The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-04-08

1tE ktl I'm j meeting OF
~ the International Medical
4 N association at Havana DR..
Edouard Wilde. the minis
ter of the Argentine republic at Wash
ilgton (who IS an eminent physician
and has been the leader in sanitary
improvements in his own country for
many years., preSor;ed a scheme for
International cooperation in the sup
pressiur Of yc!lC fc"cr His sugges
tons were adopted and a committee,
appointed to carry them into effect, has
already issued invitations for "A con-
Venton to meet at Havana in Fcbru
airy next. Each of the American ma
tuns and colonies is requested to send
three delegates, including bacteriolo-
gists, sanitary engineers and special
lists in economic matters.
Dr. Wildc's idea, as explained by
William e. Curtis in a letter to the
Chicago Record Herald. is to negotiate
u uniform treaty To he signed by all
of the American nations esta blishing
II uniform system of quarantine ragu-
lations and systematic cooperation for
removing the sources and supprcssing
the causes of yellow fever. Since obli-
cations are worthless without penal
ties. he suggests that a discriminating
tariff or tonnage tax or quarantine re-
strictions be imposed by all other ma
tions against those which shall refuse
or neglect to do their share in the
work.
Agreement as to quarantine rcstric-
tions and common sense in their en-
!orcrmnnt are very necessary, both
fruEl The economic standpoint uor yell
lrw fever sacrifices millions of dollars
in trade each Year, and as Il matter
of fairness To travellers. An incident
related by Mr.. Curtis from personal
experience is illustrative of the latter.
Two years ago all the passengers upon
Il British steamer, including the Catho-
lie archbishop Of Peru, were compelled
to go aboard IL rotten old hulk i'm the
harbor of C'allao. where they remained
for ten days without proper food or
medical attendance simply because one
of their number was foolish enough
to joke with the quarantine officer ut
Guayaquil and tried to trighten him
by telling him that there was yellow
fever on board. 'The quarantine off
Gers" says Mr.. Curtis, "accrptcd this
idiotic jest as truth notwithstanding
the protests of tn, captain, the ships
surgeon and the otncr passengers.
They were too coWardly 10 go aboard
TO make personal investigation, and
the only way the imprisoned passen-
gers could communicate with the au-
thorties was to write notes, put them
in boat and set the boat adrift to
be picked up in the harbor. Food was
sent them in the same way, and at the
end OF ten days, upon the assurance
of the archbishop that there was not
yellow fever or other sickness aboard,
one of the sanitary officers of the
city of Callao mustered up sufficient
should have made Immediately upon
the arrival OF the vessel. If the Jest
had been true. and II there had been
case of yellow fever all the pas
sengers would have died. for they haa
no physician, no medicines and no
nurses aboard"
1t may be hopeless to expect sense
to be drilled into such officials, but
the power to make them sweat for
their inefflciency should be lodged
where it could occasionally be used to
advantage in behalf of the general
welfare.
II develops that the real reason why