Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-26
!: j. M. Fourqurean & CO.


| saturated with the filth of the city.
! Questions of public health seldom have
| any serious attention at the hands OF
| the Spaniards or their descendants.
| Fieore amarilla--or yellow-fever-is a
standing joke in the theatres Of Habana.
| When 1t kills a native the dead mans
| friends speak OF II as Tifoidea. when il
kills Spanard, fieore amarillo To the
| ordinary Cuban, the death Of Spaniards
| by yellow-fever Is cause rejoicing
| Yellow-fever has been endemic in Cuba
| for over 100 years. The public records
| show II yearly for over 100 consecutive
years. DR.. Arbano Guimera has devoted
| years OF study and research to its his
| tory In all that time Spain has taken
no known measure to stamp out so dire
foe of her own children. The vast
| public preside, or prison. at Santiago
has no outlet for drainage. At night,
after the people are in bed, its accumu-
lated filth is allowed to run down a public
street TO the sea. The military hospital
situated on an elevation in the upper and
back part Of the city, near Concha evenue,
is vast establishment. Ii occupies a
large space. Within the Enclosure there
is vast cesspool with no outlet II
poisons the air and infects the soil. As
one would expect. yellow-fever is con-
slant quantity when susceptible material
offers.
While Spain has lost tens OF thousands
OF soldiers and sailors in Cuba from pre-
ventable disease, that has taught her no
lesson. The wicked loss Of life and its
cost 10 her as a nation has not been
weighed. In times of peace her soldiers
have died in thousands; in times of war
In tens of thousands. The ten years
war-lS6S TO lSS-cost her 200, 900 men, the
hover OF the Spanish army, of whom 1871 :
OVo died In hospital-largely OF climatic
disease-while less than 10 coo fell in bat
Tie or died of wounds received in action
SPANS neglect of sanitation In Santiago
de Cuba Is duplicated in San Juan de
Porto Rico. Her methods seem almost
incredible The main military and naval
hospital, in Habana. has 1900 beds. Ii is
substantially built place, near the end
OF the foul and pestlent harbor of Ha-
bana, All patients are sent to 1t from the
army and ships. Yellow-feyer patients
are not isolated. For many years the
building has been a centre for distributing
the poison of yellow-fever. That hos
pital is the medical storehouse for the
island system OF hospitals. All supplies.
including bedding are sent from it. yell
low-fever may be found at some port or
town all the year around.
In 1873 that Cuban fever reached New
Orieans, costing thousands of lives and
money-loss, estimated over 5000, 900. 600.
The ideal Holt Maritime quarantine sys
tenn has enabled New Orleans to shut n
out since.
England haa her experience with ia
maica after Spain was forced to abandon
1t. Englands sailors and troopers died
there in thousands. II was a pest hole.
Pure water was introduced, the soldiers
and sailors were instructed. and watched
unhealthy sea-level camps were abandon
ed, the death rate fell from ln per 1000
TO lib. or less than half the death-rate
OF New York, and this was due wholly |
10 sanitary measures. camps In the noun |
tans, and the introduction OF black regi- |
ments (West Indian negroes.) Differed nv |
white men. Had Spain kept abreast |
with England, Cuba to-day would be |
heaithful and fairly safe for Europeans
and Americans.