Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-04-19

tSIueil All occurrence. since una
date things have altered and malaria
has become more frequent and of a
more serious nature. lou all know
mat the Mexican territory is an i'm
mense table land. fanked by two mar
row strips OF coast, and that on ac-
count of its altitude above sea level
that able lana. though within the trop-
!cs, is practically not tropical. Former
ly-that is, before lSS2-for the state
or Guanajuato, communication with the
coast where the climate is decidedly
tropical was slow to Il degree. 1t re-
quired a week to get from Gu~anaiuato
to the nearest point OF coast. Now an
average OF 30 hours is the time needed
for ii. Railroads have brought nearer
TO n another the coast and the high
land. and malaria has increased apace
with the railroad net; 1882, the year
when malaria began to change for the
worse, is the year in which the state of
~GuanaJuato was tapped by the rail-
roads"
DR.. Chico relates that Il carload of
bananas carried the mosquitoes from
Vera Cruz TO the City of Mexico. In
this way the City of Mexico became In
tested with mosquitoes. Through traf-
ic and travel other portions of the
cold country have been infested with
mosquitoes and infected with malaria.
In spite of these opinions from a
health officer of reputation, malaria
cannot be regarded as one of the major
hazards of this excursion against Villa.
Some OF the soldiers will be infected.
no doubt. but the number should not
be great.
The danger from yellow fever is
very slight. In 1910 DR.. Liceago, head
of the national board of health, re-
ported: yellow fever has not pre-
scented itself in Vera Cruz since Feb
ruary II, 1909. but isolated cases still
exist In the state of Yucatan. These
daily become less frequent and were
reduced to the city Of Merida. and some
small towns in the state. But from
December 90. 1909, not a single case
or yellow fever has been observed
either in the state Of Yucatan or i'm
any other part Of the Mexican repub-
lie. The sanitary service is not direct
ing Its energies especially against ma
laria- Ihls disease we hope to extin-
guish within the near future."
In the fall CT 1910 there was yellow
in Campeche, and in 1911 in Yu-
catan. In 1912 DR.. Liceago reported
two SINAI outbreaks, one in Yucatan
and the other in Tabosco. 1t appears
that during n last seven years there
a been no yellow fever anywhere in
the republic except In two states far
to the south of the City Of Mexico.
There Is no chance that the United
States troops will follow Villa into.any
yellow fever infected portion of Mexico
II any part of the republic is infected.
Our expedition is in no danger from
yellow fever.
Of the city Of Vera Cruz, says: "Dysen-
terry Is he principal disease to fight
In the army" IL Vera Cruz during the
fve n before the American oc-
cupation there was an average OF ~
deaths a year from d~ysentery. However.
lhe ceatn rate from dysentery is not
q fair index Of the Importance Of the
disease.
.Dysentery keeps soldiers In the hos
pital, on sick call. and invaded home.
II Is OF importance because it disables
rather h because 1t kills. Bowles
tells US that when the soldiers and
marines landed in Vera Cruz many
We're suffering from dysentery. Some
OF the cases were due to amoeba and
some TO bacilli. Other cases developed
curing the occupation. However, the
disease was held in check.
OWL AVS THE great reduction
n control of ~dysentery shows the re-
sanitary measures instituted to prevent
~. Inc antlfly campaign Is probably
the most important. This was brought
about by the proper collection and
burning OF all garbage, street cleanings
n manure; screening of foodstuffs,
CITY meat and fish markets, also the
asinfectlon and isolation of all dysen-
terry cases; fly traps around where food
was sold.
Tropical Hygiene gives the following
as the measures necessary to prevent
dysentery: Boil all water and milk. Eat
no raw vegetables or raw fruit.
Dysentery will be an important men,
ace to our ex~peditionary force.
There will be some danger from
and perhaps a little from kala
a 1t is certain that plague is spread
by rat fleas. 1t is possible. or perhaps
a bit more than possible. that kala azar
is spread by bedbugs. We learn that
cities and towns. This has its COM
pensations. One Is that the slight dan
ger from plague and the slighter dam
ger from kala azar WI be lessened.
There Is q general understanding that
venereal diseases are exceptionally
the basis Of h opinion. DR.. Huici. of
Mexico City. reports that Of 10,ss8
cases OF sickness in prostitutes in the
federal district. 7.77S were cases of
venereal disease. Bowles reports that
in Vera Cruz there are. 800 licensed
censed. Two per cent OF the former
and 4 per cent Of the latter were found
to have venereal disease, presumably
in an actively contagious stage. In adj
dltlOn to these professionals. there are
the clandestines. about 80 per cent OF
whom-that. is. among those examined
were found to have actively conta-
gious venereal disease.
For several a the noneffective
rate. from venereal disease in the army
has been going down rapidly. The prob
ability is that this expedition may stop
the improvement for the time.
The tierras frias has a reputation for
pneumonia. When the well to do inhab-
itants contract pneumonia they get to
the q II 1t IL possible. Pneumonia is