The times., 1901-03-23
COMPARED WITH OTHER CITIES.
Major Goreas Reports on Havana's
Sanitary Condition.


General Wood has transmitted TO the
War Department a ]topy of the report Of
Major w c. Gorgas for the month OF
February. showi4grthe decided improve
ment in the sanitary condition of Ha-
vana. He calls especial attention to the
fact that the death. rate was but 1872
per thousand, which is below that OF
nearly all of the, American cities. Cen
eral Wood expresses the belief that a bet
ter knowledge of the healthful conditions
IN Havana viii have tendency toward
increasing the insYar travel and com
merce. The report of Major Gorgas says:
1T is with pleasure that | again call the
attention of the General Commanding to
our steadily decreasing death rate, which
| consider most reliable indication of
our steadily improving sanitary condi-
ton
ut viii he seen from the report that
the deaths in the month just ended were
very much fewer than in any February
of which We have any reliable record,
the minimum being that of 1893, when
we had 4i6 deaths, and the maximum
that of 1898, when we had 1,62 This is
not only less than any February since
1890, but actually less than any month Of
the preceding twelve years. the lowest in
any ihciiAii 'ciiiB ttt utttliiS ~NpNNt''
ber. 1900 The average for the ten Years
succeeding 1890 was 746 deaths.
The rate per thousand-19.32 32-makes
even a better showing: The last Febru-
airy of the Spanish rule. 1888, gave us
death rate of S2.32 per thousand. Febru-
ary of le0I--the third February under
American rule-gives us death rate of
1892 This is a very creditabie death
rate, and places Havana in the class of
healthy cities of the world. Many OF the
cities of the United States and OF Europe
have a higher mortality rate than this.
According to the latest figures which l
can secure from the Marine Hospital re-
ports, Baltimore, with a population of
434. 439, for the week ending January 20,
had 225 deaths-a death rate of 26.93; Gin
cinnati. population $4,000, for the week
ending January % had 142 deaths-death
rate, 2265; Boston, population 56OS92, for
the week ending January 26, had 26O
deaths-death rate 2410; Jacksonville,
population 17,201. for the week ending
January 10, had 16 deaths-death rate,
4S.37; Newark, n. j., population 246,07O,
for the week ending January 10, had l07
deaths-death rate. 22.6l; New Orleans,
population 2S7,000, for the week ending
January 49, had 1856 deaths-oeath rate,
2S-2a; New York, population 3,437,202 for
the week ending January 26, had 1,4S2
population 2S rs, for the week ending
January 10. had 14l deaths-death rate,
800; Belfast, ireland. for the week end
ing January s. had I65 deaths, with
death rate of 23.90; and Mobile, popula-
tion 3S, ,i69 for the week ending January
1G, had % deaths-death rate, 1918
1t W Ill be seen that most of the cities
have q much higher death rate than Ha-
Vana. Jack sonville, Mobile, and New Or
leans all have higher death rate than
Havana, and / have no doubt that we
would md such to be the case with 9TH
ers of the Gulf cities If we could get
statistics on the subject At present they
look upon Havana with suspicion, but /
think in the near future Havana will
have to guard against them.
Taking cities in the yellow fever area,
such as New Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola,
Tampa, Key West and Havana, those in
bad sanitary condition, as shown by their
become infected than a city such as Ha-
vana, which is in firstclass condition, as
shown by its low death rate. think it
proba BILE that within a year or two Ha-
Itself from the ahove-named cities
During February of 1900 we had sew
enteen new cases of yellow fever; in Feb
ruary of 19m we had eight new cases.
AS the number of non-immunes was very
much larger IN February of this than in
that OF last year, think the showing is
very encouraging. ---
Besides disinfecting the houses with
formaline and other disinfectants. we
now screen the rooms occupied by a yell
low fever patient soon as his case is
and Kill all the mosquitoes in
the building with the fumes of pyre-
thrtm powder at the same time cover
Ing with kerosene oil all places where the
mosquitoes can breed about the building
We also Kill the mosquitoes In all the ad-
joining buildings in the same way.
with these measures and the steps
We are taking to kill the mosquitoes In
the suburbs. hope 10 markedly decrease |
he yellow fever during the coming sum
mer
Very respectfully
w c. GORGAS.
Major and Surgeon, u. S. A, Chief |