The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-05-03
The Yellow Fever Problem.

the island of Cuba between now and the
LIST OF November. and there is also fear.
widely expressed, that the southern half
OF the United States will be this year es-
pecia1ly exposed to the ravages OF the dis
ease. and in danger of serious outbreak
On account of the multiplied means of in
lection made necessary by hostile opera
tons In other words. we must protect
the soldiers in Cuba and the people who
remain at home. And this is not the least
OF the problems growing out OF the Span
ish war.
THE coming summer Will witness some
very valuable experiments concerning yell
low fever said a physician. who has
studied that disease for many years, to
your correspondent this morning. 1T
may sound heartless to speak of its grave
dangers in the cold language of q scientific
laboratory, but the fact remains that the
disease is one about which little is really
known. and circumstances are such that
we are likely to test on large scale GER
tain theories concerning IT before the
rainy season closes in October. For in
stance it is as yet disputed question
whether the disease would become epidem-
ic among body or troops that We're
carefully watched over according to the
best known principles of hygiene and san
itation. My personal belief is that our
soldiers can operate In Cuba without suf-
fering much, if the rules laid down by
the surgeon general Of the army and pub
lished Tuesday morning are followed. We
have never yet made the experiment on
large scale of living up to the best rules
| of health, and I am very hopeful OF the
result in the present instance. The army
will look out for high ground. especially
for the hours of sleep.
| nh 0h da
understand, elevation is very important
factor in escaping yellow fever infection.
Among the rich planters Of the south 1t
has for years been a well known precept to
go in case of danger to the highest house,
and to sleep IN it's highest room. No def
mite rule has been fixed as TO the line OF
safety, but It is we'll settled scientifically
that the higher one can get the better.
Cuba is a noun famous country. and 1t
ought to be possible to provide elevated
camping grounds, and especially to resort
| TO them in case an outbreak Of fever SEEM
ed threatening. Then the ordinary rules
about boiling and filtering water, eating
no unoooked food, avoiding things liable
| to irritate the alimentary tract, and tha
like, will be Of enormous value If, in adj
dition to these things. the army sur
geons are quick TO detect the disease in its
| incipiency, as they doubtless will be, and
! promptly isolate each case, ! think we
shall not hear much of the yellow fever.
! There Is no reason to believe that the ex-
| perience of the Spanish soldiers on the
| island will berepeated with our own. SAM
| tary science Is not far advanced among
| the Spaniards, and they have been hud-
| died down IN the seacoast towns, where
the danger was naturally the greatest In
short. believe we shall be agreeably sur
prtSed In this particular when tho sum-
mer's campaigning Is over.
The case here at homo Is somewhat diff
ferent. We had quite an epidemic last
year. and study Of the old records shows
that the disease is liable to come two years
in succession. Yellow fever seems to in
feet places, rather than persons. and when
it once gains foothold 1t is hard to stamp
out. This fact, added to the enormous
volume of communication between Cuba
and the United States seems to make US
especially liable to the disease this sum-
mer. But even here, there are some for
tunate circumstances which materially
modify the feeling of general alarm. All
our yellow fever comes from Cuba, and
hence the state of the disease on that is
land is Of great Importance to US. AT the
time Of last getting reports from there.
conditions were favorable, There is less
son for many years The fever material
is pretty we'll exhausted there. 1t must
alone be borne in mind that the means of
communication in time of war, ships of
iron and steel, are far different from the
wooden conVeyances which ordinarily ply
between the ports in time Of peace, These
old West India craft are loaded with con-
tagion; they have been bafick and forth so
many years, and anchor to the old
wharves of the Caribbean seaports that
they are almost beyond successful disin-
lection. ThewarShips OF our navy, on the
other hand, are clean and wholesome, and
do not afford Judgement for germs Of in
lection. OF course the transports may
partake somewhat OF the danger OF the
old seacraft, but It is likely that the ma
rine hospital service will maintain an eff
cient quarantine against them, and, in
fact, against arrivals from all sources In
proportion to thed egree Of danger. Then
if soldiers are brought back whose condl-
ton is suspected, they can be put on fast
trains which will run without stopping to
Chickamauga Park, which IS sufficiently
high to be a safe place to sojourn during
the time that an outbreak is feared II
these trains should be run through as
quarantine trains, and no communication
permitted with them, 1t is not probable
that the marine hospital service would OBJ
ject- So, tal1ingaIi things into considers
ton, it is quite likely that the yellow few
er alarm is somewhat exaggerated.
Besides furnishing an opportunity for
experim enting with the disease on e large
scale, this Cuban war is likely to mark
the beginning of the end OF yellow fever
in this country. The disease which
threatens every year to paralyZe trade
and commerce throughout the southern
part of the United States, and in spite Of
the most rigorous quarantine does fire.
quently break out, is contribution
which misrule in Cuba has made TO Us,
and will continue TO make as long as the
Spanish flag flies over MORO Castle. Self
governing Mexico has stamped out ths
yellow fever at Vera Cruz. which was
formerly as dangerous port OF injection
as Havana But the money drawn from
Cuba by taxation has not TO any extent
gone to internal improvements: and in
stead OF making an outlet TO the harbor
OF Havana, which would permit the ocean
tides 10 wash through, things have been
left year in and year out In the wretched,
unwholesome, unsanitary condition which
has been a disgrace hardly less than any
other feature OF Spanish dominion
The poor natives Of the island all 60
through a course in yellow fever, usually
IN childhood, and as result, hecc me tn
mune 10 IL But for the people Of tbs
United States who have 10 stand in fear
Of annual outbreaks Of the disease, with
the paralyzing effects OF such snalarTn.
the continuance Of existing conditions Is
a severe penalty. Ten years n my opin-
ION, Will see tie end Of this thing. The
United States viii have enough influence
IL the new government OF Cuba 20 clean
oot tas karbor CT Havana and establish
decent sanitary conditions. even K ws
have 70 90 x al our oEn expense The ez-