Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-03
PRECAUTIONS AGAINST FEVER.
Measures In Cuba to Prevent an Out
break.

break.
One Of the early callers on Provisional
Governor Taft today was DR.. Won Ezdorf.
chief of the United States marine hospital
sevice at this port. An appointment had
been made with him to go over the yell
low-fever situation and outlook.
Both were regarded as disturbing by the
sanitary official, who said that while he
did not desire to be considered an alarm
list he could not help feeling anxious over
the number Of cases that had developed last
week and the nature Of the outbreak. There
had been six, and not one OF them could be
traced to another. This meant six scat
tered fool in new quarters where there had
not been yellow fever in years. When this
had occurred in other cities epidemic
Of more or less severity had followed. as
the original source was difficult to find.
The appearance of the disease among Gu
ban children too was serious feature.
he said. They often have 1t and it some
times spreads through the city unrecog-
nized, it is mild type and hardly, In
or mumps among the children of the north.
But the poison may remain active for
months and be carried by mosquitoes with
deadly effect to adults who enter the
houses after the slight indisposition of a
child has been forgotten or by those who
stop at hotels in the neghborhoOd. For
these reasons and because it is known that
contagiOn turks about the boarding houses
fringing the waterfront the doctor thought
1t would be wise to continue to keep the
American sailors aboard the ships as much
possible and the marines in Camp Co
lumbia, which is one Of the healthiest spots
in Cuba.
Mr.. Taft talked long time with the
health officer and asked him to submit Il
report tomorrow, embOdying what he said
with such suggestions to improve condi-
~ otrv1,k oh, NJ Tho
rine hospital service has nothing to do
with the work of city sanitation. That
was in the hands OF the Cuban govern
ment and now passes under the control of
put the work in charge of the military
power, as it was in the time of the first
occupation. Major kean Is on his way
from Washington to take charge.
Mr.. Taft said he would use additional
men. more money and new measures to
carry out right away any plan DIR. Won
Ezdorf might submit for stamping out the
disease before 1t got worse. So far this
week there are no new cases In Havana,
but one death 10 reported in Matanzas
province, and there are a number Of sus-
pected cases in Santa Clara.
Much fault is found with the methods
used by the Cuban authorities in disnfect-
Ing suspected places. 1t is remarked that
discomforting operations sometimes may
be avoided by the householder for small
sum. The corps is so polite about II that
they have been known to apologize for their
appearance before house and to have
gone on when objection to their operations
has been made. The movement among
merchants, hotel men and steamship agents
to petition congress to allow the Ameri-
cans always to have charge of the work of
keeping Havana healthy, on the plea Of its
proximity to the United States, is rapidly
growing. There is no general alarm over
the present situation, 1t Is popularity
thought II 1t should become serious the
Americans would soon have 1t In hand.