Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-05-14
MEXICO TROUBLE
INCREASES PERIL
OF 'YELL0WJACK"
But Surgeon General Blue Has
the Situation in Hand-Erect-
ing Barriers against the
ScOurge of the Tropics.

Washington, May 10.-Surgeon- General |
Blue, head of the public health and ma
rine hospital service. has worked out |
plan for protecting the soldiers of the I
United States against those scourges of
the tropics, typhus and yellow fever.
While the troubles in Mexico arc the di-
rect cause of the health campaign the va
rious ports Of the United States are being
safeguardcd.
During the early part of the last week
the public health service, acting under the
orders of the surEeon-general, sent a staff
of 30 surgeons to the quarantine station
below the city of New Orleans to increase
the medical staff which was caring for
the American refugees at that port.
Elaborate plans against an invasion OF
our shore by yellow jack" We're prompt
ed by sad experience in tho past. Twenty
years ago the southern States werc an
nually ravaged by cpdemlcs of yellow
fever, which carried off hundreds. For
years the source of the disease itself was
mystery and not until shortly before the
Spanish American War was 1t found that
Havana, Cuba, was the principal breeding
place of the fever.
THE ORIGINAL PLAGUE SPOT.
fever. and persons inoculatcd with the
disease trooped into the United States
through the ports and New Orleans, Gal
weston. Tampa. Key West and Charles
ton without the slightest sanitary or
quarantine restrictions. Epidemics of
yellow fever were the inevitable result,
and not until this fact was discovered did
yellow fever and in the South.
To-day no refugee or individual of any
class, unless property certified, can enter
an American port without undergoing
quarantine inspection that ends six days
| after he left the Cuban port.
The public health service has a "black
| list" on which are designated the safe"
! and unsafe ports of Central and South
| America. Some of the most famous cities
of South America are marked as 'un-
| safe"
| The outbreak of trouble in Mexico has
called for redoublcd efforts on the part OF
| the American sanitary forces Thousa nds
of refugees are streaming out of the
swampy coast cities and from the interior
The arrival Of every vessel from this sec
| ton Of the world Is carefully noted. and
If it has been six days at sea. in the jour
ney from the southern port to the port of
| entry in the United States, with no cases
of fever reported, it's passengers are AL
| lowed to enter. subject merely to the or
binary immigration laws
| The Mexican trouble has had the result
| of centering the forces of the marine hos
pital and public health service at New
Orleans. chiefly because this is being
made the principal destination OF ships
carrying refugees from Mexico.
| The quarantine sea son of the sanitary
forces Of the United States goes into oper-
alton against American ports on April l
each year.
THE SANITARY BLACK LIST.
Under ordinary circumstances the serv.
ice cares for incoming steamboat passen-
gers from the blacklisted South and Gem
trail American ports at a government
quarantine station at New Orleans, bat
the overwhelming number Of refugees who
| have poured In through the mississippi
delta since Admiral Mayo demanded a sa-
Lutte for the tlag have taxed the forces az
| the command of the government sur
| gcons.
Most of the vessels from American ports
reach New Orleans in three days. and
therefore 1t is necessary to detain all
passengers three more days to All out the
six day time limit. So crowded has be-
come the quarantine station down the
river from New Orleans hotels have been
requistioned by the government to care
for those under detention. To the poems.
who have been accustomed to toll and
hardship all their lives. this is a great
| luxury.
They are attended by maids and serv-
ants and introduced to hotel cooking in
America Their wants are carefully look
ed after by the government for the three
days detention and then they are turned
over to the representatives of the big oil
companies which employed them In Mex
leo.
The American refugees, Of course fret
and fume over the delay, but there is nc
help for 1t. The government surgeons
pra ctically place the refugees under ar.
rest for the three days but after that they
are discharged from surveillance.
That is what the government is doine
at New Orleans, and tho same work is
being done at all southern points.
Ports as far north as Newport News
Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York d.
not require special precautions, as tn,
ships take SIX DAYS to make the trip ant
the fever is sure to break out in that tim,
II anyone has been inoculated.
While the work of prevention goes on a
the ports Of the United States the service