The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-11-18
YELLOW FEVER PROBLEM.
The Authorities at Washington are Giving
the Subject Serious Attention.
CUBAN DlslNffCTlNG PLANTS ESTABLISHED
Every rreca luton VIII he Taken to
Prevent the Disease from Getting
Into This Country.

Washington, November 1.-THE yellow
fever problem has been receiving earnest
attention OF late from the authorities here
partiuularly from the Marine Hospital SER
vice and the war Department owing TO the
important new relations established with
Cuba and ether fever localities to the
south of the United states aud also be-
cause OF the recurrence OF the disease with.
in this country during The summer The
purpose is to prepare during the coming
winter months for such an efficient Gordon
OF protection around the country thai the
chances of re-insroduction OF the disease
Will be reduced 10 a minimum, while at the
same time the points of Infection IN CRoa
and elsewhere will be 80 improved by sani-
tation and guarded bv quarantine that Che
main sources of danger viii DO removed.
Already the marine hospital service has
begun the work OF establishing its Gordon
of quarantine around Cuba, A large iioSt-
ing dislnfectng plant Is in operation in
Havana harhor. and similar oating d!s-
injecting plant is at Santiago ;lthou9h
not vet in operation. ThSse aro 10 take
chnrse of the shaping coming to Amerl-
can ports and put it through such thorough
disinfection that all fever germs Wild TO
removed. Similar floating plants viii be is
tablished at all other large commercial
points. and saoh rigid rules pun in force
that the shipping will be free from danger
before IL Is out of Cunan waters. allhoush
TIE same rigid quarantine ut American
poits Will be continued.
Surgeon General Wyman is going ahead
with this floating distinction. although tho
present laws are not all that is desired 10
give officials the right to establish ouaran-
tine outside OF the country. owing to tnis
weakness Of the law atrong efforts viii be
made TO have congress psss what rs known
as the Calle'.y bill. granting additional
quarantine powers.
Besides the quarantine TO provide against
the escape of diseases from the islands the
authorities are now considering plana iUr
the international sanitation OF the islanis
on an extensive scale What branch OF
the service will have that in charge is not
vet settled Surgeon General Wyman says
the marine hospital service will undertake
the work IL IL is desired. But us Cuba VIII
he under military rude for many months
TO come the war department may determine
to carry on the local sanitation In conlec-
tion with its ether branches of military
occupation and control. just what should
be done in The way of draining, clearing
away foul deposits and establishing mod
ern sanitary methods at the main points
in Cuba is being thoroughly canvassed by
officials here and 1t is expected that plan,
and the ones to execute the plans will be /
decided on at an early day.
Another means Of coping with the dis |
ease is by statloning a force of five ex-
ports throughout the island to report the
condition of contagion and the appearance |
of any new outbreak. The surgeon gem
eral now has two OF these experts at Ha-
vana and one at Santiago, and this Will
be THE nucleus of a much larger force.
Two Ot har pxDart SURGEONS WlSuiu ana |
Giddings left here yesterday for Havana,
raising the force there To four officers,
besides THE subordlnates and assistants
The work OF Drs. Wasdin and Giddings
is considered particularly important, as
they are specially appointed by the presl-
DENT as a commission 10 ascertain the
causes of yellow fever. This appoint
ment was made about a year ago, and
the experts have opened laboratories and
conducted their inquiries at New Orleans
and Havana Thu work at Havana was
interrupted by the war, but the laboratory
outfit did not suffer during hostilities, and
bhey now return TO resume the invesuga-
ulon. Their preliminary report to the sur
geon general, submitted few days ago, |
is said to be one OF the most important |
contributions to medical science made in
recent days, as " practically sustalns the
"Sanarelli theory that yellow fever Is |
tine outgrowth OF n certain organism. THIS |
is not yet the positive conclusion OF the |
United States commissioners. but Surgeon |
Giddings reports that in his experiments |
he has found that 7G per cent OF yellow |
fever cultures shows organisms described |
by Sanarelli, while Surgeon Wasdn denti- |
fled AZ per cent of cases as showing the
Sanareli organisms Dr. Giddings supple
merits his report by recommending toat
as the bacillus interoids of Sanarellt Is
indicated to be the cause of yellow fever,
experiments be made on lower animals
with the Sanarelli toxines. The work al
ready done by the experts gives promise
to the officials here that the complete in
vestigation Will make a marked contrlbu-
ton to the problem Of preventing and
curing yellow fever.
Concerning tse recurrence CT fever epi
denies in this country the marine hospital
authorities hope THAT their hands VIII be
strengthened by the Catfery bill which
provides for tire establishment Of a more
effective Federal control of local and bor-
der quarantine. II Is said. however that
give no ground for apprehension that the
Disease will be brought in yearly. The
outbreak II Is held, was but renewal
o, that OF the year before, no new cases
being identified.
,nhs winter vas unusually mild. so that
germs were not entirely eradicated. FUR
nishng the basis for the renewed outbreak
during the hot months last summer. sur
geon General Wyman says. however, that
the outbreak was marked by comparative
mildnes9, inc cases being much fewer
than tra year before, the attacks less Sc
were the fever points confined 20 TWO
Ststes. and the sAsabhs much fewer than