Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-08-29

Ia
Death Rate From Fever Reduced
and Few Cases Reported
in 1901.
| Washington, Aug. 29.-Full reports of
the efforts 10 stamp out yellow fever in
Cuba and to remove the causes of the
disease have been received at the insu-
lar bureau of the war department. The
fight OF the military authorities against
yellow fever began in the city Of Santi-
ago almost Immediately after its occu-
United States In prepared statement
on the subject of the fever reports the
insular bureau says:
While there is no blare of trumpets
or pomp. nor circumstances of war, and
no medal of honor for yellow fever SER
| vice, yet the campaign against 1t calls
for smuch personal bravery. as much
calm facing of the foe, and az vigorous
measures as would be called for in al
campaign against a human enemy.
1t is a fight against q foe which
turks in the atmosphere, in the water,
which works In the watches of the night
more than in the broad light of day, and
whose advance is more invisible than
that of troops armed with modern guns
and smokeless powder. Its casualties
show greater percentage of loss for
those attacked than show Mauser or
krag for those struck in BATTLE
/ The yellow fever epidemic at Santiago
in 1899 resulted in death rate of 20 per
cent of all who had the disease. The
epidemic began during the absence of
Gen. Wood in the NORTH and it ragged
| without abatement until his return,
| When prompt measures We're taken.
| Every American soldier stationed in
Santiago was sent to the mountains. De-
partment headquarters We're sent out of
town: prompt isolation of suspicious
cases and disinfection of houses where
they ocucrred was made. Hotels and
lodging houses in which cases had oc-
Cured We're closed Quarantine meas
| ures were rigidly enforced, and deten-
ton camps for suspicious cases were or
ganized. The disease at once began to
wane.
The result of nearly two years of
American rule has been to make Santa
go, to all outward appearances as clean
as any American city. Every house
| where yellow fever occurred in 1899 was
disinfected three times. Eighty-five
miles of streets were swept daily, $4,000
4 cubic yards of sweepings were hauled
4 out of the city during the year; $4,000
cubic yards of garbage was removed, In
4 the destruction of which $4,000 gallons of
4 crude petroleum was used; 1000 gallons
of carbolic acid. 1000 pounds of chlor-
ide of lime perfumed the air in the same
good work No street excavating was
permitted.
The result of this work is that there
has been no yellow fever in Santiago
since Dec. %, 1899.
The general sanitary condition of the
city of Havana continues excellent.
4 During June last there were 49S deaths
! from all causes. This is the smallest
4 number occurring in any June since
1889. The greatest number of deaths for
;. June occurred in 1898, when there were
4 1.25S; the average since 1899 is 1880.
The rate per 1000 is equally favorable,
being 2S.2S for the month Of June.
The death rate for June compares ia
vorably With, that of many cities in the
civilized world. For example, the death
rate in the City OF Mexico for the week
ending on June 2 was 65.62; Vera Cruz
for the week ending on June had a
death rate of 37.79; the death rate of the
city of Kingston, Jamaica during May
last was 1922; Ronen. France. for the
month Of April last had death rate of
2s.43.
I The condition OF the city of Havana
as far as yellow fever is concerned is
9 particularly gratifying. During the
month of June there was not single
g death or new case in Havana. The rec
e ords show that since 1861 no previous
June has passed with absolute freedom
e from this disease. There nas never been
: a year that approached the present in
its freedom from yellow fever; the last
death occurred on March 16.
I Commencing about the middle of Ed
e ruary the sanitary authorities based
: their whole management of yellow fever
t upon the position that the mosquito is
the medium of its transmission from
e person to persona theory originally
: brought forward and elaborated by DR.
: Charles Pinlay, Of Havana. and finally
!. entirely established by complete expert
ments of the yellow fever commission
g When the results of these experiments
8 We're made known the military governor
directed thai every effort be made tt
!, carry out distinction on the lines indi
d Gated by this discovery, and the result
s of four months work has been t.
r, strengthen the conclusion reached b,
l. this board.
n In January there were twenty-five
cases, seven deaths; February, eigh
cases and five deaths. After this dat,
the new method of disinfection being /,
operation there were new cases on Feb
90. 90, and ~ and the I'd and sth o
8 March. There were no further case
until April 20 and 81, when two occur
It red. and no more fever until May ant
= 4, when there were four. There was n.
l. cases from May to June 80, the dat,
= covered by the reports so far received
:. There have been years In which Their,
d was little yellow fever. Dut none ii
r. which it has entirely disappeared as g
l. present. 1t would, therefore, seem to b,
I, a fair inference that the improved
? method of disinfection killed eff the In
'o fected mosquitoes; that by March tn
N city had been rid of the infection, an,
lie ISwas free of fever until April 20. when