Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-27
MEDICAL SCIENCE GIVEN
HAITI BY NAVY OFFICERS
Full Story of How Americans Introduced
Modern Methods i'm Island
Just Revealed. i

reputation as q surgeon spread rapidly
over Haiti, and he found himself
swamped with cases from all parts OF
the island. He raised funds, no small
part of them from his own pocket, to
build and equip q modern hospital. He
mastered the native patois, and spent
his Sundays holding clinics in the
mountains.
~ The third of the four men mentioned
by DR.. Parsons was Capt c. S. Butler,
who was director of the Haitian Public
Health Service until June, 1927. He
interested himself says Parsons, in
the medical and public health problems
Of the country. He knew that II any
impression was to be made on the yaws,
3,000,000 people in the mountains of
Haiti, treatment would have to be
brought to them, rural dispensaries and
clinics would have to be established in
hundreds of localities. The cities would
have to be given modern hospitals. If
these cities were to be rid of malaria
and typhoid, expensive engineering prof.
ects directed at the drainage and filling
Of swamps and control of the city water
supplies. would have to be executed.
I'm 1927 the program of rural dis
pensary construction was well under
way. In the Spring of 1925 q serious
typhoid epidemic visited Port au Prince.
and this returned in an even more seri-
GUS form in the Spring of 1927. Anti
typhoid inoculations became popular,
and 1t was not unusual to have thou
sand persons apply for this prophy-
laxiS In one morning. Chorinators were
installed at the sources of water sup
plies. Since then the typhoid rates have
been as low as those for the best cities
of the United States
Among the important activities Of
Capt. Butler was Kidding the city of
dogs. Port au Prince was overrun with
them. Rabies are common. The serv-
ice had dog license law passed, and
since then some 5000 dogs year have
been gotten rid Of by means of lethal
gas chember.
Treat Thousands Every Day.
1t remained for another American
offlcer, Paul Wilson, to win the fight
against the worst disease of all-the
yaws. He went out with medical unit
into the mountains, treating everything,
but chiefly interested in NEGOTIATIONS
against this specific malady The news
spread rapidly. Before long they were
treating thousands every day. This
travelling clinic since has become per-
manent institution. Its work is aided by
Marine Corps aviators, who fly over the
mountain camps twice week to drop
food and mail. Wilson and his asst t.
ant, DIR. Maurice Mathis, did even more
they discovered the medium by which
the yaws spreads until it affiicts nearly
everybody. It is transferred from one
child to another through the bite Of q
small gnat.
The Public Health Service had some
of the severest tests in relief work
after the great hurricanes that swept
over the island for two years in sue
cession All the funds sent by the
Government and the American Red
Cross were intrusted to its admins
tration
The Navy doctors have succeeded IN
cleaning up Haiti and Kidding it of cpl
denies. The black medicine man and
his followers have taken to the jungles.
Vaccination and incubation have re-
placed lamentations. Native doctors
have been trained to carry on the work,
and they have proved capable students.
But the Navy physicians are consider
ably concerned for the future. They
have succeeded in training competent
technicians, but they have not made
much progress in intoxicating medical
ethics, the scientific spirit or the ca
pacity for team work Whether these
will wreck the whole program when thel
occupation ends remains to be seen.