The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-10-11
YELLOW FEVER
IS C0RNERED.
Surgeon General Sternberg
Gives it Out Positively
That Mosquitoes Are Wholly Re-
sp0nsibIe For Its Spread.
ARE THE ONLY MEDIUM
Disease is Not Conveyed in Cloth
ing or Bedding.
1t Can Be Controlled by Con-
trolling the Mosquitoes.
ARE THE ONLY MEDIUM

Washington, Oct. 11.-Surgeon Cen
eral Sternberg has made his annual re-
port to the secretary of war. He says
the health of the army has been I'M
usually good during the calendar year
1900.
The admission rate to hospitals for
all causes in the army, volunteers and
regulars, with a mean strength of 100,-
3S9, IN 1900, was 2,311-S1 per thousand OIL
strength, as compared with 2,17S.06 i'll
the previous year, but during the year
1899 only 1920 men out of a total of
1O5,246 were serving in the Philippines,
while during the past year 66S82 of a
total of 100, 3s9 were thus serving.
In the Philippine islands, with a
mean strength of 66,S82, the admission
rate was 2,621.96, as compared with g.
095. % in the previous year, this increase
being mainly due to disease among the
volunteers, the ratio for which rose
from 1,S25.21 to 2,76179.
The regulars on the other hand show
ed a marked decrease in the ratio of ad-
mission for disease, which fell from p,
45410 to 2,197.73. Two-thirds of the adj
missions for diseases We're caused by
malarial fevers and diarrhoeal diseases
The deaths from all causes amounted
to 2S.75 per thousand of strength, as
compared with 30.5S in the previous
year. Disease occasioned POPS deaths,
ing dysentery, which, with other intes-
final diseases, gave a rate of 9.0S. The
rate from injury amounted to $40
The death rate in China was large,
4746 per thousand of strength; %. e.
from disease and 24.14 from injury.
From the close of the calendar year
1900 to the latest reports, the health of
the troops in the Philippines has been
steadily improving.
The health of the troops in Cuba dur
ing the year was excellent. AS a result
of American occupation nearly every
city and town has had its sanitary con-
rod
Speaking of special diseases General
Sternberg says: The steady decrease
of late years in the admissions for alco-
holisns among the men entering the
army is a matter of congratulation.
Military officers may be said to be I'M
animous in their opinion that this is
mainly the result of the establishment
of the post exchange or canteen at mill
tary posts. There is less drunkenness
among troops in active service than in
a comm and doing garrison duty in the
time of peace.
Reporting upon the study of yellow
fever by a board in Cuba Gen. Stern
berg says:
."The results obtained were especially
valuable, showing that the bacillus icte
roides (sanarelli) bears cauSative rela-
quito serves as an intermediate host for
the parasite of this disease. Further ex-
ter demonstrated that yellow fever is
transmitted to non-immunes by the bite
of mosquito that has previously fed
the blood of those sick with this disease:
that yellow fever can also be produced
by the Sub-cutaneouS injection of blood
taken from the general circulation during
the first and second days of the disease:
by the bite of the mosquito confers inn
munity against the subsequent injection
conveyed by clothing. bedding. or mer-
chandise soiIed by contact with those
b a Wf to be Be nfeete With yeow fNeT
only when there are present in it mos
quitoes capable of conveying the para
site of the disease and that the spread of
yellow fever can be most effectually con-
trolled by measures directed to the de-
struction of mosquitoes and the protection
of the sick against the bites of these in
Sects-''
investfga ton are of far-reac ching impor-
tance, the surgeons are now in possess
sion of knowledge which enables them to
stamp out yellow fever