The evening times., 1900-01-22
FIGHTING YELLOW Fever
General Woods Instructions Re.
garding the Disease.
Rules 10 he Enforced by the Com
manders of the Various Cuban
Provinces-A system of Isolation
and DisinfectiOn-Treat of Pa
tIents-Experience of Americans.

Governor General Wood, of Cuba. has
issued TO the commanding officers of each
of the Cuban provinces special instruc-
tions regarding yellow fever and the pre-
cautions to take against it. The rules are
based chiefly upon the experience acquired
since the occupation OF Cuba by American
troops. General Wood says:
yellow fever is mostly a disease of sea-
coast towns, but may occur in any part
of the island. especially if previously &C.
cupied by Spanish troops, the latent germs
becoming active under favorable condi-
tions; this is shown by the several cases
occurring at Cristo and Palma Soriano.
distant from the coast twelve and thirty
miles, respectively. and about 700 feet
above sea level. The passing of one or
even several years without any case is no
guarantee against the subsequent breaking
out Of the disease as was shown at Man
Zanillo.
1T is exceedingly probable that the in
fection can be successfully bred In any
town on the island, and that none can
safely dispense with proper quarantine
measures. Yellow fever may occur any
month in the year, and medical officers
should be ready for il at all times. IL is
rare from November ! to June /; most
frequent in June, July, August, and Sep
tember, August having been the worst
month in Santiago under Spanish regime.
Under American rule. in consequence of
the system of prompt isolation and disin-
fectiOn which may be expected. June and
July are more likely to show the largest
number OF cases. as happened in Santiago
this past summer.
yellow fever is place disease. and the
first step in the management OF a case
must be the removal, not only of the pa
tient, but OF all susceptible persons from
the infected place. Public buildings, such
as barracks, hopitals, prisons. hotels, lodg
ing houses, and saloons. are particularly
open TO suspicion, and, after May l,
should be carefully watched. AS soon as
one case can be traced with any degree of
certainty TO any such building, prompt
measures are called for; if it occur in bar
racks occupied by Americans or other non
immunes, early and complete evacuation is
the only course to pursue.
The past summer in Santiago. four com
panies OF the Fifth Infantry. L. S. A, left
their infected barracks and went into two
separate camps, each of the two companies.
One camp, pitched two miles away did not
have any more cases after the first five
days and was never moved again. With
the other camp, three moves were necessd-
ry before the infection had completely dis
appeared; the first move, only 100 feet out
side the barracks TO apparently clean
grassy ground. was unsuccessful on account
OF faulty disnfection and perhaps the too
close proximity of the fever fOci; the second
move four miles away was Immediately
followed by decided results.
AT Santiago, where the yellow fever
hospital is on an island there was also dur
ing the epidemic of last summer an obser-
yatiOn station on the city side of the bay
near the landing of the hospital steam
launch for the observation OF patients and
verification of diagnosis while awaiting
transportation TO the hospital This sta
tiOn reduced the Importance of the deten-
tion camp which was hardly more than a
place where non n-immunes exposed to infec-
tion were kept under watch
Each town where yellow fever is likely
to occur should have a military sanitary of
ficer and under him as many physicians as
special eXigencies may require. This sani-
tary officer should also have under his con-
troll one or two squads of immune laborers
with intelligent Overseers TO do all the nee
essary disnfection one or more ambu-
lances and one or more wagons; these vehi-
cles to be marked with a yellow flag and
used for no other purpose than the carry
ing of yellow fever patients and infected
off Or ole ho
a disinfecting plant, using both steam and
formaldehyde gas.
AT Santiago the medical department
besides its own plant, more or less per-
fected during the summer had also the
benefit of the larger and better equipped
plant OF the Marine Hospital Service which
was put at its disposal In most towns il
will be possible for military sanitary Off
GERS and the Marine Hospital Service thus
TO cooperate in combating the infection.
when yellow fever breaks out in a
town, the authorities should be at once in
formed and appealed to, SO that all neces
sary regulations may be strictly enforced
All public places, hotels, lodging houses.
clubs, and saloons, should be promptly
registered Gf not already done) and there
after frequently inspected by sanitary ply
sicians. Non-immunes should not be al
lowed to enter the town. except by special
authority. and as many as possible of those
already in town should be sent to the
country or deported. All physicians will
be enjoined, under stated penalty, TO re-
port within twelve hours all suspicious
cases under their care to the sanitary Of
fcer; likewise all keepers of public places
TO report at once all cases of illness oc
curing in their establishments.
when case we'll marked or reasona-
bly, suspicious of yellow fever is reported
and verified, the sanitary officer will take
possession OF the premises and place them
under guard, allowing no one to enter or
leave without permission. The patient will
be removed soon as possible to the de-
tention camp or to the hospital by special
ambulance. Very exceptionally. when re-
moval would obviously endanger life, the
sanitary officer with the sanction of the
chief surgeon may permit the patient to
be kept and treated in stu under suitable
regulations until he improves sufficiently
to justify his transfer TO the hospital. Such
contingency should be avoided by in
sisting on the prompt report of cases so
that they may be transferred in the early
stage OF the disease.
when death occurs in the house the
disinfected body will be carried at once
in special ambulance to the burial ground
All inmates of the house will undergo dis
infection-that is, take a sublimate bath
and have their wearing apparel boiled or