The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-18
YELLOW FEVER PROBLEM.
Authorities GIVING WEATHER
EARNEST STUDY.
The Intention In to Establinh . Corr
don Of Protection Around This
Country, and to Improve Condi-
items In Cuba by Sanitary Means.

WASHINGTON. Nov. l7-Tns yellow
fever problem has been receiving earnest
attention Of late from the authorities here.
particularly from the marine hospital serv-
ice and the war department. owing TO the
important new relations established wiki
Cuba and other fever localities TO the south
OF US. and also because OF the recurrence OF
the disease within this country during the
last summer.
The purpose Is to prepare during the conn
ing winter months for such an efficient cor
don Of protection around the country that
the chances or a recurrence of the disease
may be reduced 10 A minimum. while al the
same time the points of infection in Cuba
and elsewhere will be 50 improved by SAM
tation and guarded by quarantine that the
main sources Of danger will be removed.
Already the marine hospital service has be-
gun Its work Of establishing a Gordon Of
quarantine around Cuba. a large floating
disinfecting plant is In operation il Havana
har5or, and a similar plant is at Santiago.
although not yet in operation. These are 10
take charge OF the shipping coming 10
American ports and put i, through such
thorough disinfection that all fever germs
VIII be removed. Similar floating pants
will beestablished at all other large GEM
mercial points. and such rigid rules put in
force that the shipping will be free from
danger before 1t is out Of Cuban waters. al
though the same rigid quarantine at Amer
lean ports will be continued. Besides the
quarantine TO provide against the escape OF
diseases from Cuba. the authorities are now
considering plans for the internal sanitation
Of the island on an extensive scale. An
other means OF coping with the disease,
probably, Is TO station a force of fever ex-
perts throughout the island to report On the
condition OF contaSion and the appearance
Of any new outbreaks. The surgeon gen.
eral now has two Of these experts at Ha-
vana and one at Santiago. and these will
be the nucleus Of much larger force. Two
other experts, Surgeons Wasdin and Ged-
dings, left here yesterday for Havana The
work Of Messrs. Wasdin and Geddings is
considered particularly important as they
are especially appointed by the president as
a committee to ascertain the causes OF yel-
low fever.
The appointment was made about year
ago. and the experts opened laboratories and
conducted their inquiries at New Orleans
and Havana. The work al Havana WAS in
terrupted by the war, but the laboratory
outfit did not suffer during hostil.ties, and
they have now returned to resume their In
vestigation. Their preliminary report 10
the surgeon general, submitted a few days
ago, is said to be one of the most important
contributions TO medical science in recent
days, as Ii practically sustans the Sanar-
ELI theory that yellow fever is the out
growth of a certain organism. This is not
yet the positive conviction of the United
States commissioners. but Surgeon Ged-
dings reports that in his experiments he has
found that IS per cent. Of the yellow fever
cultures had the organisms described by
Sanareln. The work already done by the
two experts gives promise 10 the officials
here that the investigation will make a
marked contribution 10 the means Of pre-
venting yellow fever.