YELLOW FEVER OUTBREAK OF 1905 253 



" 2. The measure taken to prevent the reproduction of the Stegomyia fasc-iata 

 or other mosquitoes by oiling all water containers and deposits of stagnant water 

 were completely successful. 



" 3. It was demonstrated that to control an epidemic of yellow fever which has 

 gained considerable headway (and such is the condition usually met with) it is 

 necessary to have absolute power to enforce sanitary measures until such time 

 as the people are educated up to the importance of such measures. 



" 4. Inasmuch as the Stegomyia fasciata can only become infected by biting 

 the patient during the first three days of the disease it is of vital importance 

 that cases of fever be reported at the earliest possible moment so that they may 

 be screened and the mosquito prevented from biting them. Such being the case, 

 an efficient system of inspection is necessary, especially where there is a tendency 

 to hide cases. 



" 5. It is impossible to obtain good results without a mosquito-proof yellow- 

 fever hospital. 



" 6. The difficulties of handling an epidemic are increased when such outbreak 

 occurs on the frontier. Arrangements should, therefore, be entered into by 

 treaty with contiguous foreign countries, so that under such circumstances 

 sanitary measures may be carried out jointly by the countries interested for 

 mutual protection. 



" 7. Insistent and continued efforts should be made through the public press 

 and other available means, to educate the people Avithin the sphere of influence 

 of the Stegomyia fasciata, so that they will learn to protect themselves against 

 the invasion or possible spread of yellow fever in their midst by destroying the 

 means for the propagation of said mosquito, and by protecting themselves 

 against the mosquito by efficient screening. 



" Above all, to eradicate the existing fear in the medical profession, as well as 

 among the laity, of declaring the existence of yellow fever. If the first case pre- 

 senting the slightest suspicious S3rtnptoms of that disease were promptly made 

 public and the proper modern precautions taken there would be no danger of the 

 disease spreading. In fact, the public should be taught to acknowledge the ex- 

 istence of yellow fever in their midst with the same equanimity as in the case 

 of measles or scarlatina." 



The last of Guiteras's conclusions was an exceptionally important one. All 

 through southern Texas that year the existence of yellow fever was systematically 

 hushed up, and it must be said, to the shame of the medical profession, that 

 members of that profession were concerned in the blinding of the public eye to 

 the existence of the disease. 



An interesting fact concerning the Laredo outbreak is that at Fort Mcintosh, 

 with a command of 111 officers and men, there were only five cases of yellow 

 fever, while in the town beside them over one thousand cases occurred. The 

 force was protected by leather helmets and leggings and mosquito head-nets, and 

 it was found that the five men who became infected had violated orders by visit- 

 ing the town without this protection. 



THE NEW ORLEANS EPIDEMIC OF 1905. 



In 1905 occurred the first opportunity (and let us hope it will be the last) to 

 demonstrate in the United States on a large scale the efficacy of anti-mosquito 

 work in the face of an epidemic of yellow fever. The disease was recognized and 

 acknowledged at a sufficiently early date to permit of much more satisfactory 



