The prophylaxis of yellow fever / by G. M. Guiteras.

  • Guiteras, Gregorio Mario, 1863-1934.
Date:
1909
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The prophylaxis of yellow fever / by G. M. Guiteras. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University Libraries/Information Services, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the the Augustus C. Long Health Sciences Library at Columbia University and Columbia University.

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    2. Yellow-fever hospital. This brings us to the second prophylactic measure advocated above—the advantage, and indeed necessity, of a yellow-fever hos- pital in dealing successfully with an epidemic. There is a prejudice among the people against the term yellow - fever hospital, hence it would be as well to yield to this prejudice and call it an isolation or observation hospital. The important point is that this hospital be absolutely mosquito proof, and that it be made attractive, be clean and well managed, so that the people may be drawn to it and feel that they will be as well or better cared for in the hospital as in their own homes. The greater the number of fever patients that can be removed to the hospital the easier will be the task of stamping out the disease. Such cases as in the opinion of the sanitary officer can not be prop- erly screened in their homes should be compelled to go to the hospital. The transfer of the patient must be accomplished with such pre- cautions as will prevent the possibility of his being bitten by a mos- quito—under a mosquito-bar or in a screened ambulance. 3. Martial law. To make the inspection thorough and effective and to compel the transfer of the sick to the hospital when necessary, authority is re- quired. In a republican form of government this authority is usually wanting and these measures have to be carried out inefficiently and in the face of great opposition. To obviate this the writer would advocate that martial law be de- clared in epidemics when the conditions are such as to warrant it. This legal procedure is frequently invoked when the menace to life and property is not nearly so great as in an outbreak of yellow fever or other infectious or contagious disease. With martial law to support the sanitary officer the prophylactic measures herein advocated could be enforced in every detail and an outbreak of yellow fever effectually controlled. It is easy to under- stand why this agent was not invoked prior to the demonstration of the transmitting factor of yellow fever, when our efforts to control the disease were rather vague and uncertain; but to-day, when our system ma}7 be made so precise and certain it seems almost criminal not to take advantage of such a powerful auxiliary. Tii our epidemics (lie sanitarian, unsupported by authority, is obliged to lose much precious time and energy in his efforts to gain the good graces and plaudits <d' the populace, so that he may be per- mitted to perform his work imtrammeled.