The times., 1901-04-18
YELLOW FEVER PRECAUTIONS.
The Plans Formulated for Killing
Vosauitoes in Havana.

Surgeon General Sternberg yesterday
anprcved the draft of an order to be pro-
mulgated by the Chief Surgeon i'll 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 malariaf 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 or building simply
means that it contains infected mosqui-
toes. that is mosquitoes which have fed
on yellow fever patients Disinfection,
therefore, means the employment or
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 dsinfectants is un-
necessary.
LAS it-fas been demonstrated that yell
low fever cannot be conveyed by fomities,
such as bedding. clothing effects, and
baggage. they need not be subjected TO
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-
bic 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. AmbuiaRt
cases. that is patients not ill enough to
take to their beds and remain unsuspected
and unprotected, are probably those .most
responsible for the spread of the disease
IT 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
windows, a ceiling of wire netting
at a height of seven feet above
the floor, and mosquito bars over
the beds. There should be no place in it
where mosquitoes can seek refuge, not
readily accessible to the nurse. Both
wards can be in the same building. pro-
vided they are separated by mosquito
tight partition.
'All persons coming from an infected
locality to d post shall be kept under care
full observation until the completion of
five days from the time of the possible
infection, either In "A special detention
camp or in their own quarters; in either
case their temperature should be taken
twice day during their period of OBJ
servation, so that those who develop yell
low fever may be placed under treatment
at the very inception of the disease