San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-08-21
Lbe DaiIv Itgbt.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 81, 1896.
HAVANA is DIRTY.

The City Found to be in Very
Filthy Condition.
New York, Aug. 21.-Health Officer
Alvah II. Doty, who left here for Ha'
vana, Cuba, on Aug. s, arrived back
here per the Ward steamer 0rizaba,
He said he had only spent two days
in Havana, because he found on ar
rival that it would be impossible for
him to reach either Santiago or Glen
fugos, where there are alarming out
breaks of smallpox. He therefore
confined his observations to a close
inspection of the conditions prevailing
at Havana.
He found that there was a great
deal of yellow fever and smallpox in
the city. and in the surrounding cOun-
try. The sanitary conditions were
terrible. The whole city's sewerage
was emptied into the bay and the
tide was not sufficient to carry it to
sea. Consequently the bay was a
constant breeder of yellow fever.Two
points in particular were noticeably
offensive, opposite the Regana docks
and in the vicinity of the military
hospitals.
DR.. Doty states that any vessels ar
irving here which were loaded at the
docks in these places will be subject
ed to the most rigorous quarantine.
There were 300 cases OF yellow fever
and 100 deaths reported from the mil
itary hospital during the two weeks
previous TO DR.. Doty's visit. He is
confident that the condition of the
city of Havana is much worse than
in ordinary summers, as the presence
of such q number of unacclimated
soldiers has very bad effect, and al
so the frequent movement of large
bodies of military men from one part
of the island to another tends to
spread disease.
1t was DR.. Doty's intention to ap-
point a resident physician to repre-
sent him in each Of the three cities of
Havana, CienfugOs and Santiago, and
he succeeded in securing an eminent
medical man in each one of these
cities who will regularly report to
him the sanitary condition Of the
towns they represent and also the pro-
gress and effectiveness of such meas
ures as the local authorities may take
to prevent the spread Of disease.
DR.. Doty refused to give the names
of his representatives for publication,
saying that their usefulness to his de-
partment might be impaired thereby.
There will be no change made in the
manner of inspection of Havana YES
sells at this port. The health officer
is satisfied that the present system of
OBTAINING all foreign born passengers
from Cuba, who have not become ac-
climated by ten years residence in
the island, is the best way to insure
against the introduction of yellow fe-
yer, while in the case of vessels ar
irving from those ports which are in
fected with smallpox, a most rigid
examination of all on board will be
made, and where there is the slight
est suspicion of infection the vessel
will be detained until the full incuba-
tive period of fourteen days shall have
elapsed from the time the vessel clear
ed from the port. With the aid of
his newly completed fumigated
steamer, James Wadsworth and his
highly organized corps Of assistants,
the doctor feels confident that there
will be no introduction of the dread
disease into this city. He expresses
himself as much gratified with the re-
suit of his trip.