The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1898-08-12
YELLOW ACkIN CUBA
OR. DoTY TELLS HOW TO CARE FOR
OUR SICK SOLDIERS.

the Disease.
DR.. Alvah H. Doty, health officer of
the port of New York, said recently in
relation to the dispatch announcing that
there were number of cases of yellow
fever now in the field hospital near San
tiago;
II have no official information re-
garding the REPORT that yellow fever
has appeared among our troops at San
tiago, and l sincerely hoo that it is not
SO. AS near as can remember during
the past ten years there have been two
rather formidable outbreaks of yellow
fever in Santiago - one in 1901,
which, IL is seid, was introduced by
Spanish workmen who had contracted
the disease in Porto Rico while on their
way to Santiago. At that time there
were about 800 cases, about 80 per cent
Of which were fatal In 1895 another
outbreak occurred, not quite as formula
BILE as the one In 1890, but the mortality
was greater. Since that time few cases
have from time TO time been reported.
Therefore it would not be surprising il
the disease had broken out again, and,
although every precaution has been TAX
en- by Surgeon General George NJ.
Sternberg to prevent an outbreak Of this
disease among our troops, still there are
factors over which the general and his
assistants would have very little con-
troll. l refer to the extreme heat, the
frequent MEETINGS which our soldiers
are subjected to, the great nervous
strain, irregularity in eating, etc,
which are conditions extremely favor
able to the propagation of this disease
II it should appear.
"That prompt action was necessary
in taking Santiago before yellow fever
appeared among the troops was evident
ly fully appreciated by the commanders
of our army in Cuba by the vigorous
and rapid manner in which they have
pushed forward to Santiago 1t is fortu-
nate that the medical department of the
United States army is under the direc-
ton of DR.. Sternberg, whose great ex-
perience in yellow fever eminently fits
him for the direction of the medical
officers now with our troops at that
place. He has left no stone unturned to
instruct his assistants how to protect
our troops at the front, and he has en-
deavored to secure the services of men
who have had experience with yellow
fever, and there is no doubt that tho
danger from the disease among our sol
diers will be reduced to the minimum.
IF it be true that yellow fever is
present, it would seem to me that troops
on their return should be brought north
instead of being landed at southern
ports within the yellow fever belt. The
maximum period of the incubation of
yellow fever is five days Therefore
troops brought from Santiago to Flor
ida or some other southern ports would
reach there within that period Give
days., and it would probably be deemed
necessary to hold them at some station
until the full five days had elapsed be-
fore sending them north. If during
their detention cases of fever, etc,
which might be regarded as suspicious,
should occur it would probably be re.
garded as only safe to hold them for an
additional period. This might be kept
up indefinitely, until it would be hard
to say when the men would be released.
In addition, il must be remembered that
we have recently had yellow fever in
the south, and it is possible that it
might, in some way, reach the deten-
ton camp and infect those who were
held for observation.
"On the other hand, if the troops are
brought directly north, say to New
York, the voyage would take about
seven days, which more than covers the
period of incubation, Therefore, upon
the arrival of these troops, if after Il
close inspection they were found to be
free from infectious disease, there is no
reason why they should be detained
! longer perhaps than to perform disinfec-
ton If the disease should break out on
board, the case or cases would be care
fully isolated by the surgeon in attend
ance, and there would be little danger
of the remaining soldiers becoming in
fected. On the arrival here the case or
cases would be removed TO Swinburne
island and the remaining troops placed
for observation on Hoffman island,
!
tween 2, 900 and 5000 persons at an
hours notice.
"This work is nothing new to MS at
this quarantine, as during the past two
or three years we have had great
many cases of yellow fever coming from
infected ports and during the outbreak
at Panama last year nearly every steam
er arriving from Colon during a certain
period brought cases Of yellow fever to
this place, but in no instance did the
disease pass quarantine or secondary
cases as a result of this infection occur
in the city or vicinity Dealing with
merchant ships carrying crews and inn
migrants, which are subject 20 compar-
atively little discipline, is much harder
than with vessels bringing trained sol
diers under the care Of competent and
vigilant medical officers We are con-
stantly dealing with people in large
numbers, sometimes 1000 or 5000 a
l..