The times., 1899-10-10
SOLDIERS HEALTH IN CUBA.

The Surgeon General Receives Re-
ports From Two Provinces.
Surgeon General Sternberg has received
from Major Yalery Havard, Chief Surgeon
of the Department of Santiago and Puerto
Principe, letter written September 2S
describing in detail the conditions in those
provinces. Major Havard had just re-
turned from an extended trip along the
north coast OF those provinces with Cen
eral Wood. He says:
I'VE have quite a number of posts on
the north coast some in good quarters,
others in Indifferent ones, and again others
in tents, but l have been pleasantly sur
prised to see how healthy they are, the
percentage of sick seldom exceeding 5 per
cent, and all the sickness practically be-
ing malarial fever of a mild type AT
Puerto Principe nearly two regiments are
in camps, having been driven from their
barracks in the city by yellow fever; these
camps are models Of what camps should
be as to hygiene and comfort, and their
sickness is only 4 per cent, just about
the same as in the United States. This is
doing very we'll in view of the almost in
eYitable moral and military relaxation
which prevails I'M this enervating climate.
However, it must be said that the season
has, so far, been unusually dry, and that
when the rains begin in earnest life in
camp will be wretched enough and the
sickness will considerably increase. 1t
may also be said that our soldiers are un-
usually well cared for. They are kept
away from the sun, do no fatigue work.
| drill but little, drink boiled water, more or
less beer and very little whisky or rum.
As you already know, we have been
! forced to the conclusion that our troops
cannot safely live in towns. The Spanish
barracks were comfortable, especially after
| the complete overhaulng We gave them,
| but with the exception of Baracoa, Gibara,
| and Holguin, which have not yet given
| any sign of infection, they have all been
! abandoned; new sites outside of towns
| are being selected, and work will soon
! begin on the new barracks. At Santiago,
the new barracks near Ell Moro Castle
| are already under way. The question OF
/ taking care of American troops in this
| climate will always be serious one, and
! of difficult solution, | believe we should
reduce our troops to the minimum num-
Der possible and organize native regiments
partly officered by Americans. My knowl-
/ edge of Cubans leads me to thing the plan
4 would be very successful The British
j have found it so.
'Our general hospital in Santiago is still
under canvas. on high plateau just out
side the city. but l hope to begin the
building of the several plain but neal
frame buildings which are to constitute
the new hospital; of course, we shall en-.
deavor to make it as comfortable and az
| we'll adapted to the climate as means vii
| permit.
yellow fever has long ceased to trouble
| us, officers and enlisted men, simply be-
cause we put ourselves out OF its reach
| 1t is still lurking in the city and sur.
/ roundings and any on-immune can easily
find it. Every week, this month, one o.
two cases have occurred in the city among
| American civilians and Spaniards, but th
type is getting quite mild. Even here, a
Crsto, ten miles from Santiago in tbs
foot hills, We have had four or five cases
originating in the village, where, as w
discovered rather late. the spaniards hav'
had hospital. Even thirty miles farthe
inland. at Palma Soriano, Major Russell
B. Harrison, our inspector, became in
fected by handling old draperies and ha'
as severe a case as one can have and re
cover. Our yellow fever hospital acros
the bay has discharged all its patients"