National Republican., 1883-08-29
YELLOW FEVER.

Report OF DR.. ouiteras's Investigations Rt
Vera Cruz-The Condition OF Things Rt
Pensacola.
DIR. John Guiteras, surgeon Of the marino
hospital service, who was sent by Surgeon
General Hamilton to Vera Cruz to make an
inspection Of that port has submitted re-
port, embodying the result of his observa-
tions to Gen. Hamilton. IL is valuable
paper.
Vera Curz, says the doctor, has population
of 23,0 900 inhabitants. Il extends over sandy
plain about six blocks from the sea harbor,
and about double tho distance from northwest
to southeast, along coast The plain has an
elevation of less than Ave feet above the sea
level. The streets are wide and paved with
cobble stones. They are kept clean. Drain
age is effected by cutters, generally running
in the middle of the streets. The houses are
massive and compactly built, with yards that
are small dark, and damp. Privy vaults and
cess pits keep the soil impregnated with
poison.
In 1882 103 vessels cleared the port Of Vera
Cruz for American ports, and up TO July is
| the number reached n. During the months
| of May, June, and July there were 20 Ameri-
can vessels lying in the harbor Of Vera Cruz,
| representing population of 732 seamen. An
unusual feature in the history of the disease
| here this year is its prevalence among the
shipping. In Vera Cruz the exemption of
shipping from yellow fever Is usually very
| general, because the vessels cannot como up
alongside the wharves, and therefore the OPP
| portunities for communication with the shore
are not frequent. This year the disease in
vaded the shipping commencing with the
Norwegian vessels, which were unusually
numerous, and which remained in port a long
| time. The first case occurred on the Swedish
| bark Orion Juno s. and the disease spread
with great rapidity thereafter among seamen.
| OF American seamen out of 145 died of yell
low fever up TO July 12. From the first of
January, 1888, up to July Is, 526 deaths from
yellow foyer occurred in the city and on
board the ships in tho harbor.
In Vera Cruz as in Havana, yellow fever is
an endemic disease 1t prevails every year,
and probably there are cases of the disease in
every month of the year. Concurrent with,
if not q consequence of, these facts is the pecu-
liar immunity to the diseases the natives of
both cities enjoy.
The doctor is of the opinion that the disease
arises spontaneously in the city of Vera Cruz,
| and that il does not among the shipping. He
believes that the shipping bears the same re-
lation toward the city that our gulf ports do
toward Havana, Vera Cruz, and other ports
where the disease is endemic. In places
| where tho disease is endemic it developes
progressively with the advent of summer
months. The germs await for nothing, but
the gradual manifestation and intensifcation
of the conditions favoring their development.
In Key West, Pensacola, New Orleans, and
in the shipping at Vera Cruz, the disease do
ponds upon tho success of frequent inocula-
tions from infected localities, and hence the
usual late developments of the epidemics
In conclusion, DIR. Guitoras recommends the
appointment by tho marine hospital service
Of health inspector for the port of Vera Cruz
to look after the sanitary interests Of Ameri.
can vessels, aud the ports that trade with
that city. He regards the city as focus Of
infection for yellow fever, existing in dan
gerous proximity to the Unitod States.
A telegram from Pensacola to Commodore
| English, the acting secretary of the navy
says that the instructions for the court of in
quiry have been received, and that tho conr
had convened, but that Lieut.. Whipple wa
still absent-sick.
Com. English received the following tele
gram from Lieut. Comdr. Welsh, yesterday:
One new case yesterday-seeond daughter o
| Mrs. owen. One death--Mrs Owen-at 10 o'clocl
last night. Marines reported we'll. s5lngo
Surgeon Murray, of the marine hospital ser
vice has written letter to Surgeon Genera
Hamilton, under date of Pensacola, Avg. 20
in which he says that the two cases Sc & ron
Pensacola to the quarantine station n h
evening of twenty were not ell
fever, but malarial rheumatism. On di
tho same evening, three hours after riv
Both living and dead show no signs of yel.ow
fayer