The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-10-03
Exploded Humbugs About yellow
Fever,
washington Post.

Last spring, in justifylng the enormous
expenditures by the engineer department
In Havana, the government sanctioned the
proposition that these engineer activities
had resulted In the determination Of yell
low fever Had this proposition been sus-
tanned by fact. or even probability, pub
lie opinion would have audited and ap-
proved the account and set 1t aside as a
matter settled for all time. Such, how
ever was not the case. 1t was mere
idle, II not arrogant, assumption. The
medical officials. from Surgeon General
Sternberg down, regarded 1t with gocd-
natured amusement. Yellow fever ex-
perts throughout the South knew II was
mere nonsense. The Idea Of undertaking
no abolish yellow fever through the
agencies Of street sweepers, feather dus-
tiers and carbolic acid was received in all
well informed quarters with dorision and
contempt. No one who had ever had any
serious experience with the disease could
be made to believe that brooms and dust
pans had any more effect upon ii than an
invective from the rostrum or the beating
OF tom toms by the credulous multitude.
No intelligent person denied that scien
tine sanitation would be Of inestimabla
service to the community, nor was there
the smallest evidence to the effect tina,
the community would object to paying
reasonable price for 1t. But the enligit-
| ened refused to believe that all this esti-
mable fuss would eradicate yellow fever
In its habitat, and they concluded tha.,
II the expenditures of the engineer depart
ment in Havana depended for their justl-
fication upon that idea the department 8
accounts were in need Of further and much
more rigorous examination.
OF course, 1t is now notorious that the
yellow fever has not been affected IN the
slightest way by all the expensive non
sense our authorities have ordained in
Cuta More than year ago General Leon
ard Wood, then commanding In the PROV
ince OF Santiago, came home on leave Of
absence and, before he had been In Bcs-
ten ten hours, declared that his sanitary
measures had put an end to yellow fever
III we remember. Alright his declaration
was 10 the effect that there could be no
more yellow fever in Santiago tor the
simple reason that he had removed and
forever Cancelled the material upon which
1t depended for its vitality. Twenty-tour
hours later General Wood was Informed
that the yellow fever had broken out In
his command and-brave man that he is
he returned at once to tackle the emerg-
ency, Last spring, when the enormous ex-
pendltures by the engineer department IN
Havana mere criticised. General Ludlow
under whose auspices those expenditures
had been made, asserted through the pub.
lc prints that the money had been well
spent, since 1t had secured the perpetual
Punishment Of yellow fever That he be-
leved what he said, we do not for mo-
ment doubt. Like Genera>'NVooa, he is
brave and honorable gentleman, incapable
or utterng sentiment which he does not
conscientiously entertain. The fact re-
MAINS however. that neither OF these ex-
cellent officers then had or now have the
very faintest comprehension Of yellow
/ fever. Circumstances have proved this
beyond the possibility OF doubt
Whether the war department can be ex-
onerated for the part 1t has played in this
grim comedy is another question. Per-
haps Surgeon General Sternberg was con
suited In the premlses--perhaps no.,
Speaking in the light OF our knowledge Il
I Sternberg's scientific acquirements-and
/ II runs back over many years--we say
not" We do not believe that he or Lieu
tenant Colonel o'Reilly or any other Of
hcer OF the medical corps, experienced In
yellow fever. ever believed or expressed
the opinion that the expenditures by the
engineer department in Cuba would be re-
warded by even the smallest calculation OF
the yellow fever problem. The budget NAV
nave served political purpose In p,oyid-
Ing FOR the employment---or, rather. the
salaries-of lot Of useless insurgent gem
erals but that Its dispensatlon has served
I TO arrest yellow fever, In any way what
ever events have effectually and unan-
swerably denied