Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1898-06-11
ABOUT HEALTH IN CUBA.
Advice From a Physician Who
Has Lived on the Island.
DIR. LANES EXPERIENCE .7HERE.

DIR. LANES EXPERIENCE !7HERE.
In a Letter to Surgeon General NJ. o.
Terry He Says There Is Little Yellow
Fever In the Country and Only Mild
Malaria-The Rural Districts HealthfuI,
Though the Cities Are to Be Avoided.
Recomme ndations as to Food, Clothing
and Habits.
In letter to Surgeon General NJ. o.
Terry of New York state DR.. d. T.
Laine of Philadelphia writes the follow
ing facts about Cuba and it's climate:
cup to five years ago | spent my sum-
mers, from May to September, on our
plantation in the province of Matan-
zas, and l can positively state that the
country districts in the provinces of Ma
tanzas and Havana are as rule healthy,
even in the summer, but the climate is
exceedingly damp, and the rainfall in
these months is enormous, although the
sun shines the greater part of the time
through an atmosphere surcharged with
moisture, and the thermometer in the
shade registers between 80 and 90 de-
grees, but never higher The nights are
cool, due to the trade winds which blow
continuously across the island, but the
temperature never gets below 70 de-
grees or thereabout. l should say in
few words, that sultry, warm weather,
daily thunder showers and passable
nights are the prevailing state of the
weather throughout the western half of
the island. l have never been in the
provinces of Puerto Principe and San
tiago de Cuba, but understand that the
regions there are healthier on account
of the hilly country
Il have practiced medicine during
the past years i'll and about Philadel-
phia, and would unhesitatingly assert
that the country i'll the western part of
the island is not more unhealthy than
Delaware and Chester counties in Penn
sylvania. But not SO i'll the Cities or
throughout the extreme southern part
low. In the former we have (and GER
tainly in all the larger cities ON the
coast) yellow fever and typhoid as ell
demic diseases Another fact which is
not generally commented upon is that
tuberculosis is very prevalent in the
cities of Cuba, and have been informed
that many of the Spanish soldiers die
from this disease and not as much from
yellow fever and dysentery as has been
reported
eff Americans but knew what bad
treatment the Spanish soldiers (raw re-
cruits) receive from their government,
and how dirty and filthy these people
are in their habits, they would agree
with some of us who know the facts and
have lived on the island that Cuba, far
from being an unhealthy place, is quito
the contrary That they can live as they
do and not all die has been the wonder
to me.
''By observing the most elementary
and primitive precautions bodies of
troops could operate in the country dis
tricts of Cuba without any more danger
than they would incur i'll any of the
southern states. From my personal
knowledge l should say that the hilly
country around Matanzas and Havana
is decidedly freer from malaria and
healthier i'll every respect than through
out the middle and northern portions of
Florida.
"Another disease which is not un-
common throughout certain parts of the
island is tetanus, so that all punctured
wounds of the foot and hand should be
more safely treated us open wounds aft
er thorough antiseptic applications, no
matter how small and trivial they
might appear. Jiggers (chigoes) would
be apt to affect some of the men and
cause lameness unless promptly recog
niZed and treated A little coal oil is
the most effective remedy. Mosquitoes
are abundant during the summer season,
and every man should be provided with
a small piece of netting The bite Of
the scorpion is not more dangerous than
that Of the bee. To this can testify
from personal experience.
"a great variety of tropical fruits
abound. They should certainly be avoid
ed by recently arrived persons or the
unacclimated, but as Weyler has left no
fruit tree throughout these provinces
they will not be easily obtained. There
is one plant, though, which is still
abundant in Cuba, and that is the sugar
cane. 1t should not be eaten until the
fall, when it has reached its full matu-
rity. Sugar cane at this season of the
year is sweet, but very watery, contain
ing large amounts OF glutinOus sub
stance conducive to intestinal disturb
ances. Even the natives avoid it ON this
account. There is one wild fruit in the
island which | am confident Weyler
has been unable to destroy, and that is
the guava 1t ripens about August. 1t