The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-07-30
Gen. Wood's Dew Kind OF UdTdre
Fought span Combating
Millions
Stamping Scouge.

ICopyright, 1899, by S. s. Mcclure Coz
When yellow fever is wiped out of
Cuba, especially out of Havana and
Santiago. it will be wiped out of the
United States. Yellow fever does not
originate in this country. Every cpl
demic which the southern states have
known has been started by the impor-
tation of cases from Cuba. These cpl
denies have cost more than 1000 lives
a year for many years, and often ten
times that number during one single
visitation. The money expenditure
which has been necessary to keep up
national guarantees and the CONNER
cial loss which has resulted from state
guarantees, have amounted up in the
scores of millions.
This indicates the immense impor-
tance of the work which is now being
done by our American military officers
in Cuba toward the wiping out of the
disease.
Brigadier General Guy V. Henry, for
merly governor of Porto Rico, and who
is now in the United States on waiting
orders, gave as his opinion. based on
his experience in Porto Rico, that it
was absolutely impossible to keep yell
low fever out of Santiago this sum-
mer.
General Wood has certainly worked
wonders in cleaning and administering
Santiago" he said. in the course of
conversation, but he must have real
lied that it was a hopeless task as far
as keeping the city free from fever is
concerned. Yellow Jack has had an
abiding place there for 200 years, and
it is not possible that few months
of sanitary precautions could counter
act the effect of all that period.
yellow fever is something that no
man can guard against with any GER
tainty- 1t is the accepted theory that
the disease is contracted through the
inhalation of germs which are propa-
gated in a thousand ways. Every
thing depends on the condition of the
system. If man is run down or ener-
waited by excuses or through climatic
causes, he is very apt to contract fever
Still there are cases known where men
in vigorous health and entirely alb
stemious in habits have been carried off
as with a lightnings stroke. The dis
ease attacks men. women and children
impartially, but it must be confessed
that victory generally rests with those
who are careful and temperate.
The precautions now being taken by
General Wood, and the plan he is fol-
lowing seem entirely correct. From
all appearances. however the task he
has before him is by no means easy.
Yellow fever has existed i'll Santiago
de Cuba under the miSnomer of per
nicious malaria" since the surrender of
the city last July. Americans-soldiers
and civilians-have died of it, cases
have filled the fever hospital across the
bay from Santiago, and other cases
apienty have been sent home conva-
descent to recuperate in the more
healthful climate of the United States.
In Santiago nowadays the term per
nicious malaria is A byword. 1t IS
now known down there that fully 80
per cent of those who suffered from
il during the latter months of 1895
were really victims of the dread yellow
Scourge in a more or less mild form
The fact that their hospital papers bore
the words pernicious malaria did not
serve TO lessen the peril Of the patients,
but it prevented the danger of panic
and helped materially in the recon-
struction and publication of the city
And that was why General Leonard
Wood. military and civil governor OF
Santiago de Cuba, knowingly and with
generalization, successfully concealed
the fact that yellow fever existed with
in the confines of the province.
That General Wood fully anticipated
the present outbreak is beyond ques-
ton. He knew that fever would re-
turn in force this summer. despite all
that medical skill and sanitary precau-
tons could 90 10 prevent H.
An Interview With General Wood.
1t is as impossible to carry -Ameri-
can troops and civilians through the
hot tropical months of June, July and
August without a number OF fatalities
from yellow fever. as it would be TO
stop Mauser bullet without being
hurt" he said TO the writer last Oc-
tohe--
i say il is impossible 10 entirely es-
cape" he added, but please God We
will do everything in the power of man
to reduce the casualties as much as
possible If we succeed in cutting
the regular annual record of deaths
one-half or even one-fourrh, l shall BE-
satisfied"
That everything in the power of
man" has been done 10 keen the
scourge from Santiago since Genera;
Wood assumed charge is matter of
common fame. There are some men
who might have felt discouraged when
confronted with the task that faced
General Wood last july II only
spurred him on. With the indOmito bic
force of will and energy characteristic
of the man. he threw himself into the
work of cleansing and purifying the
CITY
The situation appealed To him from
two points of View-from the military |
because he * in his heart and soul Il |
military officer, and from the sanitary
because his chosen profession is that |
OF medicine.
General Wood recognized that the |