Volume 1

Report to the Government of British Honduras upon the outbreak of yellow fever in that colony in 1905, together with an account of the distribution of the Stegomyia fasciata in Belize, and the measures necessary to stamp out or prevent the recurrence of yellow fever / by Rubert Boyce.

  • Rubert William Boyce
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report to the Government of British Honduras upon the outbreak of yellow fever in that colony in 1905, together with an account of the distribution of the Stegomyia fasciata in Belize, and the measures necessary to stamp out or prevent the recurrence of yellow fever / by Rubert Boyce. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Not much can be learnt by comparing these figures with the outbreaks at Belize, there does not appear to be any relationship; thus, whilst Belize was free since the epidemic of 1891 until the outbreak of this year, the Yellow fever persisted in Vera Cruz. Thanks to the application of scientific methods since i902> the number of cases at Vera Cruz are beginning to show a decline. At great cost, wharves were constructed at Vera Cruz, so that vessels might come alongside and discharge, but Cuba and the United States declared “infected” the vessels which went alongside, so that the money is to a considerable extent wasted, so long as Yellow fever persists. Since 1903, Belize has not had much direct communication with this port, owing to quarantine, but, as will be seen directly, there is much indirect intercourse. The following figures prepared from data furnished by the weekly health returns of the Public Health and Marine Hospital Service show approximately the number of cases of Yellow fever in Mexico from January to December, 1905. Cases. Deaths. City of Mexico Oaxaca :— Tehuantepec ] ... 1 1 Tuxtepec > J uchitan ) Vera Cruz :— Coatzacoalcos' Texistepec Tierra Blanca Vera Cruz • • -» • • • • • • l. 44 23 Soconusco Tezonapa Cordoba Omealca Yucatan :— !58 91 Merida ... 6 2 It is a great satisfaction to know that under the guidance of Dr. Liceaga, President of the Supreme Board of Health, Mexico is making a determined effort to rid the country of Yellow fever. Vera Cruz started the campaign ; the State of Tamaulipas followed. Yucatan, on our frontier, has also under¬ taken a vigorous attack against the disease, appreciating the advantage to be gained both for its internal and foreign trade, by freeing itself from Yellow fever. It is believed that the States of Campeche, Tobasco, Chiapas, Oaxaca, Nuevo Leon and San Luis Potosi, in which although fever is not endemic, yet nevertheless spreads whenever it takes an epidemic form, will join in the campaign. Of great importance to the future security of Central America is the fact that the severe epidemic of plague which broke out at Mazatlan was stopped in six months owing to vigorous application by the Board ol the most recent methods of prevention in this disease. In the campaign the authorities and citizens loyally combined under the direction of the medical officers.