The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-05-21
AN ARMY VACCINE FARM.
GEN. HEvRY Supplied VIRUS FOR
AM TO RICO.

Vaccination Practically Made Compulsory
and Army Surgeons Have Treated
About $4,000 Persons - 1000 Cattle
Used to obtain the Necessary Virus.
One Of the most interesting features OF BriR-
Gen. Guy V. Henry's administration as Cover
| nor-General OF the island Of Porto Rico vast the
way In which he prevented a probable cpl
demio OF smallpox on the island. According
to the statements OF the Brigade Surgeon.
Major Azel Ames, who had nina OF the
corps OF surgeons who were set to work W
Gen. Henry to vacclnate the people OF the is'-
and, 1t was the a~lertness OF the Governor-Gen-
eral that killed the disease at Ponce.
which could have been checked only
with the utmost difficulty had 10 spread. The
medical officers under Gen. Henry carried on
what was probably the biggest task OF the kind
that surgeons in tho service Of the United
States ever tackled. What they did was to put
into operation a vaccination farm. produce
their own vaccine. divide up the island into
five districts, each under II surgeon. establish
vaccination stations in every village and city OF
any size. and to vaccinate, practically by com-
pulsory methods. every Porto Ricnn they could
reach. Up to the present time something like
$4,000 people have been vaccinatod.
Gen. Henry's private secretary. stephen
Smith Tuthill. said that Gen. Henry was very
much pleased with the work that had been
done by the vaccine corps. lie ADDED:
THE people followed the wishes OF Gen.
Henry very well. The vaccination of the peo-
pe was. you know. not compulsory so far as
the order which Gen. Henry issued read. but in
fact 1t was so. His order was that people who
were not vacclnated could not enter any public
conveyance or public place. SO that in effect the
order was compulsory. At any rate. the people
took to the idea well and n great work was
done"
Major Ames returned last Tuesday on the
the transport with Gen. Henry. He went tn
Porto Rico In January.
There had always been more or less small
pox IN Porto Rico" said Major Ames. " and
with the advent OF the troops and the confu-
sion which necessarily resulted from this tenn
porary addition to the population OF the island
there was even more danger to be expected
from the disease than before. As a matter Of
fact. l might say that an epidemic OF smallpox
was not at all unlikely.
Gen. Henry was as alert as ever when the
danger OF such an epidemic was reported to
him. and he at once issued an order that the
entire population should be vaccinated. At the
time that the order was issued / happened to
be In tho northern part OF the island. When I
returned l found that Chief Surgeon John
Van r. Hon was much exercised by Gen.
Henry's order. Col. Hof understood the
necessity for Immediate action. but he soon
| D. Wv 'hN' Nf"' ~ "Ooia ~ WY utiiN
cult to get the virus. To vaccinate 80 many
Teople In a short time meant innumerabie
difficulties. The quantity OF virus required for
such n work was enormous. In addition the
virus had to be pure. effective and moderately
cheap In price.
"Col. Hoff at first estimated that 100000
would be necessary to carry out the work. AZ
terward he reduced his estimate to $50. 900.
Even when the figures were thus reduced wa
| found that H. WAS vary hard m get yirna which
was effective and pure. The virus which was
sent out from the United States as glyceri.
mated virus proved to be almost invariably
useless. whole invoices from the Surgeon
General being entirely worthless when they
reached Porto Rico. The journey seemed to
weaken the virus.
I'm view OF that condition OF affairs, l asked
Col. Hoff why 1t would not be best to get our
own virus, since there were plent y Of cattle :?
be had on the island. He asked me thoughtI
could do what suggested. and as ! told him I
e eRSTso )" Of ,s 81 Job 2to I H was in 81" ss TO to % ado rS
any feasible measures by which I could pro-
n neeess a%s a 81 eears aaa 70 tsk e, s s'Fa' or Il th Mss
months IN making the mere preparations.
fully; in The United States: os,,.
wanted ia the, shape 81 the Old EsTsS TI"t 6a ~
e teG give the the s saidi Rssn a f hea iesrs n place sa to f i've q.
M ESr started d. in at r n %a lear 2 regular yISeslne farm;
the prominent cattle buyers Of the island, Col.
Santiago sa5 who was formeerly Of the volunteers:
H fsnt t + hq aiS 9e to q The 'h seh alGa,a the S sattls w oWmsrs
peasants and all-were induced to lend US
their cattle fer our PURPOSES. As 4 result OF
to pay 2 oent for the cattle. except for such as
were killed or injured while in our hands. We
Col. Hofr then organized Ave vaccinstion dis
t tTai Sis sfSFirssspiE ntd NJ ,r rS5u III y To- ths FIVE }gdi,
department. In each district there were about
hl aEs;sss Or dl itG;Soo P eSst Of l f RsS charge Yss,S of shs
enough many OF the troops needed re-yaccIna.
and then went at the people. especially those
1.-THE poorer classes.
cattle We had Mad et To use 20 great 1as ec earn Ia 9nte ot IN
cases OF tuberculosis or CHAMBERS, and in this
work valuable assistance was rendered by Prof.
Timothy Leary OF. Boston. who was Acting As
average OF 500 points to the animal. and nearly
ready. There were five stages or divisions OF
our work; as you may see: and by enumerating
tho cattle then we had to v~accinato them the
the animais the fourth the packing and distrin.
button o. the points. and the last the process OF
We were smlnentiy successful in our work.
as on nearly rs per cent; OF the people vaesi-
SSafa io os a ps sSientinc wG plas. and al we e' we're fore Me
tunate In starting as we did and when we did.
durnie Of smaiip ~sfo But Snt we fefse d. OF az G ths
7 report which I shall submit ought to
at large, and it will be used as a club in the
English Parliament to beat down the opponents
Major Ames said that he would go to WASH
ington soon to submit his report on the work
The staff in Porto Rico completing the WORK
was, he said. deserving OF great praise.