Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1898-08-03
ICUBA'S BAD DISEASES.
Malaria and Smallpox Prevail at
All Seasons of the Year.
People Unable to Keep Clean and BE
V~accinated Die by Tens of Thou
sands-The Rainy Season
Is the Worst

An old resident cf Havana lately said:
Havana has malarial fever and small
pox the year rou-i. but they are not cpl
demic. except in the rainy season. With
in a week after rains heSiI. the death
rate shows 4 large increase, and the sit
uation grows worse as the season ad-
vances, but a few days are enough T.
SETTER disease. 1t is no wonder the
people believe the rain itself contains
deac,y poison.
For several months the weather has
been unusually dry. and. following pre-
cedent. the rains should be heavier than
is customary. When the war brcke out
there were 10000 persons il Havana
who had not sufficient means of supper
for one week. What must be their con-
dition now. after five weeks of the
blockade? As a rule. Cubans are not
provident while Spaniards are not open
handed: hence. the Spaniards had some
thing when the war began; the Cubans,
nothing.
Weeks before the blockade was es-
tabl:shed, a large cigar firm commenced
to feed its workmen in an immense
kitchen. The tobacco supply had run
out. the factories were closed. and the
workmen were soon almost starving. l
do net believe the Spaniards refused to
sell food to the Cubans with the idea of
starving them. In a time like this the
instinct of self-preservation FREEDOM
mates. The man who has money will
live longer than the man who has none.
The latter will starve to death unless
disease hastens the end. Hunger soon
puts a person in a condition in which
pestilence can readily seize him.
among the reconcentrados smallpox
has killed more than other diseases.
The people were unable to keep clean,
unable to be v~accinated, even if willing.
and they died by ten of thousands. In
their debilitated condition the disease
operated rapidly. Smallpox ought not
to be dangerous in Cuba. One large
manufacturer induced his 5000 EN-
ployes to be vaccinated, and only one of
them died rom smallpox.
"Malarial fever is now feared by the
Cubans more than yellow fever is. Vel
low fever attacks a person only once.
and the Cubans generally have the dis
ease in a mild form during childhood.
and are thenceforth immune; but ma
larial fever has no anti-toxin and is very
Jus oha a DSiSOh
from an attack that has left him weak
may be seized again and die.
The Cuban insurgents, camping in
swamps, suffer severely from malarial
fever. 1t is estimated that SIS per cent.
of the Spanish troops have had yellow
fever and are immune, as are all the
volunteers. Smallpox can be excluded
from the armies by vaccination, but ma
larial fever will kill or incapacitate
many thousands of Gen. Blanco's men.
"When a death from yellow fever oc-
ours in Havana the victim is buried with
the usual public funera exercises, and
the house in which he died is occupied
as before without disinfection. Small
poN victims, however, are hurried away
to the graveyard and buried as SCOT as
possible.
During certain rainy seasons / have
known hundreds of deaths per day tc
occur from contagious diseases. and
with the present conditions the daily
death list may run into the thousands
before the middle of the summer.
"In Havana province there are nu-
nierous bands of from 20 to so insur-
gents each. They are no longer able TO
raid the suburbs as before. the defense
having been strengthened, but they do
hang about to cut off stragglers. y
small body of Spanish soldiers who
should wander away from the town
would be pretty sure to be chopped I
pieces by Cuban machetes. With til
fleet in front and the Cuban guerrillas
behind, Havana is practically besIeged.
and the same may lid of the other
towns."-Boston Globe.
Purchase Price of Island.
The sum of 60 guilders (about S2+)