The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-11-05
In AND ABOUT HAVANA
An Insight Into Facts Cleaned by
tho Yellow Fever Commission.
DIR, Ghaillie Interviewed The Geolog-
zeal. Climatic and Other Gondi-
tiona Surrounding Havana
An Interesting Con-
versation.

Ing all possible information respecting hls re
cent Investigation In Cuba 1t will be remem
herad that DIR, Hhatllla. Dol r. 4, Hardie. Or
Eternberg. Of the army. and Dr.. aulfares. Of
philadelphia were appointed commission bl
the National Board Of Health to inquire into Tn,
sanitary conditions In Havana aud about
| They LETT New York for Havana on July 9, ant
| arrived nn The seventh when they immediately
entered upon their duties. With view to learn
Ing something Of The results arrived at. the re.
| porter intsr Viewed The Doctor when the follow
| Ing conversation took place
| Reporter Doctor what was the agtant and
scope Of your mission TO Cuba as regulated b.
the National Board Of Haalth7
Dnetnr-We went under written and definite
Instructions. which may say were divided IN.
| dor nine heads
/ THE PROGRAMME
/ /. To Investigate The sanitary conditions III
| the principal ports IN Cuba, Of which there are
| nftaen.
| q. To learn the dngrea of prevalence of yellow
| fever that obtains. or has Obtained In these
d To ascertain. If possible, tho causes OF this
| prevalence.
these ports with the causes of their unsantar~
ness.
| 6. Tn suggest by what means the sanitary
| condition might he improved.
! g, What ran md should he done to prevani
the il!n1troduotion Of fever at Cuban ports.
T. u experiment and see If any animals
| could ha affected will, yellow fever
q tn examine, minrnsecpcally, the blood IT
t1 aifk an,l also examine, In the same way,
the air mud Wanl.
To subject to the microscope diseased tia.
SITES et" 10 see II any special changes are
Roo. What course did you pursue on ar
irving
AT HAVANA?
DR. We called upon The CONSUL General
tyrtttf ,Siv,fr
els tls IN our undertaking. We found the neo.
pie Of Havana very much like those Of New Or
M r. g r fase1 as vahe and
doing nothing whntavef to prevent the fever
ap1 hence It had grown into local institution.
~ ba sna ,a nss extent
shonld submit 10 disease which il the penalty
Ct harhaIism; The ninfeenh century Ia un-
sidere1 enlightened only ~ the sense If the re-
atlve lgnetanee ~ .greoe1ng ages.
hekp.. What speci1ln results do you belIeve
DIT will ba get forth IN the reports
when they are drawn mp for fongress may
say, however that orr Investigations have de-
mont Of new things, aud | have no doubt II
our Efforts ere followed W. that they viii lead
error We have disstpated though It Il one n
commerce and not Of science. Actual statisine
show that The whole products IT Cnba do not
exceed annually. In value 500 900 600. vet |
heard man swear In 1879 that Ivy the uusran-
tine against Cuba New Orleans had lost fully
this amount. The fact of II is we don't getth
one twenIoth part Of that oommataa. '-'s
hep.-How Is Havana as yellow fever nurse
DIT Ia a most favorable place for
TIM GENERATION
Of the fever Il haa NIL the climatic conditions
The records show that there never has ltean
Most thntn evnapt On the twenty fourth and
is in tllthy condition. the hnuses gro wretch
nJly built resting on the ground, and in soma
cases below T.; drainage is bad aud the pri-
vate reservoirs foul thnt he stencil Is iutol-
cradle. The water supply ia Iefenflva, mud ami
NAL and vegetable matter are allowed to foster
In The sun The houses are, also moist very
munh Ike our owu-hut wen latterlv building
better aud healthier Glass Of house here
among ua.
Ron; What are some Of the characteristics Of
Dr. found that no commercial town In Cuba
having any number Of nnaoelfmae1 persons
was free from yellow faver. They have II m
nually. Fever does not apanaly prevail In the
barbors and among the shipping. and tho Fea-
sou that II Ia 81 noticeable is that there are
more inannItmatad persons In those places. |
nave noticed that among the snanlah soldiers
7 he fever makes greataat havoc The commits
Ia located Dot In tho ha,Lor but 81 the shore.
whence IT is communicated to the shipping.
will mention hero one
IMPORTANT FACT
The foyer never apuaarad in Cuhn TIL tho year
1921, when. historians say, Il was imported from
Vera Cruz Ever since that tltne thev have had
Tho yellow fever annually. Havana was found |
cd In 15l9. and !, ID remarkable that the fret ~
Opening Of The oity ~ a. oomne s I' n t
in 11f1. They have since had the |
Rnnme conditions of geography. geology and
causes other than those prior to 17G1. From
this date navigation RAPIDLY Increased % also
hfd the emigration Of una"olimated persons
aud with these came n creator spread Of the
fever.
Rap.-WhRt Is the death rato IN Cuha2
Dr,-Tha annual annh rnte In the prfnnIphl
towns IL FROM forty to Nifty q thousand OF this
more die Of consumption than Of yellow fever.
md about m equal number Of the latter with
Rep presume ron have furnished yourself
with sufficient data 10 continue your iuvestiga-
Ions hsre2
aaaat Here tbs Doctor took down u number
II photographs taken from miorpaoopiaal in
,es i,gation of tho blood In various, phases .of
ha dsaRsa among men also some photographs
showing the condition OF the blood vt animals ]
may sHv, he added, that We have failed to nud
my Instance of yellow fever injection In AMI
mails.
lsep. What Ia the general atltudo OF tho
'panish government ~ those mattere2
Dr.-Apathy. To illustrate: Our Congress-
AN EXCELLENT LAW
nat June. .nrpolntIng ennitary insunotors Tor
he ports OF Havana mud Matanzas, whose duty
was to exam,na vessels ~, and report gansfaly
iei into effect It would ha very beneficial. but
'naiu growing Jealous Of another nation Hxsr-
iaing authority within itsteriltoty. caused ts
allure. For this reason would suggest ~ D It
4 the pose nf sanItafians to press Tho natt@f
'nfora upngrass-thHt m international eonfet
nce hs held aud an International santtnry code
lrawn M which will enahla distinct nations to
,roeet ono another by ao-opsratinn This
Proposition ts not novel one ai nor, for In 1853
france called snch II conference and 1t led TO
TRY happy results
Lot mo add another important point md nm
hrough We found IN the hospitals Of Havana
where humorous cases Of yellow fever wore
lnder traatment large quantities Of hankes
which ware intended Tor tho soldiers la tho III
vehiens 81 communication.
gain, the country has been cursed with 4
vretehed currency which. passing from hand
q hnnd. becomes 90 dsterlprat"d that | have
cen II with fish scales Imagine the possible
nres of u FREQ circulation of such
rHeht And, finally. | hnNe discovered That
hips wera frequently sent from Their TO hero
while numerous cases Of fever we're about.
With clean bills Of health.
Rep When DO You propose making your re-
,ort
Dr-My preliminary report will he sant In
or Congress by December /, but ha fnal ono
won't have ready sooner than june nexr.
nF ,iu i,pt j,,tp l,