Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-11-12
soURCEsoF YELLOW FEVER.

eoort to be Made by United States Investi-
gators In Cuba.
The commission which was appointed by
the President, by authority of an act of
Congress, to proceed to Cuba and to remain
there for period Of three months, for the
purpose of collecting information in rela-
ton to the yellow fever, has returned to this
country, and will at once proceed to prepare
a preliminary report, to be presented to Con-
gress in December. The commission con-
sisted of DR.. Chaille, of New Orleans; DR..
Geo. M. Sternberg, United States army; DR..
John Genteras. and T. s. Hardie, civil engi-
neer. These four gentlemen constituted the
membership, of the commission, and were
accompanied by photographer, microscop-
list, and other scientific experts. At the in
stance of the state department, the Span
. ish government directed the Cuban authori-
ties to extend every facility to the commits
sion in the prosecution of the investigation,
and throug h the kindness and courtesy of
ton was obtained.
In the prosecution Of Its labors, the COM
mission had the assistance of twelve of the
Oldest and most experienced physicians in
Cuba, and all the medical records and sta
known to exist on the island wele placed at
tary and other hospitals. In this way large
never been published was obtained. The
hospital statistics are very complete, run
ming back for period of twenty-five years,
and can not fail to be of great service to the
medical profession OF this country in the
treatment of yellow fever. The commission
was instructed, in pursuing its investiga-
ton, to obtain full answers as fast
as possible to certain interrogato-
ries prepared by the national board of
health, and these related generally to the
epidemic and endemic character and infu-
ence of the disease, the causes, if any, of its
termination, methods of treatment, results
of the several methods of treatment, etc.
The commission was also instructed to as
certain whether the disease is a permanent
resident of Cuba, and, if so, in what particu-
lar parts of the island it is permanent, and
what, in the judgment of the commission,
should be done to guard against its importa-
ton into the United States. Before start
ing for Havana, the commission was orga-
nized by selecting DR.. Chailee as president
and DIR. Sternberg as secretary, and upon
reaching Cuba the commission was divided
into two bodies, with Drs. Chaille and Stern
berg as their respective heads, each body
being charged with a specific line of inquiry
bearing upon the general subject of investi-
cation.
The commission discovered, beyond all
controversy, that yellow fever permanently
dwells in Cuba, and that hospital and other
statistics show that during the period en-
braced between 1856 and the present time
scarcely single month has passed without
deaths occurring from yellow fever on the
island. Drs. Chailie and Sternberg are now
busily engaged upon preliminary report,
to be made to the national board of health,
which they hope to have ready for presenta-
ton to that body about November l. This
preliminary report will include those portions
of the inquiry which are deemed of the
greatest public Importance, and which are
calculated to aid the medical profession in
the treatment of the disease. The detailed
report, with it's accompanying tables, will
not be ready before June 1.