The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1902-03-22
Splendid Results of Amer
lean Army Occupation.
THE WAR ON MOSQUITOES
Scientific determination Of the Previous
Agencies Transmitting the Disease.
No Cases in Five Months, an Unpar-
alleled Record.

An interesting and important statement
regardiI & the blotti2g out OF yellow fever
from Hg vana has been made by the In
sular ID vision Of the war Department.
The measures taken for killing infected
mosquitoes. based upon scientific facts
established by the army board. OF which
Major Reed was president, have rid ;he
city OF the pest in a few months. whereas
it had been epidemic there for more than
200 years. The theory upon which the
sanitary officers Of Havana have been
working is that the stegomyia mosquito is
the only means Of transmitting yellow
fever.
From the 2Sth OF September to February
10, there has not been a single case OF
yellow fever in Havana. a condition OF az
fairs so unusual that all question OF
chance can be dropped from consideration,
says the statement. During the past
fcrty-lve years. with scarcely an excep-
ton, some deaths have occurred from vel
low fever in every month OF the year
The maximum, 05S deaths-occurred in
1857; the minimum. hfty-four deaths. oc-
Cured in 1858; average 75144 For the
year 1901, in which the new system was
adopted there occurred only eighteen
deaths, ed twelve Of these occurred be-
fore the new system was put into effect.
Definite data are in existence warranting
the belief that yellow fever had been
epidemic since the English occupation in
1852.
Unfavorable Prospects Changed.
At the beginning OF 1901. the prospects.
so far as yellow fever in Havana was con-
eerned, were very unfavorabIe: there was
large non-immune population. probably
larger than It had ever been before The
city was thoroughly infected. cases having
occurred in all parts. During the proceed
ing year there hal been 1.044 cases and
20 deaths and all classes Of non-immunes
had suffered severely. On tho stan Of the
military governor. the chief commissarv
ne cnle! quartermaster and one OF the
aides had died
large number OF deaths from this dis
ease the records showing twenty-four
cases ana seven deaths: February was
equally severe, eight cases and five deaths
occurring during that month
Governor Wood. being determined tina,
no precautions should be omitted. direct
ed that in addition to former measures
work be started on the line that the mos
quito was the cause OF the transmission
OF this disease. This work went into ef-
rect about the 1st CT March. with the re-
suit above stated
Results Of American Care.
The health officer CT Havana. in his last
report states that when the Americans
occupied Havana, deaths from all causes
we're occurring at the rate of p .z52 a
year. Now, when American occlBatfou
is about 10 cease. the rate has been re-
duced &c $40 year. Smallpox was cpl
demic when the Americans assumed con-
troll. but not a single case has been re-
ported In the city for the past eighteen
months. The report OF this officer closes
as follows:
The american army found Havana
feared IS a thing unclean by all her
neighbOrs OF the United States. and quar-
antined against as too dangerous TO touch
OF even tU come near anything that she
had touched. TO the untold financial loss
OF both Havana and the United States Il
leaves. after careful study. the question
OF yellow fever solved by its officers. IN
deferred by personal risk-for several OF
the investigators haEa died OF the disease
contracted at their work
The Americans have established the
fact that yellow fever is only transmitted
BY a certain species OF mosquito, a dis
cOveTy that. IN its power for saving hu-
man life. Is only eXcelled BY Jenner' s
great discovery. and which as time goes
on, win stand IN the same class as that
great boon to mankind"