drains, gutters, cesspools and vaults should be carefully inspected, 

 and no breeding spots for mosquitoes should be overlooked. 



The gutters and streets must not be neglected. 



If the case proves to be one of Yellow Fever, the house must be screened and the 

 rooms in the house other than the one occupied by the patient must be fumigated, to 

 destroy all mosquitoes in them. When the case ends, either by recovery or death, the 

 room occupied by the patient must be fumigated, for the same reason. 



The success of these procedures will largely depend upon the promptness and 

 earnestness with which mosquitoes are prevented from coming in contact with the 

 patient and the destruction of all mosquitoes in the room after the patient is cured or 

 dies. 



The new foci of infection must be diligently sought and drastic measures adopted 

 for stamping them out. It is only through the proper conciliatory education of the 

 physician and the layman, and through their sincere co-operation, that anything can 

 be accomplished. 



For the vast portion of the City not infected, we recommend that a sufficiently 

 large force of men be immediately oiganised to place oil in all unscreened cisterns, or 

 other breeding places of mosquitoes, and distribute circulars amongst householders 

 enlisting their co-operation. 



All gutters should either be flushed or oiled. 



An active, vigorous and persistent warfare on mosquitoes should, in our opinion, 

 be immediately instituted from one end of the City to the other, as in this way 

 localities now healthy may be kept so, even though foci of infection be introduced. 

 We believe that the sanitary regeneration of this City depends entirely upon prompt 

 and vigorous action on your part. 



With the profoundest assurance of our heartiest co-operation with you in any 

 movement to better the sanitary conditions of the City, 



We beg to subscribe ourselves. 

 Advisory Committee, Orleans Parish Medical Society. 



