The herald., 1898-10-29
PORTO RICO SICKNESS
INCLUDES SMALLPOX BUT NO
YELLOW FEVER
Prevalent Diseases Are Due Chiefly to
Bad Water and Worse Sanitary
Conditions

NEW YORK, Oct. 2s.-Dr. Lucien F.
Salomon, who for ten years was Secretary
OF the State Board of Health of Louisiana,
and is one of the most prominent practlclng
physicians in New Orleans, is in New York,
having Just returned from Porto Rico,
whittier he went three weeks ago on spe-
cial mission for the Louisiana State Board
of Health to study conditions in the island
and especially regarding contagious and in
fectious diseases with view of framing any
quarantine regulations found necessary
when commercial relations with the Island
are established.
DR.. Solomon visited Ponce, San Juan
Mayaguez and several small towns in the
interior He sailed on October from New
York on the transport Victor and returned
ON the Manitoba.
DR.. Solomon said that while the general
health conditions on the island are bad he
found no contagious or infectious diseases
except smallpox, which is always there to
a limited extent.
When he left Ponce last Saturday there
were fourteen cases smallpox in the pest
house outside the city, gathered from the
Ponce district, but none in the city itself.
There was no yellow fever on the island at
the time of hts visit, and previously only
one authenticated case among the United
States troops at Ponce, the origin of which
could not be traced.
There was also one case reported at May
aglez, two months ago.
Yellow fever, said DR.. Solomon, had been
introduced from time to time by Spanish
troops, but had never gained foothold.
The most serious epidemic was eight years
ago, but there has been none since.
Prevailing diseases in the island, DR.. Sal
omon found, are typhoid faver in a mild
form, which is generally called continued
malaral fever by the resident physicians,
and tuberculosis, which is prevalent. The
ers due to the poverty and habits Of the
people, whose food is lacking in nourish-
ment and whose homes are unsanltary. The
mortality among people from bowel com
plants is very large, fully go per cent of the
deaths in the island being in this class.
The sanitary conditions of the towns are
very bad, and only three towns on the isl
and-Ponce, Mayaguez and Yauco-have, a
regular water supply. Ponce has partial
but wholly inadequate system. There is alb
solutely no sewerage system.
The health of the United States troops
ouartered in Porto Rico, DR.. Solomon de-
clares, is bad, at least 10 per cent of them
being constantly i'll from typhoid or enter
ic feYer. Last Friday when he visited the
general hospital at Ponce he found $50 i'll
there alone.
MUCH. Ol IIliS lllness, ne uecluTes, Is uue "
bad water, and for much of it, he says, the
soldiers themselves are to blame. They eat
unripe fruit, drink anything they can get
and especially large quantities of a particu
larly vile quality of rum manufactured on
the island. Hospitals built by the Spaniards
are, he declares, admirably suited for this
purpose and excellently managed by the
American surgeons. There is much home
sickness among the troops and great deal
IS Iicnnptnnf nt ha <,f u-ric<,v
duty.
''The effect of this condition." DR.. Sal
omon said, sis not conducive to desire tc
remain. The population is not friendly, and
only about half Of it is classed as white, and
they are very much mixed in color"
DIR. Salomon will recommend that no quar-
antine be established against Porto Rico by
the State of Louisiana. He considers the
prospects of large trade between Porto
Rico and the United States excellent Cof
fee and sugar Of excellent quality are grown
there, and will, he declares, be largely ex
ported. Tobacco is also grown, but ex
cept in one small district near Ell Caney il
is of inferior quality.