The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1902-06-02
Havana's REDEEM pt Ion.

q STRIKING as we'll as gratfy-
~ ing contrast is presented in
n. the report of Major Goergas,
chief sanitary officer for the
federal military administration of Hav-
ana for last April, when the document
is compared with sanitary conditions
existing in 1898, just prior to American
occupation. The city which was re-
garded as II gigantic pest house by sam
itarians. has within four years been
redeemed in spite of the lack of many
facilities which are considered neces-
sary to perfect sanitation. Malignant
diseases which have for centuries ragged
at certain seasons unrestricted have
been banished, and the death rate has
been reduced to a parity with that of
the most carefully protected cities of
the north. Instead of being Stunned
as location of danger, the city OF
Havana is already gaining the adnira-
ton of tourists as winter refuge Tor
invalids from the chilly North, and Will
undoubtedly in the near future be the
mecca of hosts of well-to-do people of
newed health under tropical skies.
No more noble and splendid national
enterprise is upon record than that
which followed the release of Cuba
with an administration that has trans
formed this centre of pestilence into
city of health and happiness. Only the
readers who have followed closely the
administration of Governor General
Wood have any idea of the labor and
patience required to educate the pupils
of Spanish carelessness and filth to
WAYS of cleanliness. The Incidence of
the residents of the city who had been
so long allowed to- wallow in their own
dirt naturally rebelled against conform
ing with laws of sanitation and stern
measures were necessary in many cases
to bring about Il state Of cleanliness
conducive to good health. Yellow fe-
yer, smallpox and malaria had been
familiar diseases for so many genera
tions that the populace had come to
accept them as inflictiOn inseparable
with existence in the community. In
terference with their progress was re-
garded as a fight against fate, and the
medical corps received little encourage
ment even from the more enlightened
natives in their battle against unsani-
tary conditions. But in due time
American energy and skill triumphed,
and the tireless workers of Havana
have been vindicated by conditions that
are beyond the hopes of the most san
guine laborer in the welfare of the city.
An evidence of the radical change
that has been made is given in the fig
ures presented by the chief sanitary
officer in his report: The deaths in
1898 numbered q, l,252-a rate of 91.53 per
1 1000. In 1899 the fatalities were S,153,
rate of 1857; in 1900, 6,102 Il rate Of
2440 in 1901 5,720, a rate of 22.l1. Dur
ing the first four months of 1902 there
We're 1896 deaths, or at the rate of
2O6S per 1,0O0-an average lower than
in a majority of American cities. There
has been no case of smallpox in Hav-
ana since July, 1900; none of yellow
fever since September, 1901. The war
of the medical corps against mosqui-
| toes began in February, 1901, and it is
still prosecuted with unabated vigor.
Destroying the insects has not only
stamped out yellow fever but also
greatly decreased malaria. During the
twelve month prior to the beginning Of
the anti-mosquito crusade there We're
344 deaths in the city from malaria; (;
last year this disease claimed 15l vic
Tins: while for the first four months
of 1902 the deaths FROM malaria num-
bered rs.