The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-15
HAVANA As A FEVER NEST.
The City's Harbor a Cul de Sac and
Pest Hole.
PAPER BY SURGEON GENERAL WYMAN
He shows That yellow Fever Has
Cost This Country Hundreds of
Millions Of Dollars.
New york Evenlng Post.

81 Washington OCTOBER p.--A paper W
S,us.on General Wyman of tho marin
qsospitti service. in the November Forum
showing a new phase of the relations o
Cuba 10 the Uinfed States. Is attractin
. considerable attention. Cuba's menace t.
the health of this country IS really the
, topic. treated under the title OF SOM
Lessons OF the yellow Fever Epidemic.
The effect ,lron American traue OF tn
PROLONGED instruction on the islnnd ha
been frequently set forth, and the com
Ihefciai argument Tor the RESTORATION o
! peace is famiiat. But Dir. Wyman nov
shows that II Is quite as important to tn
I nted States, from the pc.i.t Of view VI
tealth. that The prefen NJ insurrcctioi
should Cease, AMI, while hn does not spe
!. csiivaly say SO. u 3s a clear inieronce iron
his paref that il Spanish rule is to con
tnue on the island some diplomatic action
should be TAKEN by the United states K
COMPEL tetder. sanitary conlA1ons than
have existed there IN the past.
Whether free Cuba would be more likely
10 maintain such a desirable conditnn
than Sran!sh Cuba Is not apparent. But
that something must be done, and some
strong pressure be brought to bear upoi
! the authorities responsible for the coIdi-
uon of the Island. is demonstrated 10 be
a duty OF the unlted states. Thts subject
was brought to the attention of Secretary
| Oiliey N the last administration, and az
| though 1t was assumed that until order
j could be restored on the island there was
|
| mes SUES being taken. he did not on that
account hesitate to speak to the Spanish
| sCXtrnmeat foicib.y upon the matter.
| The situation Is very simple: Yellow fc-
| Yer mas beer oCmp4ttedy driven out OF
Europe where Vt Formerly ragged, partlcti-
larry IN Spain, and ft IS CLAIMED that 1t
cotid also pc driven iGtEm the Western
hemisphere AT present Havana continues
| 10 Dc the great yellow fever distributing
cefStet OF the hemisphere. The native Gu
Lahs generally have the disease il. child
| ho0d. and so become bnnune to IL bat
! there Is regular and sufficient supply OF
J lew material, in the persons of strAilgers
olvlt. sailors, ETC.. 10 keep the disease
toiiis IN V.rulent form. ard from Cuba
c"hheI"us germs are passed to Mexico ana
Shs soOthern half Of tho Cnhled States.
10 regular are the vSsitat,ons of snc dis
t easg thal since the beginning Of the cen
! fury there have leen only nine ve.,rs in
Whicii IL has not appeared here, Yeilog f.
yer Is NOV indigenous to the United states
pHt WAYS an Importation, ami since
80, 49, NIu1 mas been strl.ghmncd out, H;-
frouEd Since 1900. ta,lt.ty-five of tie yisiis
a. SenCW ieVer to this country are known
Wy uei,,llteY 10 have been from Cuba, and
" -lHse' VWenty-three have been clcarlv
aaceq TO the port OF Havana And liza
ias ,1S mas neen even larger in recent years
q. vs. hu'e ~ harbor Of Havana" Dr. Wyman
says, Is u ceSspOol, which for wars ~.
received the drainage of the city. hesi ,iaS
~ is a virtual cul de sac, which can not
ne secured by the tides or by fresh ,vator
ot es,.,ls; Inc wharves. OF the haroor ar,,
ilotorpous ats sources of Infection. An ax
.inhhdtlon of the records of tho o,tara,
t ..me stations ON the South Atlantic and
, Wuiit coasts for 1894 show eleven cases Of
sesioW ieyer all having been taken from
vessels arriving at the Dry Tort,,ras !. s ta''
tloA from San Jose. which are esnscIati,,
a ,h unduc the TaEap.edra empties
Where VIII s'M Sbe from from The the military hospital
army are treated 1t has been said tha t,' no
1851 ~iua a non-fmmunc crew on board
nj Suer been tied to uhis wharf without
yeiHow fever appearing among Than, e.
wei known is ii as a danear rnirt -
sailors call IL Dead Mans Hole" and i'' 60
satat IS the danger of tying up to ii that
lS,s ps,,'is or american y. vessels have been
N,HgoMn uo pay Ter the privilege or dis
charging their cargoes on lighters /, tho
open pay the payment being made Nv do
$4,000, from ireNght charges. amounting
Ialns nave frequently asserted ina, 1bo
United States government s,hou,H not az
'o The ee Sssss 70 20 to this wharf"
exietenna t 70 me United States which the
eaistense on this plague center entai,s 10
astounding. A recent newsplper VII, ~ ~
mas computed that typhoid fever costs IN
afe yea,. 70 say nothing of life ss6 go 90
much. 1t may well be asked, does tbe voi'
low fever cost? Ana there is this at r;k;nrr
u t.dr that the cemp,ete extermina'
II mas been estimated that the ,aYSJon,ta
OF lslS. cost the United States in cnrn
aisst Ga ARD Industrial interruption AZ
80, SiVv,VoeW The cost annually of a
Wy expensive Quarantine establishment
all along tho Southern coast. ths ~.
and Interruption 10 commerce ana tr,,Is,
curing the summer months and the patns
ana penalties of fear IN the endaraparn5 |
section should be taken into acco,nt 80, GU
~ the years when we suffer no onthrnai,
of the disease. 'o o"'orelK
ma , ! gIarantine regulations" DR.. wy. |
i II. says, with regard to vessels ror !
I Iiiavana, enforced at all ports OF tho |
SSm ,, states south of the Southern |
o ooddnSNa nve,, OF MARYLAND between May !
rlousy to hamper commerce hea,dasS Sc
". .salins y constant care and expense nn,,
s S,r United states government Every lses
yellow fewsr i b,s Suna1 parts. whether
= y 10y, ,y ieVtf mas been aboard or moi Il.
Iequued to discharge ballast at o,,o,,, i'
une, TO have its hold washed and tiiiat
The ,,, ,smvn ., sulphur and TO place ali /
.fe ptuiinige OF the crew and the Ia rs.,sa
o. passengers in steam d,sinfecting chsmS
pers' After completion of dissnfeefto ,r'a ,h
ssre P r he i,d rrSm three to FIVE days be-
certen is made in the cl,st. Of ,r oou Lex ex-
vsSse.S bringing passengers. hui 4, 't .,
distances other especial and strinrap,, .ch
are aided re-
The regulations absolutely fo,.h,s
S 81 not immune 10 yellow fever a,tLs-r
f.ST oa from Cuba during this narin .SS't ps
i IA ', ,,tnt perscn rs meant one who bass
ow tever l1cal}ty for a ners,d !" a yell
years ,, This rule, Therefore. ex ., zen
thni.nrea atdsr 10 years OF age. ana iuI rs
l ~ eitegts have been made To .hol,s,'
.tNs Iesustts-n, ND health officer ya,,,m.
=, y. rec9mmend its siorogation. P,sso,,.,ss
,n rHsy not immune to ye.l,w fsvcr
: oln. are detained In quar31ti,e min wv NV
.ar , OF five days after teav,ng IN Inc
'anh, ana several sHstancr~ of M nj
,pment Sf the fever AZ the Nae, usvei- |
" this rule" "ns wisdom
M, ~ me present alsordered cond,tio,s :, I
una there Is nobody to enforce ~ ,s OF
sary sanitary reforms. but wben wees, ices
,lce restored II WIN dcsih;iess Ia ~, thiel IS
49,, 49,, OF the united States TO comnei ~ No hutS
s, government is there in ppw wn a.,
su s'," .ne hui1iilce," which ire irnSan., 10
,,,,.l ,iois constitute, Epraoe us,,a.v {
~, ,as' asshoW FEVER, but modern ssnlta ,sero
1ss driven L out. Veri Cruz VS. 1,.oh I
~, ss nan as Havana but me st,o We
IN nm pl loiaz has made that rity urs
, ~ ae sanesro + a yellow fever b-eei,le'
W, = far away that our o,,ars nt,,e 'ssirr.
. t Inow euective ovp'nst her. and has.s.d q
'ected total in line. ~ 'i'she be ex-
THE COTTON SITIf trvnx