The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-19
Cuba'SCities
Should Be-
Avoided

\ In letter 10 surgeon General M y.
Terry Of New York stste DR.. d. T.
Laine of Philadelphia writes the follow
ing facts about Cuba and its climate:
up to five years ago spent my sum-
mers from May to September, ON our
plantation ip the province Of Matan-
gas, and can positively state that the
country districts In the provinces Of Ma
tanzas and Havana are as rule healthy.
even in the summer, but the climate is
exceedingly damp and the rainfall In
these months is enormous, although the
sun shines the greater part Of the time
through an atmosphere surcharged with
moisture, and the thermometer in the
shade registers between 80 and 95 de-
grees, but never higher The nights are
cool, due to the trade winds which blow
continuously across the island, but the
temperature never gets below 70 de-
grees or thereabout should say, in q.
few words, that sultry, warm weatheus
daily thunder showers and passable
nights are the prevailing state Of the,
weather throughout the western half pA
the island. ! have never been in tho
provinces Of Puerto Principe and San
tiago dc Cuba, but understand that the
regions there are healthier ON account
of the hilly country.
II have practiced medicine during
the past 1Ayears in and about Philadel-
phia, and would unhesitatingly assert
that the country in the western part of
the island is not moro unhealthy than
Delaware and Chester counties in Penn
sylvania But not 50 in the cities, or
throughout the extreme southern part
of the island, which is swampy and
low. In the former we have land GER
tainly in all the larger cities on the
coast) yellow fever and typhoid as en-
demic diseases. Another fact which is
not generally commented upon Is that
tuberculosis is very prevalent in the
cities of Cuba, and have been informed
that many AZ the Spanish soldiers die
from this ty,ease and not as much from
yellow fever and dysentery as has been
reported.
"If Americans but knew what bad
treatment the Spanish soldiers (raw re-
cruits) receive from their government,
and how dirty and filthy these people
ore in their habits, they would agree
with some Of us who know the facts and
have lived ON the island that Cuba, far
from being an unhealthy place, is quite
the contrary. That they can live as they
do and not ali die has been the wonder
to me.
"By observing the most elementary
and primitive precautions bodies of
troops could operate in the country dis
tricts Of Cuba without any more danger
than they would, incur in any of the
southern states From my personal
knowledge I should say that the hilly
country around Matanzas and Havana
is decidedly freer from malaria and
healthier in every respect than through
out the middle and northern portions OF
Florida.
Another disease which is not un-
common throughout certain parts of the
island is tetanus, so that all punctured
wounds of the foot and hand should be
moro safely treated as open wounds aft
er thorough antiseptic applications, no
matter how small and trivial they
might appear. Jiggers (chigoes) would
be apt to affect some Of the men and
cause lameness unless promptly recog-
nized and treated. A little coal oil is
the most effective remedy. Mosquitoes
are abundant during the summer season,
and every man should be provided with
small piece Of netting. The bite Of
the scorpion is not more dangerous than
that of the bee. To this can testify
from personal experience.
f, "a great variety Of tropical fruits
abound They should certainly be avoid
cd by recently arrived persons or the
unacclimated, but as Weyler has left no
fruit tree throughout these provinces
they will not be easily obtained. There
is one plant, though, which is still
abundant in Cuba, and that is the sugar
cane. It should not be eaten until the
fall, when it has reached its full matu-
rity. Sugar cane at this season Of the
year is sweet, but very watery, contain
ing large amounts of glutinous sub.
stance conducive to intestinal disturb
nnces Even the natives avoid it on this
account There is one wild fruit in the
island which I am confident Weyler
has been unable to destroy, and that is
the guava. It ripens about August. 1t
is wholesome and delicious fruit, but
on account of the great number of seeds
it is apt to produce diarrhea, The
green fruit contains large percentage
of tannic acid, and have seen It eaten
by the natives to correct this very con-
dition.
There arc very few streams in that
part of the island, and most of the water
Is obtained from wells, and as limestone
is the principal formation the we'll wa
ters are heavily charged with lime salts.
AS there must be thousands Of unused
wells since the devastation Of the coun-
try and as I am informed that many of
them have been used by the Spaniards
to buy their dead, should consider wa
ter from all such sources exceedingly
dangerous to the troops operating In the
country. Pocket filters have always
considered as Of little value. Boiled wa
xor Ia the only sensible precaution one