The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-04-18
YELLOW FEVER PRECAUTIONS.
The Plans Formulated for killing
Mosquitoes in Havana.

Surgeon General Sternberg yesterday
approved the draft of an order to be pro-
mulgated by the Chief Surgeon in Havana
for protection against yellow fever and
preventing it's dissemination by mosqui-
toes. The order says:
THE recent experiments made in
Havana by the Medical Department of
the Army having proved that yellow
fever, like malariaI fever is conveyed
chiefly and probably exclusively by the
bite of infected mosquitoes. important
changes in the measures used for the
prevention and treatment of this disease
have become necessary.
so far as yellow fever is concerned,
infection of a room building simply
means that it contains infected mosqui-
toes, that is mosquitoes which have fed
on yellow fever patients Distinction,
therefore, means the employment of
measures aimed at the destruction of
these mosquitoes. The most effective of
these measures is fumigation. either with
sulphur, formaldehyde or insect powder.
The fumes of sulphur are the quickest
and the most effective insecticide, but are
otherwise Objectionable. Formaldehyde
gas is quite effective if the infected rooms
are kept closed and sealed for two or
three hours. The smoke of insect powder
has also been proved useful. 1t readily
stupefies mosquitoes which drop to the
floor and can then be easily destroyed.
THE washing of walls. floors. ceilings.
and furniture with disinfectants is UNI
necessary.
AS it-.ss been demonstrated that yell
low fever cannot be conveyed by fomities.
such as bedding. clothing effects. and
l.. he. III. faI IN,
any special disinfection. Care should be
taken, however. not to remove them from
the infected rooms until after formalde-
hyde fumigation. so that they may not
harbor any infected mosquitoes.
Medical officers taking care of yellow
fever patients need not be isolated; they
can attend other patients and associate
with non-immunes with perfect safety to
the garrison. Nurses and attendants
taking care of yellow fever patients shall
remain isolated, so as to avoid any posi-
BILE danger of their conveying mosquitoes
from patients to non-immunes.
THE infection of mosquitoes is most
likely to occur during the first two or
three days of the disease. Ambulapt
cases. that is patients not ill enough to
take to their beds and remain unsupported
and unprotected, are probably those most
for the spread of the disease
1t is therefore essential that all fever
cases shall be at once isolated and so
protected that no mosquitoes can possibly
get access to them until the nature of
the fever is positively determined.
Each post shall have a reception
ward for the admission of all fever cases
and an isolation ward for the treatment
of cases which prove to be yellow fever
Each ward shall be made mosquito proof
by wire netting over doors and
ceiling of wire netting
at height of seven feet above
the floor, and mosquito bars over
the beds. There should be no place in IL
where mosquitoes can seek refuge not
readily accessible TO the nurse Roth
wards can be in the same building, pro-
vided they are separated by mosquito
tight partition.
"All persons coming from an infected
locality to post shall be kept under care
iul observation until the completion of
i've days from the time of the possible
either in a special detention
amp or in their own quarters: in either |
,ase their temperature should be taken |
vice a day during their period of OBJ |
scrvation. so that those who develop vel |
ow fever may be placed under treatment |
1t the very inception of the disease.'%