The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1898-01-15
YELLOW JACK
In His Native Lair.-The
Mississippi Board of Ex-
perts Report.
4 Report OF Much Interest to the Pro-
fession and Laity. Some Sugges.
tiOns Made.
THE P1CAYuNE BUREAU, }
2iS Capitol Street.

ana folkes, the CUBAN yellow fever
commission, appointed by Governor
McLaurln, has made u voluminous
report to President Kiger, to the
state board Of health. 1t contains
some fifteen thousand words. It is
an able and comprehensive document,
necessarily much OF it is technical.
II bristles with statistics which will
intensely interest the medical pro-
fession. The following summary
will prove Of general interest:
From study of yellow fever and
data obtained we believe the follow
ing facts are well established:
First--The shortest period ofincubation
known is twenty hours, tho average,
three days, and the longest, fourteen
days.
Second-The most dangerous loading
wharves of Havana are Tallapiedra, San
Jose, including storehouscs on the Hava-
M side, and Regia, including storchouses,
Santa Catalina, hacienda, Quinto and
Casa Blanca, on the Regia side OF the
barber.
Third--Thc most frequent fomites are
old, rotten vessels and sugar in sacks,
whore IL has been stored in warehouses,
which line tho wharyes, Second hand
woolen goods and wet hides are also good
fomites, as are also dirty fishing smacks
with fresh crew of sailors.
Fourth Mortality differs materially,
according to season and malignancy,
Have had epidemics where tho mortality
did not exceed fifteen per cent in Havana.
Fifth--Native Cubans are mot immune.
Probably as long as they remain in their
original surroundings they may not have
the fevers. In Havana, ten years resi-
dence counts for Immunity.
sixth-one attack OF yellow fever prac
tically Immunizes
Seventh.-rhe infection never dies out
In Havana.
Eighth Men are most liable to the in.
fection becauseamost expose. All parties
in an infected atmosphere contract yell
low fever, unless immune. Negroes are
not SO liable ss whites to the infection,
and when they do contract the fever it
is milder with them. No investigation as
to animals catching the disease has becn
made In Cuba. DR.. Finley, an old prac
ttioner Of Havana, contends that mosqui-
toes convey the disease,
Ninth-Undef some circumstances, In
bedding and baggage, the germ may live
through the winter, If kept at proper
temperature. Cold renders the germ less
active; freezing may possibly not kill it..
though, we bclleye, as rulo, 1t does.
Tenth--Tho direction of the prevailing
winds in Cuba. for winter, is northeast
and in summer southeast. The tempera-
ture in Havana is rarely below 60 degrees.
Eleventh Children, as rule, are very
susceptible to yellow fever.
Twelith-There is no difference in the
symptomato logy Of yellow fever found in
Cuba and in the United States.
We Furthermore call attention to
the fact that the same difficulty of
diagnosis exists in Cuba as in the
United States. In Cuba those doubt
full cases are all classed as malarial
fever, and to this point in particular
attentions will be called in sugges
tions accompanying this report.
Fully three weeks are required
from the appearance of the first case
for further spread of the diseas e
unless atmospheric conditions are
favorable for its immediate dissent
nation.
SUGGESTIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
What can be done to pre- vent the
CONVEYANCE of yellow fever from
Havana TO Mississippi?
This may be done in either one OF
two ways: Either by interlicting
commercial relations hip with Havana
during the quarantine season en- tirely
OF by causing vessels to unload their
cargoes in the harbor 250 feet or
more away from any of the wharves
known to be infected any of the
wharyes known to be infected and
80 feet from any other vessels, with
restrictions as TO the use of water of
the harbor for any purpose whatever,
not permitting any of the crew to 90
ashore between sunset and sunrise.
We favor the adoption by the state
board of health of the latter policy.
AS to the Improvement of the sa-
nitary condition Of the harbor itself,
we favor the plan that has been sue-
gested Of cutting a canal from the
rear end of the harbor to the sea.
thus enabling the gulf stream to
pass through. That this will be
done by some of the future rulers OF
the island we earnestly hope.
In our opinion, i however, the mere
fact OF purifying the harbor will
not be sufficient to prevent the deve.
lopment Of yellow fever unless Other
active measures are taken to place