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FROM THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES
[unclear] letters Dept of Cuba
1900-1901
L.S. [unclear] . Mil. File--1900.
Chief Surgeon's Office,
HEADQUARTERS DEPT. OF THE PROV. OF HAVANA AND PINAR DEL RIO,
670
Quemados, Cuba, June 5th, 1900.
To the Adjutant General
of the Department.
Kean
Sir:-
In view of the presence of yellow fever in this community, I have
the honor to invite attention to what seem to me to be the most probable
avenues of infection of the command at Columbia Barracks, and suggest the
means of prevention. These are:- 1. The fact that the laundry work of the command
is not done in the reservation under sanitary inspection but in a mul-
titude of unsanitary places. The Cuban custom of washing many garments
successively in the same water so as to save water and soap, and the fact
that on account of the high price of fuel it is not the custom to boil
the clothing, greatly increase the chances of infection. The remedy of
course is to have a post laundry or regimental laundries under the su-
pervision of an officer, as is done at Pinar del Rio and Guanajay Bar-
racks. 2. The houses of prostitution in this Municipality and in
Havana are always dangerous to the health of the command. As far as
yellow fever is concerned this danger is greatly increased if the men
are permitted to spend the night in these houses. It is recommended
therefore that no night passes be given, and all passes to expire at taps
so that every soldier with the exception, possibly, of certain meritorious
married men, be required to sleep in the barracks. This requirement
should be enforced by frequent check roll calls conducted by an officer
in order to secure its being rigidly obeyed. |
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L.S. 110 . Mil. File--1900. Page 2. Chief Surgeon's Office,
HEADQUARTERS DEPT. OF THE PROV. OF HAVANA AND PINAR DEL RIO, Quemados, Cuba, If these two simple precautions are taken, I beleive that the
troops at Columbia Barracks will have nothing to fear from yellow fever. Very respectfully,
Your obedient servant,
J.R.Kean
Major & Surgeon, U.S. Vols.,
Chief Surgeon.
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