The Savannah morning news., 1901-03-13
THE FEvER'S AGENTS
MOSQUITOES SPREAD THE YELLOW
PLAGUE.
EXPERIMENTS PROVE THIS
REPORTS FROM CUBAN MEDICAL
CONGRESS.

DIR. De BnyIe of Nicaragua Discusses
pIished by the Americans at Ha-
vana and Describes the yellow
Fever ENperiments--NO Longer "a
Matter of Theory That "A Certain
Glass of Mosquitoes DO Convey the
Infection, While Others Do Not.
Washington, March 12.-Dr. Louis H.
DeBayle, the delegate of Nicaragua and
ieveral other Central American countries
at the recent Chban medical congress, is
in Washington as the guest of the Mica
raguan minister, Senior Corea. Dr. De-
Bayle is the son-in-law of ex-President
Sarasa of Nicara qua. lie says the medi-
cal delegates recently assembled in Cuba
were impressed by the remarkable SAM
tary improvements going on through the
enterprise of the Americans, and partio-
ularly by the scientific experiments being
conducted to learn the cause and TO check
the progress of yellow fever.
The experiments on yellow fever are
being conducted just outside of Havana"
said he, under conditions which make
most exact results attainable. Certain
apartments are filled with yellow fever
filth of all kinds, with a degree of tenn
perature and an amount of moisture ex-
actly similar to the conditions which breed
yellow fever. Here animals, and in some
cases medical men, expose themselves,
with a view to determining Just how far
contagion and infection can be spread
under the worst possible conditions. In
other apartments the best sanitary condi-
tons prevail, except in the presence of
mosquitoes, confined in jars, and allowed
to circulate through the room when an
experiment is being made. 1t has been
demonstrated beyond a doubt that these
mosquitoes, when once innoculated with
the yellow fever, communicate it by their
bite, the disease developing in from two
to three days. In another rooom there is
another class of mosquitoes, which by
actual experiment have failed to convey
the disease.
Does Not Come From Filth.
I'm the rooms where yellow fever filth
is located, individuals have lived for from
thirty to fifty days. showing that there
is no danger from this cause LAS a result
Ct these American experiments the dele
gates to the Congress were of opinion
that the ascertalnment of the cause of
yellow fever had gone beyond the expert
mental stage, and that it was now an ac-
cepted medical fact that a particular class
of mosquitoes conveyed the disease. |
will so report to the governments which
l represented. / do not mean to say
that this is absolutely the only way of
communicating the disease, but it is GER
tainly proved that it is the most eff
Gent cause of the spread of the dis
ease in yellow fever localities Such
conclusion is not only of Importance to
Cuba, but to all countries similarly af-
fected, as well as to the United States
and other adjacent territory likely to be
invaded by such a plague. Already the
American administration has established
this valuable scientific fact and has reap
ed great practical benefit from it, There
are now not more than four or five cases
of yellow fever in Havana, and at times
the number is as low as two cases, which
is an exceptionally good showing
Good Work of Americans
1.-THE Americans are TO be congratulated
also on the excellent sanitary conditions
throughout Havana. Modern sanitation
has been carried into every house, per-
feet methods of plumbing taking the place
OF defective and dangerous old systems
The streets are kept scrupulously clean
garbage is systematically removed. and
not only the public, but all private To-
calties are kept in the best sanitary con-
dition. This alone speaks much for the
beneficial influences which the Americans
have exerted.
CAS- to political conditions. found the
Cubans having a natural aspiration for
self-government, although they are quite
willing to concede guarantees to the Unit
ed States which will prevent foreign ag-
gression. With these views prevailing
there seems to be little but detail to ar
range to afford Cuba a free government,
and at the same time give just security
to the United States