COMMON COMMUNICABLE DISEASES. 
epidemics of yellow fever occur every year, phy¬ 
sicians surround the beds of patients suspected 
to be developing the disease with a netting to 
prevent the onslaughts of the mosquitoes. Dr. 
Walter Wyman, surgeon of the U. S. Marine 
Hospital, in speaking of the disease in Texas and 
in Mexico, says that it is necessary to screen the 
beds of “suspects” because it is not possible to 
tell until the fifth day whether or not the disease 
is the “dread yellow variety” which is communi¬ 
cable only “during the first three days” Strenu¬ 
ous efforts are being made by the health officers 
in all parts of Texas and Mexico to exterminate 
the pestilence-breeding and disease-carrying mos¬ 
quitoes. Water barrels, which are much used 
in these places and which form favorite haunts 
for the mosquitoes, are screened also: v All pools 
and swamps are treated with oil and in some 
places drained and filled in. 
Bubonic Plague is caused by the bacillus pes- 
tis. This germ has the power to enter the body 
through wounds, the alimentary canal, or the res¬ 
piratory tract. The infection is thrown off in 
the pus from wounds, in sputum and in dis¬ 
charges from the body. When a wound is in¬ 
vaded by the germs, a severe local inflammation 
results and quickly spreads to the lymphatic 
glands. Flies and other insects are said to trans¬ 
mit the disease. 
Smallpox. The micro-organism which causes 
smallpox was reported as discovered by Dr. 
Wm. T. Councilman, of Harvard College, Bos¬ 
ton, Mass., in the early spring of 1904. He 
made known his discovery during the course of a 
lecture given in that city on “The Aetiology of 
63 
Preventive 
Measures. 
The Bacillus 
Pestis. 
Discovery of 
the Germ. 
