Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1917-02-22

/ Cuba has once more surprised an
unbelieving world. and has written In
imperisnable characters the story OF
another inestinIabie benefit conferred
1 Ly her on humanity. We say '-an-
other lnestimable benefit" because il
was in Cuba's beautiful and cultured
capital city. Havana. that DR.. Charles
Finlay In 1881 first prop0unded the
theory that mosquitoes were carriers
! OF infection Einlay's theory remain.
ed in abeyance for 10 years; and not
I! until after the Spanish American War
was an American commission appoint
! ed, during the American occupation.
! This commission consisted OF the fol-
lowing: Walter Reed. James Carroll,
! A. Agraihonte and Iazcar. After
much study and many satisfactory ex-
periments. the commission concluded
that the virus of the fever is present
in the blood during the first three
days OF yellow fever. and is generally
absent on the fourth; that it can pass
through a Chamberlain porcelain fiji
ter: that the bite of all infected Steg-
omyia does not produce yellow lever
tabout 30 per cent of the expert.
ments proving negatfyel; and that
NEST mosquitoes fed on yellow-fever
blood could not cause infection until
after lapse Of IL or Il days, but
they retained their infective power
for about eight weeks.
Following these experiments, re-
lentless "no-let:np" campaign, under
the. direction of Mai. W. c. Gorgas of
the United States Army. Chief Sani-
taiy Officer of Havana. was institute
ed In 1901 against the Stegomyia mos
quitces. based on the methods applied
ito the suppression OF malaria. The
work wss begun on the 9th Of FeD.
ruafy, 1901, and continued according
TO the following plan:
I. Sanitary inspectors we're told Off
for each district. to maintain con-
slant hcuse-to-house inspection.
2. Orders were issued that all re-
ceBtacles containing water were to be
kent mosquito-proof. and all puddles
were to be treated with oil. >,
3. Receptacles containing lavae
we're destroyed and their owners
fined.
4. Breeding grounds near the town
were drained and treated with OIL
8. Hospitals and houses having
yellow-feyer patients, were screened.
6. Infected and adjacent buildings
were fumigated with pyrethrum pow
der.
The results were glorious. exceeding
all expectations, and after january.
1902, the fever, which, urtil then. had
been endemic, no longer originated In
Havana. s4t
The Cure For Leprosy Discovered
And now, about Ia years after the
elimination of yellow fever In Havana
comes the news. from there that q
cure for leprosy has been just discov.,
cred.
Leprosy is ore OF the most dreadful.
as It is the most ioathsalne scpurge OF.
bunaa nitygss Ihs every @age. sin every
cline. It has counted its victims By
the thousands. The Bible recounts
miraculous cures wrought by the Al.
mighty God. Who does not recall the
touching story OF Ben Hur, by the
late General Lew Wallace. in which
the leprosy OF the hefos mother and
sister and their cure by the Saviour
Is so entrancingly told? From the
earliest dawn of history this disease
was looked upon as The most awful
calamity that could befaA a person:
and its victims. because of the loath.
ing which it inspired, we're treated
as pariahs and uncIean." Did they
presume to venture into the ordinary
haunts of men. they were branded as
criminals. cruelty driven out there
from. and forced to live apart. Until
now, apart from the miraculous, there
was absolutely no hope Of cure for
the leper. And now this wonderful
discovery comes to us, not from the
laboratories of famous physicians, not
from those of universities, nor of en-
dowed institutions, but from a plan
tation in Cuba.
Angel Garcia, who had contracted
leprosy in its most hideous form about
l3 wears ago. experimental upon him
self with various herbs and drugs,
and at last succeeded, with a conf
pound of these herbs and drugs, adj
ministered in certain forms, in being
completely cured. After his own cure
he treated four others who had been
afflicted for years, and. it Is claimed,
also cured them. OF course. such an
extraordinary event could not remain
unknown. Many prominent doctors of
Havana have examined those cured,
and have certified that, from all ont.
ward appearances, they are entirely
cured. The discoverer. Angel Garcia.
is now giving the remedy, which is
called "Ei plan Garcia" to number
of patients in the Leper Hospital ut
Havana, under the supervision of emf
nent physicians. who, needless to say,
are watching developments with in
tense interest. These leading physi-
clans. Who are officially connected
with the Sanitary Department of
Cuba. have made a preliminary report
in which they all agree that. every.
one taking the Garcia treatment has
shown a very decided improvement.