Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 8, 1908
File No. 468/77–78
Minister Fox to the Secretary of State.
Quito, November 4, 1908.
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith to the department a message to Congress of President Alfaro, with translation, in reference to the necessity for a sufficient supply of potable water for the city of Guayaquil, incidentally with regard to the sanitation of that city.
I have, etc.,
Message of President Eloy Alfaro to the Ecuadorian Congress.
Senores Legisladores: Modern international law requires that ports open to international commerce should be free from such diseases as plague, yellow fever, cholera, and smallpox; this is no more than just, inasmuch as the most [Page 282] important attribute of government is to protect the lives of its citizens. The propagation of such terrible diseases not only decimates our cities and retards their progress, but causes also the isolation of the nation so infested, and consequently, the ruin of its commerce and industries; causes immense financial loss to the better classes and suffering and destitution among the poor.
Guayaquil is the most important port in the Republic, and when the Panama Canal is completed it will be utilized by every continent. The tropical climate of our coast obliges us to pay special attention to hygiene and to the extermination of infectious diseases, in order to protect the health of the inhabitants of Ecuador and those of the countries with which we have commercial relations; and in order not to retard the development of the natural riches of the Republic. It will thus be seen that by adopting proper sanitary measures in Guayaquil, even though we do not take into account the great benefit to be derived in favor of that heroic people, the prosperity’ of the entire Republic is provided for, augmenting its economic resources, defending its inter-Andean population, facilitating their access to the coast, avoiding decrease of the population, and duly preparing for that commercial future to which we look forward.
Yellow fever, smallpox, and now bubonic plague, are threatening our principal port; but, as you may see from the inclosed report, signed by the specialist, Dr. Lloyd, science has power to exterminate these maladies, and also even malaria and dysentery, in the space of but a few months, and at a monetary cost relatively small. It is, then, clearly our duty to spare no effort to bring about such beneficial results; and it is for that reason that I am now addressing you, feeling cure that the patriotism of the legislature will fully and efficiently second the proposals of the Executive.
The solution of the sanitary problem of Guayaquil lies in an abundant supply of drinking water, in view of the fact that the quantity that the population has at present at its disposal is not sufficient for its needs. It is the present method of storing water in the houses which originates all the ills referred to in the report which I now present to you, so that if we succeed in getting water in abundance, without the need of keeping it in tanks and barrels, we shall avoid all danger and gain the complete sanitation for our port on the Guayas.
Close to Naranjapata exist abundant springs of pure water, which could not be contaminated in any way, and all that is necessary is to conduct these waters to Guayaquil as soon as possible, by a new aqueduct, parallel to that of Agua Clara, employing tubing of 24-inch diameter. By a rough computation this much-needed improvement should cost not more than 1,000,000 sueres, and the work should be taken up without loss of time, as being indispensable to the eradication of yellow fever.
I believe that to save time in case the funds set aside for the sewage system of Guayaquil be not already disposed of, you should order that one-third of said sum be devoted to the work I am now proposing, or if this be not possible you should impose an extraordinary tax of 2 per mille to cover the estimate referred to on the value of urban and provincial property in the cantons of Guayaquil and Yaguachi. The undeniable public interest of the people of Guayaquil and the great need of the convenience of plenty of water for the locality will insure the acceptation of the tax without any resistance; and the improvement will be realized within a short time, producing the results so greatly to be desired for the prosperity of Guayaquil and the whole nation.
Translation of communication from Dr. B. J. Lloyd to President Alfaro of Ecuador.
Señor General Presidente de la Republica:
Complying with your desire, and urged also by my own interest in the prosperity of Guayaquil and of this nation, I have the honor to present for the consideration of the Chief Executive the following report:
I have before had occasion to invite the attention of the President to the urgent necessity of taking hygienic measures with a view to the removal of the causes of yellow fever, smallpox, malaria, and bubonic plague, in the port of Guayaquil; and now I propose to follow this up with a few further remarks on this very important matter.
[Page 283]In regard to smallpox, it is well known that the surest way to combat the contagion of this disease is to isolate the sick in a place where there is no possibility of communication with the public; to disinfect the rooms which have been occupied by such sick; and to insist on systematic vaccination and re vaccination.
Concerning yellow fever and malaria it is necessary to consider certain facts (already scientifically proved) for a clear understanding and as basis for the sanitation of Guayaquil and other places on the Ecuadorian coast.
The old opinion that children born in a place where yellow fever is endemic do not contract the disease has now been rejected as false, and even some of the eminent physicians of Guayaquil have for some time now publicly given it as their opinion that many children succumb every year to yellow fever, although their death is generally attributed to other causes.
The following points concerning yellow fever should be emphasized:
- (1)
- Yellow fever is not contagious.
- (2)
- Both yellow fever and malaria, in all its forms, are transmitted only by the bite of an infected mosquito; that is to say, by a mosquito that has bitten a person suffering from said diseases.
- (3)
- To eradicate these diseases it is necessary and indispensable to exterminate those mosquitoes which propagate the germ.
- (4)
- The extermination of these insects is not as difficult as would appear at first sight. The surest method of effecting it is to attack the breeding places of such mosquitoes. In passing this point, let me remark the following: There are many people who believe that these insects which so abound in Guayaquil are bred in the river and in the body of water known as the “Estero Salado.” This opinion is erroneous; for, if it were not so, then the number of mosquitoes would be the same in the month of August as in that of February, considering that the amount of salt water and of the river water is equally as great in the summer as in the rainy season.
A study of the conditions in Guayaquil clearly shows that, as is the case in other places, the harmful mosquitoes are breeding in barrels and other receptacles, bathroom tanks, small pools in yards and underneath the houses, shallow wells, etc.; and in winter, by reason of the abundance of water, the increase in the breeding places is considerable. But even in this season it is possible to destroy these breeding places of mosquitoes by the simple use of crude petroleum. The transmitting insects once eliminated, the change of season might bring increase of sickness to a certain extent, but never in such grand proportions as at present, when, for example, we see 200 deaths in August and 600 in the month of April.
In the city of Habana, Cuba, where formerly the mortality was similar to that in Guayaquil, yellow fever and malaria have almost disappeared under the method referred to, and to-day that city has scarcely 15 deaths per 1,000 per annum, a rate less than that of New York or London. This improvement is, as has been completely proved, chiefly owing to the war waged against mosquitoes. It is estimated that some 30,000 people have immigrated to Habana since the commencement of the work of destruction of mosquitoes; and out of all these immigrants hardly a couple of dozen have contracted yellow fever.
While it is true that yellow fever does occasionally appear in that city, at a rate of one or two cases a month, still there is no occasion to fear the propagation of the disease, because there exist but very few mosquitoes of the species which transmit the germ.
On the Isthmus of Panama there has not been a single case of yellow fever in more than two years; and the authorities of that place depend entirely on the extermination of the harmful mosquito in yellow-fever work.
At the present time, war against mosquitoes is being prosecuted with great vigor, and in spite of the difficulties offered by the methods employed, as I shall shortly demonstrate, good results are already noted. The best method of judging the effect of sanitary work is by the reduction in the mortality, and we now see that in spite of the plague, the number of deaths in Guayaquil since January 1 of this year has been less than in recent years, and in the months of July, August, and September it has reached a minimum for the statistics of the city.
It is not practicable to continue the use of kerosene on barrels, bathroom tanks, etc., and unfortunately these are the very places where the greater part of the yellow-fever-transmitting mosquitoes breed; or, in other words, 98 per cent of the mosquitoes found breeding in these receptacles are of that harmful species. For the present it has been considered best to place covers on barrels, [Page 284] tanks, etc., which entails great expense, making necessary continual repairs to the covers, etc.
One of the easiest and most efficacious means of combating the mosquitoes, and at the same time the yellow fever, would be to provide Guayaquil with an abundant supply of drinking water. That which it enjoys to-day is good, but not sufficient in quantity, for it only flows for a few hours in the daytime, thus making it necessary for householders to store water in barrels or tanks. If it were possible to have a continuously flowing supply, adequate to the needs of the population, these dangerous storing places could be abandoned, and the work of exterminating the mosquitoes would be reduced three-fourths of its present magnitude. In other terms the work of applying oil to the water deposits, pools, etc., from the 15th of May to the 15th of December would be insignificant, and in the five months remaining the probable expense would not exceed 5,000 sucres monthly, including the distribution of the petroleum, and, further, the yards being gradually filled in a manner to place them at a higher level than the streets, and the latter suitably paved, the expense would be gradually reduced until it reached an amount of but little significance.
I ought to state with especial emphasis that, the work of extermination of mosquitoes being efficiently performed, Guayaquil should remain free from yellow fever, or at all events it would be a safe place of residence, even though the disease might exist in other places in Ecuador; Ecuador being once freed from yellow fever, the danger of reinfection from other parts would be very remote, since Panama, whence the disease came in former times, is now completely free from the disease.
From the above it will be clear that the provision of an ample water supply is one of the greatest desiderata for the extermination of yellow fever and other maladies in Guayaquil; and I think I may assure you that, by means of this improvement the city could be free from yellow fever within six months, presupposing, of course, the prohibition of storing water in receptacles without covers, and the continuation of the use of petroleum.
The use of crude petroleum is very simple and of course should be continued whenever necessary especially during the rainy season. In the meanwhile the streets could be paved, the pools which may exist beneath the houses filled in, and the yards brought up to a level above that of the streets, so that the rain may not form pools. In this way the amount of petroleum to be used would progressively diminish.
Having thus considered yellow fever and malaria, I may pass on to the result of an adequate water supply as it affects the propagation of bubonic plague.
The chief factor in the spread of plague is the rat, which animal transmits the disease to man by means of the flea. People who live in houses that are dry, well ventilated, and well lighted, and who bathe regularly, rarely contract bubonic plague. The daily bath, when plague appears in any locality, is of the highest importance, for, in all probability, it is not the bite of the infected flea that causes the disease, but the dejections of the flea left on the human body, material which is easily removed by the daily bath. At present the supply of water is so inadequate that only the wealthy classes in Guayaquil are provided proper bathing facilities and unless the whole population have facilities for bathing and the maintenance of cleanliness, it would be useless to try to inculcate the precepts of hygiene.
Two other diseases, namely, typhoid fever and dysentery, would be practically eliminated by an abundant pure-water supply, as they generally result from the use of contaminated water. Asiatic cholera, too, one of the most terrible of diseases, which is at present scourging various parts of Europe and threatening to extend to America, is likewise almost always the effect of contaminated water; so that the means of avoiding that disease also lies in securing a pure-water supply.
Other arguments might be submitted, but I believe that those already presented will be sufficiently convincing.
I repeat, Your Excellency, that the easiest and most efficient means of improving the sanitary condition of Guayaquil and of rooting out the diseases which appear with such frequency in that city, is to endow it with an adequate and pure-water supply. My convictions in this respect have been formed in the course of detailed study of the locality and its needs.
I take this opportunity of again assuring you of profound esteem.