86 



deaths ; the greatest number in 1897, when there were 659 deaths ; 

 average, 296 deaths. This year, during the same period, there have 

 been 5 deaths. 



The small number of deaths during the past month has been quite 

 a gratifying surprise, and is difficult to account for at first glance; but 

 when one comes to look into the statistics the reasons are evident. 

 This year, since the ist of March, we have had 100 men daily engaged 

 in killing mosquitoes in every way we knew how. The result is, that, 

 instead of having 52 deaths from yellow fever and 32 from malarial 

 fever, we have had 2 deaths from yellow fever and 1 1 from malarial 

 fever a difference of 71 deaths under these two heads in favour of 

 this year. 



****** 



The constant house-to-house inspection has enabled this Depart- 

 ment to force the people to keep the interior of the houses in good 

 condition. They have made great improvements in this respect since 

 last September. 



****** 



Further remark is unnecessary. As to yellow fever, there has 

 never been an approximation to this condition at any time in the last 

 150 years. This is the first year, during that period, in which we 

 have known that yellow fever was conveyed by the mosquito ; and 

 during February the Military Governor directed that our disinfection 

 be carried out on these lines. I attribute our very surprising results 

 to this fact. 



As each month passes we feel more and more confident that the 

 problem of the control of yellow fever has been solved by the dis- 

 covery that the mosquito is its conveyor ; and little anxiety is now 

 felt when a focus develops in the city. From repeated successes in 

 the last six months we believe that, with present disinfection methods, 

 any infection from yellow fever that may be introduced into the city 

 can be stamped out. 





