The Savannah morning news., 1900-09-30
THE NATIONS CUBAN FOE.
Az ALARMING INCREASE N THE
DREADED sCOURGE N HAVANA.

ures-Few Cuban. DIE of the Fever
which l. Considered by Them n
Minor Disease - The Thorough
work Of the Disinfecting Corps
and Its UnpopuIarity Among the
Cubans-The sewers OF Havana
Give Forth the Infection, and This
Year Climatic Conditions and Inn
migration From Infected Parts
Have Caused the Epidemic-tsniei-
ent Cuban Physicians
Washington. Sept. % -The actual san
tary conditions now existing In the city
OF Havana are little comprenended In THE
country. SIN less. perhaps IS It under
stood that yellow fever has attained the
proportions OF an epidemic there this
/ summer. Il il startling fact that up 90
the s,h day OF August the death rae
from this plague had been exactly eleven
times as great as last year the number
OF deaths being seventy-seven. against
seven a few days later La Animas Hos
/ pltal and Military Hospital No. ] were
crowded to the limit Of their capacity
] physicians. nurses and even the disin-
| fecting corps were worked night and day.
and the sanitary department had cabled
TO New York for more nurses. BY the
| middle Of the month the record was
l broken for the year. with foriy-seyen new
cnsss, and thlrty-six suspects" From
that time on the situation became exceed
I ingly sefious. and the American authori-
ties IN Havana are having a fight which
will continue Tor many weeks.
The tight against yellow fever began
with the first DAYS Of the American oc-
cupation with Gen. Ludlow rs military
governor Of the city with the immediate
organization OF the sanitary department
and the engineering corps heroic efforts
were made 10 clean the city, and put u
IN decent living condition. The success
which crowned these efforts has long been
matter OF record. ana i may be stated
al once that the principal reasons for this
years virulent outbreak are. FIRST. heavy
I immigration. second. favorable climate
conditions. The 0ctual and primary rea-
son, however. Is that the earth bed Of
/ the city OF Havana Il a permanent reser-
Y volr Of Infection which Is freely permit
ted 90 pass through the city from one
end TO the other through the sewers.
sewers Vast CuIture-Process OF
Germs.
This earth bed contains untold millions
OF yellow fever germs which are constant
/ ly escaping from the open sewer traps,
ana through the crannies OF the abomi-
nablv paved streets. There Is absolutely
no hope for q total determination Of yel-
I low fever IN Havana until the city is
properly severed and paved with an her
meucaily sealed paving. Then. with due
restrictions on immigration from fever-in-
Z fected parts. chiefly Panama and South
America and with continuance OF the
stringent sanitary precautions now en-
forced BY our authorities. Havana and
other Cuban cities may become safe resi-
! dences for Americans and other foreign
I ers. ana the danger OF importing the few
/ er thence into our own country will be-
removed The work begun under Gen
Ludlow has been continued under Gen.
I Wood, and there Is a spleudidly organized
sanitary department which Is now work
/ ing night and day 10 save lives and check
I the spread OF the disease. Mai Havnrd
the chief surgeon of the island. has gener-
eral supervision OF everything: the lmme-
I diate work Is under the charge OF Mai W
l {. Gorgas. assisted by DR.. Theodore {
I Lystcr br Shocker and a complete Of
/ fee aud hospital staff. There is also what
Is known az "A yellow fever board con
aistng OF Drs. Gulteras. Finley and Al
bertha. and Mai. Goreas who is a sur
geon ana physician. the duties OF this
board being to inspect and give a decis-
on on all reported suspects. The reeu-
lar fever commission sent here 10 study
the disease and report upon It Is made
up OF Drs. Carroll, Lazar and Reed
Americans: and Dr. A. Agramonte. the
Cuban specialist IN yellow fever ana 9th
er tropical diseases. The Cuban physl.
cihus. by the way. who have received their
education In this country or abroad rank
with the best yellow fever experts In the
world The work OF the Cubans trained
in the sanitary department under Amer.
lean methods has also been highly EN-
cient. All these. with the American wo.
men nurses who care for their stricken
countrymen. and the forces OF the dlsin-
fecting and house cleaning departments.
make up a small army The expense Of
carrying on the night against the fever
Is about S>.eo "A month, ana this Is mad
equate and falls 10 cover certain points.
the city Is div ded into ten districts
each IN charge o. an inspector, whose
duty IS to have the men OF his CORPS. In
spect twenty houses within that district
each day. ana 10 send In every night 20
chief office a printed blank filled out with
a report Of the condition OF different
houses recommendations as TO what
should be done. etc. This Is the house
cleaning department. and their suryeil-
lance % these Cuban houses. with their
infested and frequently hlthy courts. their
incredibly vile sanitary arrangements and
their general lack Of decent living con
ditions, Is Indispensable and Is the most
valuable precautionary measure possible.
Best Localities In the City Are AZ
fected.
Strange though II appears 10 those IN
| familiar with the subject. Il Is A fact
that one Of tho chief Infected districts "a
IA The very heart OF the city. lining both
sides OF the Prado and including the In
glatsrra and Telsgrnpho hotels, the Low
re and Siuzo cafes. the new and hand
some Delmouico's. tho Tacon theater. the
Union Club. Havana's largest club. the
Diarlo de Ia Marina newspaper BUILDING
ana hest OF cafes and restaurants and
apartments. which are filled night ana
day by the crowds that help to make
Havana picturesque and attractive This
very summer yellow fever cases-scveral
Of them fatal-have been taken from the
lngloterra. the Louvre. the Siuzo and the
Tacon theater and the Diario de la Ma
riua building developed 20 many cases
that the sanitary department finally or
dered Il closed. Yet. In the very face OF
tho permanent condit ons which make
such an alarming state of affairs posi-
Die. u is "A fact that when some time
ago the American authorities tried the
experiment Of letting the Cubans have
charge OF the yellow fever hospital they
neglected II TO such an extent that Il was
d aa.Na