The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-07-18
SALINA CRUZ
YELLOW FEVER
AND MOSQUITOES
DR.. Cofer Tells the Chamber of
Commerce the Relation
Between the Three.

port might not be readily recognized.
"Now the medium of transmission
of the disease is the Stegomia Calopus,
but only the female of the species
Before the mosquito can transmit the
disease, it must bite a patient in which
the disease has run three days. If
the disease has not run three days
there can be no transmission. But
the mosquito can not then transmit
the disease for twelve days, but after
twelve days have elapsed it can trans
nit the disease the remainder of its
life; and mosquitoes have been known
to live $50 days in a glass jar with
few banana skins to feeG on.
'It, can be seen then from these
conditions what the danger is. Mos
quitoes which have become infected
by biting yellow fever patients might
easily be carried on vessels to this
port, "
At this point DR.. Cofer read the re-
suits of number of observations of
vessels leaving infected ports, and be-
ing entirely free from yellow fever
until days after the period of incuba-
tion of the disease had expired, show
ing, in the light of our present knowl-
edge of the means of transmitting the
disease that it must have been trans
mitted by mosquitoes which had be-
come infected, but did not bite any
one aboard the vessel until many days
after it had left port.
"When such rigorous treatment was
given the Nebraskan some time ago."
continued DR.. Cofer, "it attracted
good deal of attention. But great
principle was involved. That prin-
ciple is that every vessel arriving here
from an infectible port must be thor
oughly disinfeeted. The treatment is
for the purpose of killing the mos
quitoes.
AT the beginning of the American
Hawaiian service to Salina Cruz it was
arranged that all vessels on the tri-
angular course, that is from here there,
thence to San Francisco, Seattle and
other coast ports, should be disinfect-
ed at some coast port, preferably San
Diego. That is the first port touched,
and it does not have the Stegomia
Calopus. The cargo for this port from
the coast ports is not then aboard, and
therefore it is the best time for dis
infection. In the case of the Nebras-
kan, for some reason, this was not done,
and when she came here there was
nothing to be done but to disinfect |
her, and do it thoroughly.
"On boats making the direct run
from Salina Cruz here, the disinfect
ing must be done here. 1t must be
done outside the harbor, and it ought |
to be done a good ways off shore, for
the reason that on a damp day like
today a mosquito has been known to
fly mile. On a sunshiny day its flight
is much shorter. 1 know that such
severe quarantine disinfection is irk-
some, especially from a port like Sa
lima Cruz where there is seldom any
yellow fever. If it were a port like
Havana there would be no trouble. The
evident danger would of itself arouse
to precautions.
''Now there is one thing want to
speak of, because I would like to
arouse some enthusiasm for it among
he members of this body. l have sug-
yested to the company that on the
teamships running direct from Salina
7ruz here, they should carry a doe
or selected by us and controlled by ]
IS; one who has seen service in yel- 1
ow fever countries, and has acquired
he instinct or ability to detect yellow 1
ever. when one not accustomed to it, !
would never suspect it. Of course,
uch doctor would require a salary {
f $4,000 or such a matter. I admit |
hat we might have one hundred and
fly vessels come from there where ,
Il our work and precautions would !
e unnecessary because there would be /
o infected mosquitoes aboard. But we =
ever know which the infected steam S
r is. Such a doctor also could carry '
n the work of disinfeetion on the l
Continued on Page Two)