Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-29
DEATH AND STARVATION RULING
THE GEM OF THE ANTILLES.
YELLOW FEVER IS SPREADING.
WILL BE; A MENACE TO THE UNITED
STATES IN THE SPRING.
United States Inspector Brunner
Makes n Startling RepOrt-FOOd-
studs Beyond the Reach of
the POOr-8OO Deaths
i'm q Week.

Washington, Nov. 2S.-This weeks report
to the surgeon general of the marine hos
pital service shows a horrible condition in
Havana. During the week the deaths In
Havana proper and in Regla, which Is on
the harbor, and to all intentS a part of the
city, reached the almost unprecedented to-
tai of 6O9 These were the acknowledged
deaths. Inspector Brunner informs Sur
geon General Wyman that 10 per cent of
the deaths are not reported.
Starvation is given in the official re-
port of the Spanish authorities as the
cause of six deaths. but the American in
spector says that nearly half of the loo
deaths charged to "enteritiS' were from
starvation pure and simple" In what
the inspector says about Havana's condi-
ton being u great menace to the health
of the United States the sanitary officials
at Washington feel there is cause for grave
concern.
Inspector Brunner's report is as follows:
1.-THE sanitary conditions of the city of
Havana continue to grow worse, and the
death rate is again increasing rapidly. 1t
may be truly said that there is absolutely
no attention paid to sanitation. and the
entire disregard of personal cleanliness be-
comes more apparent every day. The sup
ply of fresh meat is again short, the fleet
of vessels engaged in the trade between
tinue the business on account of the heavy
storms which have swept over the Gulf of
Mexico for the last ten days. these vessels
being small steamers, schooners and
barges. The only cattle brought here dur
ing the period mentioned were from Texas
and Mexico, and less than 1000 head were
brought, when the supply should have been
5000.
"All foodstuffs are now beyond the reach
of the poor. ind this condition Of affairs Is
demonstrated in the mortality table in this
report, although the number of deaths
| from starvation. as stated there, Is but one
! tenth of the actual deaths occurring from
| that cause. 1 believe it to be my duty to
| state at this time that If this condition or
! ing winter and spring this city will become
| still greater menace to the health of the
| United States. The people, as whole now
present every evidence OF bad physiGai
| conditions; the anaemic condition OF the
| children is startling, and their ab1ect in
difference to their bad sanitary environ
| ments doubly inSureS their mortality.
| Il estimate that there are about 3VO cases
| of yellow fever in this city and in Regla.
| There were twenty-four deaths from that
cause during the week, and but two OF that
| number occurred among the civilians, the
other in military hospitals. The deaths
from enteric. malarial and the so-cailed
| DerniciouS fevers show q marked increase
| over the preceding week. There were two
| deaths from smallpox: both of these deaths
occurred among the natives: The deaths
| from Intestinal diseases are about one-tnird
| Of the total deaths, but nearly half OF those
| occurring from enteritis are from starva-
4 ton pure and simple. Your attention Is
| invited to the total deaths and annual ratio
| per 1,0OO would also state that this total
| is only approximately correct. believe
now get about 80 per cent of the occurring
| deaths.
"The deaths Of the week were at an an.
nual ratio of 15S per 1000 population. What
would be the alarm in an American com,
| munity where 1888 persons in every 1.0O0 died
| within twelve months? That Is what is go
ing on in Havana. The Havana ratio is
now seven times what 4 is in most Amer
| ican cities.
| past was as follows: Yellow fever, "a
typhoid fever, 30; pernicious fever. II; ma.
| larial fever 80; enteritis, 105; dysentery. 65
| diarrhoea IA; tuberculosis. 65. Pernicious
fever is the name adopted by Spanish doc
tors to conceal the presence of yellow fe-
| ver."