New-York tribune., 1905-11-14
FUNIGATING FREIGHT.

For more than a century scarcely A summer
passed without the prevalence of yellow fever
in Cuba to such an extent that it was necessary
for the United States to maintain vig1lant and
rigid quarantine against the island. This year.
by a curious freak Of fortune. Cuba was forced
to adopt the policy toward this country.
Her watch was practically successful until
few days ago but at last two or three cases have
developed in Havana for which. in one sense
Newt Orleans is probably responsible. Several ex-
plantations of the outbreak have been offered, but
the most reasonable one is that the disease germs
were imported, not in the blood of the persons
who were attacked, but in mosquitoes which
were carried across the Gulf in packages Of mer-
chandise and which had previously been in
fected Had the victims been bitten before they
arrived in Havana symptoms Of the fever would
doubtless have manifested themselves much
sooner because the period of incubation is only
five or six days. The limit to the time during
which mosquito is menace has not yet been
determined but there is no reason to doubt that
a bite would be effective weeks after the insect
itself acquired the poison.
Although the appearance of two or three
sporadic cases In Cuba at this time of year is
not to be regarded with apprehension. it EN-
phasizes lesson that has not yet been thor
oughy learned. Some modification of the policy
formerly pursued in regard to freight that is
shipped by land water from an infected point
may be wise. but it is evident that safeguards
against the transportation of insects which carry
fever germs with them cannot be dispensed with
altogether. It is possible that the first trouble In
New Orleans last summer was due to the I'M
portation of infected mosquitoes rather than in
fected persons from Central America How
ever that may be. it is indisputabe that the dis
ease might afterward have been disseminated
nv freight trains as we'll by fugitives from
that quarter of the Crescent City in which the
fever first appeared The complete interruption
of traffic on certain railways was needlessly
extreme measure Just as much good, no doubt,
would be done by such fumigation of the con-
tents of the cars as would be fatal to any mos
Quitoes which miglN have been accidentally In
troduced. In dealing with both foreign and in
terstate commerce in the future it would be wise
to adopt measures specifically designed to secure
that end. Many years may elapse before there
will be another occasion to employ them in the
interior but the necessary rules cannot be formu-
lated too soon.
Havana's experience reveals afresh the uncer-
tainty already referred to, concerning the length
of time during which an infected mosquito con-
tinues to be a source of danger. 1t can do no
harm for twelve thirteen days after it has
inoculated itself That has been determined by
specially designed tests No one. however. can
say with confidence when it's power ceases.
Frost usually kills the great majority of mos
outoes in the Gulf States. but few survive
the winter as result of finding shelter in favor
able spots. The question then arises whether
any which are contaminated before Information
and which revive in the spring can be harmful.
The recurrence of yellow fever on the United
States warship Plymouth. half century ago.
several months after the first visitation ended
seems to show that they may be. But to what
extent is that case representative? Cold weather
always suppresses the plague in the Gulf States
temporarily. at least Can it be proved that
any outbreak there the following spring of
domestic origin? If so, how many such instances
rule would indicate that infected mosquitoes
may occasionally survive and yet be innocuous.
1t is to be wished that an experiment might
be devised which would determine approximately
what proportion Of mosquitoes which have been
infected and which remain in u state of sus-
pended animation for three four months are
dangerous when they again become active 1t
might be feasible 10 inocuate a thousand in
sects, say. and to provide the desired temper-
ature environment. But how could any one test
the vrulence of the germs which they carried
without risking human life? II Surgeon Gen
eraI Wyman could find solution of this prob
lem and make practical application of the re-
suit he would add immensely 10 the debt which
this country already owes him