The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-02-25
THE HEALTH OF HAVANA.
REsULTs Accomplished BY THA
AMER CAN OFFICIALS.
I'll. Fail Of IN. Death Rate Admitted
C~I.nn.inr and Sanitation Of tho City
s,.ti.tic. Of Yellow Fever "A new

Tho Fall Of the Death Rate Ad"'t'ea
Cleansing and sanitation Of 'ho wv
Statistics OF Yellow Fever - New
system, Of sewers BADLY Nosoeo'
HAVANA. Jan. 80. Owing 10 the puonea
Non in TnE Sun Of the yellow FEVER smusuos
Of Havana for 1899 together with 'he oe'"'n
d.ducuons based on these figures, There has
,~n n discussion as 10 the value of the SAM
,,ry work done In this city by the American ah'
,hor,I,s In the year 81 thei; control. As 10 gen
.,.l sonl.,uon there can be no doubt of the spleh'
da success Of the meshod, employed by Chiei
Sanitary Office, Davis and IA, corps. FROM
The very beginning Of the year there was a con
,inuous onslaught on filth within doors ana WIN
out. with the result that there was a STEADY de
e;in, IN IN. death rate and All improvement In
..,i,o,v conditions 50 marked that II could mol
fail IN be observes by the eye and the nose. THIS
"a granted by all, even By those who for POLITICAL
reasons would be most happy W see the Amen
cans lea W the island.
The only point which has ever been made In
opposiuon ,o the fullest admission OF this iacl
IL that liayana's mortality stIl does not CON
pa.e iayorably with that Of American, Eny!!sh
and European cities and that until there Is a com
piete system Of sewers. well paved streets aud an
abundant, water supply II cannot be hoped Tor
All this is admitted by the American authorizes,
who ~ the same time insist that they have done
al that has been possible IN the time allowed
and under the existing circumstances, whlch
forbid at present the Inauguration Of the reforms
admittedly essential for the health OF the city.
THE SUN has already given the Sanitary
Department Of Havana full credit for the work
Il has accomplished and the scores upon scores
Of lives that have thereby been saved. That
4, is also recognized by the Cuban medical world
Is shown in the following translation OF an ehi'
,orial from the ivchirsS de Poiidlntco;
The wear 1899 marks the greatest medical
progress attained since the foundation OF the
ArchireS. The most conspicuous feature ui
American intervention has been sanitation. In
the days Of III, colony, sanitation of a private
character was only p%ractccd by a limited NUN
bor Of persons and public sanitation was lohliy
unknown The removal OF garbage, qua'aii'
tine, isolation Of persons suffering from conta'
pous di.,as,s and the inspection OF food pro-
ducts and beverages were never effected OF the
work was a mere illusion. cuba was cons"eted
In foreign cuun,rle5 as a dangerous spot that
could not he visited without endangeting lie,
and that view was confrmsd by the fughuul
figures reached by the mortality OF this island
and the increasing spread Of yellow fever. From
1899 tn 1917, whlCh period Sl0uld Dc conNle'ea
anprml' on', IN" mortality Of the city of Havana
reached an average annually Of 7,llO. In that
same period he deaths caused by yellow fever
was i23, as an average yearly, IN This
The American authorities proposed 10 improve
the sanitary condition Of the whole island and
especially that ot Havana, which Is the greatest
source Of Infection. \ regular system Of public
hygiene has been established, all houses are
inspected and tho rubbish found there removed
our defective sewers have been cleaned aud are
beng disinfected; the payements Of the streets
are being repaired, the houses are painted and
w~hitewaShed; measures compelling the doctors
20 report all cases Of infectious diseases and all
measures tending Ia improve the sanitary con
ditions are carried ont. On the other hand the
destitute, whose misery and consequent. an9-
mia was caiSed py The war, we've fed and cured.
In this respect the results attained could not be
more satisfactory The total mortality, which
in 1898 was over 81 900, fell g-pluslly during
the following yea-, reaching its minimum in
November, as will be shown IN the accompany
ing figures: