El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-10-31
SMALLPOX
IN MEXICO
The Disease Has Never En-
tireIy Disappeared Along
the Border.
MARINE HOSPITAL REPORT

WHnINC 1OOI u III I'LL VII
An Officer Traversed the InfeCte,
District for a Distance of Fiv'
Hundred Miles.
Il has been contended for some tim,
past that smallpox had never entirely
died out along the border on the south
side of the Rio Grande and in the in
terror of Mexico, and that the danger o:
contsgion would be greater as cold
weather approached.
The report recently made to Surgeon
General Wyman by an officer of the
marine hospital corps who recently
made thorough investigation adds
weight to this contention.
To guard against further spread OF
the disease in the United States and a
repetition of the experience of last
winter the most stringent quarantine
regulations are to be adopted by the
government physicians along the bor-
der. Already at this point the lines
have been frightened and in view of this
it is not believed that danger of the
disease spreading to this locality this
| season exists.
The report made to Surgeon General
Wymsn on the situation is as follows:
The following interesting statement
regarding the smallpox situation along
the Rio Grande border is made by Act
ing Surgeon Lea Hume of the marine
hospital service in report to Surgeon
General Wyman from Eagle Pass:
81 have ridden 500 miles on horse
back along the Mexican border. 1
found smallpox in abundance all along
the Mexican side of the Rio Grande,
in all some 200 cases, and along the
American side some forty cases. AT
Presidio del Norte smallpox is spread
ing all the time, and, as the Mexican
matter, the disease will undoubtedly
prevail there all of the winter. The
same may be said of the other Mexican
towns. The people of Preside del
Norte are just beginning to
realize the true effect of
smallpox, their death rate at present
being from three to five day. and the
disease constantly spreading. Many
times has the presidente (Mayor) of
Preside del Norte asked me for vac
cine in order to protect his people.
Had been in possession of vaccine at
the time l would have vaccinated sew
eral healthy children in Preside del
Norte, and allowed the president to
secure vaccine from the childen's arms
and vacctnate the rest of the pOpula-
ton.
at PresidiO, etc., are doing excellent
service and every effort is being used
by them to prevent the spread of
smallpox in places on the American
side which have the disease, and also
to prevent the entrance OF any fresh
cases from Mexico. During the past
month the detention camp st Eagle
Pass has been taxed to it's utmost ca
pacity. 1t seems that all the smaller
in he In
national road are more or less infected
with smallpox, hence during my alb
sence Il have spent the better part of
the past month il Presidio, Texas |
preventing the spread of smallpox in
that section), there being no vaccine
here, the officer left in charge deemed |
it wise to detain all individuals from |
infected districts in the detention camp |
rather than return them to Mexico.
1.-The chances for the spread of small |
pox on the Mexican border this winter |
will be very great, hence Mr.. Drake
and myself are doing all in our power |
to prevent It's entrance to the United |
States now. To this end two guards |
are stationed at the detention camp,
one doing night and the other day
duty. On the pedestrian and railroad
ing day duty. Mr.. Drake has
ordered me to appoint two guards for
the bridges to serve during the night.
Along the Rio Grande we have one
guard at Epson and one at Las Morss,
both guards being on duty all the time
and preventing access to the United
States by way of the fords along the
Rio Grande. Both of these men live
IN the river banks and ride distance
If from ten to fifteen miles daily.
SAT the City of Del Rio, Tex, we
nave three guards, who look out for
Las Vacas, Mex. and the surrounding
country. At Presidio, Pulvo, Spencer's
Rancho, Rindosa, Condslaria and Phi
ares (all Texas border towns) we have
en- mounted guards. AS you will see,
he Rio Grande in this district is very
veil looked after. The Preside coun-
ry is in quite q serious condition aud
he guards are kept busy at all times, {
tringent measures being used often in 1
rider to prevent the distributing of
mallpox." l
Tr,of 10 io1