The times., 1899-10-02
SANITARY WORK IN CUBA
Reports Received From the Marine
Hospital Authorities.
Havana Now Guaranteed Against
Key west-Decrense of yellow Fe-
yer in the fsIand-Conditions in
sGntiago-surgeon Fairfax Irwin
Writes of the Bubonic Plague.

the Marine Hospital surgeons in Cuba.
Surgeon NJ J. Rosenau writes from Havana:
THE usual order of things has been re-
yersed. Havana has quarantined against
Key West. Only immunes are permitted
to land and all baggage is disinfected-
| that is, the same precautions are now be-
/ ing taken against Key West that Key West
have been fewer cases of yellow fever in
Havana, owing TO the subsistence OF the
outbreak in the troops taken from Cabanas.
Attention is particularly invited to the Sc
! we're type Of the disease in Havana. There
have been total of ninety cases and thir-
| ty-three deaths since the 1st of January
making death rate of over SO per cent
From all / can learn, the type of the dis
ease now epidemic at Key West is much
milder.
Much additional work has been imposed
upon this station, consisting mainly Of the
disinfection of all baggage on the Morgan
Line for New Orleans, all arriving Key
| West baggage, and the mails. The United
States army transport ingalls, was released
| from quarantine after FIVE days deten-
tion in this harbor. No further sickness oc-
/ SdiISd Ou DOGE4. 1DtS Is dDDtQCT lituSlEd-
ton of the work done and the possibility OF
controlling the infection OF yellow fever
even in the harbor of Havana.
| With the single exception of the out
break in the soldiers of Cabanas there has
not been an instance of second case of
! yellow fever occurring in a house disin-
! fected by the sanitary department of this
| city This is a very enviable record. The
weather continues hot, dry, and disagreea-
| bIe''
Assistant Surgeon Herman B. Parker re-
1 ports from Santiago the health conditions
of the Fourth district of Cuba, including
Santiago. ManZanillo, Daiquiri, and Guam
| tanamo. He says the population of Santi-
! ago is $4,000 and for the week ended Sep
| tember 9 the mortality was 32.12. The
/ principal causes of death were tuberculo-
| sis, teIanug, maiarial fever, and intestinal
diseases. There was one recent case of
/ leprosy- Surgeon Parker reported no new
cases of yellow fever or smallpox in Man
zaniilo. At Daiquiri, he says. no new cases
! had developed in the mining camp
Concerning Santiago, Surgeon Parker
further states that the yellow fever de-
( tention camp has been discontinued. On
the 18th of September a transport left San
tiego with the last seventeen men from
the detention camp.
In regard to the terrible plague in Opor-
TO- Surgeon Fairfax Irwin, Of the Marine
Hospital Service, writing from Lisbon to
September 6. says:
"In discussing the question of the impor-
/ taticn OF plague to the city of Oporto, ii is
singular to find large number of the edu-
Gated people denying its importation alto
] gether, and this in the face of the history
4 of the City of Cork and it's cargo OF rice.
| AS case in point / enclose letter from
the consular agent of the United States at
| Oporto This point is, Of course, the most
| important for the consideration of other
nations. and fortunately science practically
settles the question. The progress OF the
I epidemic is singular in its slowness. The
number of cases as reported last night was
/ SIS; the number of deaths 25. The epidemic
/ has existed three months, and / give below
the cases and deaths as reported day by
day, the first official report being dated
| August 25, when As cases and 1S deaths
were announced. The mortality is nearly
| 80 per cent
August 25 there were &c cases, IS
deaths; August 26, 4S cases, 19 deaths;
August q, As cases. 20 deaths; August %.
| 4s cases, q deaths; August %, As cases
| % deaths; August 30, so cases. % deaths;
August 81, 81 cases. % deaths; September
| /. 50 cases, % deaths; September 2, 80
| cases, % deaths; September 3, 55 cases, "a
deaths; September 4, So cases, "a deaths;
September 8, 5s cases, 25 deaths.
Beyond the daily bulletins. there is
nothing of interest to report, and although
! shall go to Oporto tomorrow. / do not
think information will be SO ready OBJ
/ tanned as il is here. where / have been
afforded all the faculties of the foreign Of
| fee and the sanitary bureau. Many for
| eign physicians are going TO Oporto to
/ h. nj cff0ip2iiv in almost every
case, and not so much from the CONNER
! ciaI and quarantine point of view. The
restrictions to travel leaving Oporto, as re-
ported 10 me are very severe, amounting
( in effect to eighteen days detention with
/ disinfection of all effects. OF the eighteen
days. nine days must be passed in quaran-
1 tine. and later in addition nine days sani-
tary observation at points of destination
| These restrictions are maintained by a
! military Gordon
Surgeon Irwin says that by order of the
I superior officer and for due effect regula-
| tions were promulgated practically annul-
I ing the inland trade from Oporto and other
places where the bubonic plague exists
| This order. ne says, has caused great dis
/ satisfaction, with riotous demonstration at
| OpoTto. Shops were closed and the mayor
| resigned. Surgeon Irwin concludes his re-
J port by recommending the disinfection Of
all articles coming from any port OF Por-
| tugaI.
An official report of yellow fever In the
| United States from August 81 to Septem-
| Der 29 has just been submitted by Sur
| geon General Wynian, of the Marine Hos
! pital Service The total number of cases
| Is emitted and while the cases reported
! from New Orleans and Mississippi are not
ed as daily new cases." it is noticeable
| that the record from Key West, the great
seat Of the infection, is put down from
| day 10 day as cases" The total number
! OF these cases reported from Key West
| from August 80 to September 29 accord
| ing TO the Surgeon Generals report, is 73s.
I The number Of deaths for the same period
4 is forty-three Two eases and one death
were reported from Miami, and cne case
and one death from Tampa. Fla.
| From August 26 TO September 20 the
| cases" daily reported from New Orleans
| aggregates twenty-seyen, the number OF
! deaths seven There were five cases and
one death in Mississippi City, and one case
/ in Jackson, Miss The Surgeon General
says under date Of September 26:
''0n account of the number of cases of
! dengue fever at Miami-225 from July Is
| TO September 25-the following telegram is
/ sent the State health officer of Florida:
- 4 suggest that at Miami action be ta-
1 ken TO prevent the spread OF dengue. This
can be inaugurated now by house-to- house
\ inspection. Dengue patients TO be isolated
and efforts made TO prevent them injecting
|
AHRR~H IL you have