The Saint Paul globe., 1897-12-06
HEALTH OF UNCLE SAM.
Surgeon Gen. Wyman Tells what
Has Been Dome to Promote 1t


Surgeon Gen. Wyman Tells what
Has Been Dome to Promote 1t.
WASHINGTON, Dec 5.-Surgeon
General Wyman, of the marine hos
pital service, has submitted his annual
report to Secretary Gage. 1t shows
that during the fiscal year ended June
80, 1897, the total number of patients
treated at the hospitals and the dis
pensaries CONNECTED with the service
was 54,477. Although the total number
of patients treated was 673 in excess
of those treated during the previous
fiscal year the exp =nditures were $685.
356, which is $4,000 less than for the
previous year. The number of immi-
grants inspected by officers of the
service at the various posts aggregated
il
The surgeon general says: "The
necessity of legislation to secure prop
er shelter for deck crews on West
ern rivers, to which attention was
called in the last report, was met by
the act of congress approved March
), 1897, requiring every steamboat ply
ing upon the Mississippi river or its
tributaries to furnish an appropriate
place for the crew with protection from
the weather. This subject is one that
has long engaged the attention of the
marine hospital surgeons, who have
made frequent reports thereon, and
this action of congress will be pro-
ductive of much relief, although the
act does not take effect until June
80, 1885,
To meet the growing demands of the
service, new regulations have been
prepared. and will shortly be issued.
The surgeon general invites atten-
ton to the excellent work done by the
officers of the corps during the recent
visitation of yellow fever in the South.
Medical officers were ASSIGNED to DUTY
in the infected districts, and. although
a number of them were not immune to
yellow fever. nevertheless they r..
sponded with alacrity and performed
their duties with judgment and eff
CLERGY.
? Three officers contracted yellow fever
and one lost his life by accident in the
line of duty, Under the head of pub
lie health service" the surgeon gem
eral discusses the subject of cholera.
smallpox, yellow fever and leprosy.
Ihe appearance of cholera in Japan
and China, he says, is row a matter of
greater moment to the United States
than at any previous time owing TO
the rapid growth of commerce between
those countries and the Pacific coast.
Small pox is reported as having, an
peared in sixteen states between Nov.
l, 1895, and Nov. 1, 1897 In the year
previous it appeared in twenty-five
states
Inc prevalence of the bubOnic plaque
in the eastern hemisphere has offered
a new problem for the consideration of
the health authorities of the United
States. The disease is reported as in
crcasing at the present time in North
eTn. India. 1t has also appeared in
certain portions of China and japan.
Special quarantine regulat ons We're is
sued with reference to this disease.
and regular officer of the marine hes
pltal service was sent to the ports of
Jaran and China during the summer
of 1897 to obtain more accurate knowl-
edge of the health conditions at these
ports and the liability to contagion ex-
tending to the United States One YES
sci infected with the plague was re-
ceived and properly treated at the
United States quarantine station at
San Fra rcisco
The report of the international lep-
rosy conference, held in Berlin in Oc-
tober, gives a somewhat imperfect
statement Of the number of cases Of
leprosy in the different countries Of the
world, there being approximately 130,-
600 in India, 10000 in Japan, $500 in Ha-
waii, 1,200 in Russia, 700 in Calcutta, 25O
in the United States. yellow fever has
been unusually prevalent throughout
the island of Cuba during the past
year. In the port of Havana alone,
from Nov. l, 1896, to Nov. l. 1897. there
were 1,600 deaths. The disease has also
prevailed extensively throughout the
West Indies and the Spanish main. A
history of the recent epidemic of yell
low fever in the South is also given,
with statistics and the operations of
the marine hospital service, which were
conducted through experienced officers.
This expert service, DR.. Wyman says,
was of great value in the prompt de-
termination of the existence of the dis
ease, without which the necessary pre-
cautions would not have been taken by
local Authorities. The surgeon general
states that there is little doubt but
that the work which was done had
marked effect in controlling the spread
of the disease and preventing a much
more extensive epidemic.
The total number of cases of yellow
fever reported to the bureau up to
Nov. 20 was 4,19S. and the number of
deaths 423. Of these there were 1,T22
cases and 244 deaths at New Orleans.
The report gives a full account of the
operations of the eleven national quar-
dnClneS eStdDllSneu anu measures taken
to enforce the national regulations at
San Francisco and Sabine Pass, Tex,
where, DR.. Wyman says, by reason of
local inadequacy, interference was nee
eSSary. Attention is called to the fact
that an effort was made more than a
year ago to supplant the national quar-
antine station on Ship island by state
quarantine of the same character on a
neighboring island nearer the shore,
but DR.. Wyman says it failed. Refer
ence is made to attempts to excite con-
Germ regarding the Ship island station
on account Of it's alleged proximity to
the coast, which the surgeon general
says has been falsely stated as five
miles, whereas it Is twelve miles away.
The station, he continues, is we'll
equipped, and the efforts made by in
terested parties to connect it with the