The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-23
is THERE SAFETY IN CLEANLINESS /.


In an editorial article in the New York
Times the position is taken that there is
absolutely no danger of the spread of vel
low fever in localities where the sanitary
conditions are good. The article deals par
ticularly with the spread of the fever at
Key West. 1t is assumed that the sanitary
condition Of that place is such as to in
from the article reads a. follows: Things
are going very i'll at Key West The daily
reports of from twenty to thirty new cases
of yellow fever make the truth of that as
serlion more than evident-they put ii be-
yond question. Recent experiences in Cuba
have demonstrated that the stamping out
Of this disease is merely a matter of intel
ligent energy, and of this demonstration
the natural corollary is that failure 10
stamp out the disease is clear proof that
the intelligent energy is lacking. The con-
ditons at Key West cannot possibly have
been as bad as they were at Santiago and
Havana, and yet from the latter cities the
fever has been practically excluded all
summer long, while in the former it seems
TO spread almost unchecked. The remedy
that suggests itself is to summon from
Cuba one of our experienced and success
full filth comprehension. Wood or some
lesser man-and give him the same power
that has been so nobly and ably exercised
in the island"
It may be true that cleanliness is a pre-
ventiVe of the spread of yellow fever; and
yet it is an easy matter to show that the
fever sometimes spreads in places which
are, as far as it is possible to observe, alb
solutely free from any impurity In the
great epidemic of 1878, towns which were
in first class sanitary condition were at
tackled and almost decmated by the fever
One of these places was Holly Springs,
Miss. That town is situated on high
ground and in the year of the epidemic il
was reported to be in excellent sanitary
condition In fact, il would not be difficult
to name many such towns Il does not
seem as if it could be said therefore that
cleanliness is an absolute protection
against the disease.
Is the Times prepared to say that the
sanitary conditions al Key West are bad?
We have not heard that they are. There
is no good reason why they should be-
They certainly cannot be as bad there as
they are at New Orleans. And yet the
fever is not spreading in the latter city.
The Times suggests that the government
send to Havana or Santiago for some Of
the sanitary experts who have succeeded
in stamping out the disease in those cities
this summer, and let them try their hand
at stamping out the fever at Key West.
il is pretty safe to say that the sanitary
condition at Key West is much better than
it is at either Havana or Santiago. The
| sanitary work at either of those places
has only touched the surface. 1t has not
removed the accumulated fifth of centuries.
The conditions necessary for an epidemic
were not present in either Havana or Sam
! tlago this season. If they had been it is
| probable that all of the sanitary work thar
has been done in them would not have
prevented the spread of the fever after If
had gained a foothold
| We do not mean to say that cleanliness
does not lessen the chances of an epidemic
Of yellow fever We feel certain that if
does. What we mean to say is, that as vet
the cause of yellow fever is not known ba-
yond doubt and that it has been known
to he as virulent and as widespread in
places where the sanitary conditions were
good as were they were bad during tho
same season.