The record-union., 1898-05-05

Former Surgeon-Genera1 Hamilton
Says 1t is Much Exaggerated.


CHICAGO, May 4.-Dr. John B. Ham
ilton, formerly Surgeon-General of the
Marine Hospital service of the United
States in an address given at the Ply
sicians' Club maintained that the dan
ger from yellow fever in Cuba is much
exaggerated. The paper was in re-
gard to camp hygiene, with special ref
erence to the present war, and accept
ed theories of the heat conditions in
Cuba.
DR.. Hamilton began with a brief sum-
mary Of his past experience in sanitary
camps of various kinds. AT the time
of the civil war, he said, little thought
was given to the matter, provided
there was plenty of water and a hill
side on which to pitch the tents. He
acquired considerable experience dur
ing the war and later. In 1882 and
1883 he had charge of the big yellow
fever camps in Texas and Florida. The
refugees camp near Jacksonville he
built in five days, and there worked
out the system which he advocates for
use in the present war. He described
the camp at Jacksonville, and stated
that the basis of the whole system was
the twice a day inspection. In 1892
he built the cholera camp at Sandy
Hook the first of its kind. He stated
positively that the nurses and attend
ants never ran any danger from dis
eases like cholera and yellow fever in
these open-air camps.
After the comments on hygienic
camps, Dr. Hamilton took up the ques-
ton of yellow fever in Cuba and it's
treatment The danger to our soldiers,
he said, was not half as great as the
people believe. He had no hesitation
in saying that Cuba was naturally as
healthful a country as any in the trop-
| les He then enumerated the places
where yellow fever was first propagat-
ed; the infected buildings in Havana
the infected wharveS and lastly the up
per end of the Bay of Havana. This
he said, was the principal cause of all
! the trouble. In this part of the bay
| the water is stagnant and filthy and
| breeds disease. On the banks is es-
| tablished the military hospital In
| stead of taking the sick soldiers upon
! the hills they are put in this infected
| building. Was it any wonder, he
asked. that the feveral could not be
| controlled?
A consideration of the geographical
| conditions in Cuba showed that the
hills back of Matanzas are II tc
| l 800 feet high and back of Havana
| they are eight or nine hundred. BY
making the camps on these hills, he
! said the danger would be greatly re-
| duced There is no other seacoast
city where it would be so easy to keeI
| troops, provided the system of regular
and careful inspection be maintained
! The stagnant portion Of the Bay of Ha-
vana could be purified by canal from
| the Almendarez River and after a pc
riod of proper household sanitation in
the city, Havana would become as
healthful as any city in the tropics.
He calls attention to the fact that
| England had given a lesson in santa
ton at Jamaica. At one time Kings
ton was as subject to yellow fever as
Havana. but now cases seldom occur.
The carelessness of the Government
he said. was the principal cause of al
the yellow fever danger Not half the
necessary precautions were taken at tbs
wharves where the danger was great.
est
In conclusion, DR.. Hamilton said thai
there had been reason enough for wal
with Spain before the present crisis
ANY country which would carelessly
| allow such a disease breeding cen
/ ter to affect the ships of the world with
out any effort to improve the condi
tions deserved nothing better than the
most severe and summary punishment