File No. 822.124/276.
The Secretary of War to the
Secretary of State.
War Department,
Washington,
March 1, 1913.
My Dear Mr. Secretary: I have the honor to
transmit to you herewith the report of Colonel W. C. Gorgas2 in regard to sanitary conditions at Guayaquil,
Ecuador.
Very sincerely yours,
summary of colonel gorgas’ report regarding the
sanitation of guayaquil.
Colonel William C. Gorgas, accompanied by a sanitary commission of
three other members consisting of Major Noble, and Messrs. Prince
and McGuigan, was in Ecuador from December 8th to 24th, 1912, for
the purpose of studying the sanitary conditions in that city and
reporting what measures would be necessary to eliminate yellow fever
and bubonic plague from that port, together with an estimate of the
cost. Colonel Gorgas stated in his report that it was the opinion of
the commission that Guayaquil could be freed from these two diseases
and also from a great deal of the typhoid and intestinal diseases
there prevalent at a cost of about $9,200,000, gold. The measures
necessary to attain this end are as follows:
- 1.
- Appointment of a suitably qualified health officer to have
control of all matters of health in the Republic, including
particularly the sanitary police of the city of Guayaquil.
It is essential that this officer have the cooperation of
all the other authorities in the country, otherwise his work
will be greatly hampered and he would partially fail, as
happened to Dr. Lloyd in 1909.
- 2.
- Providing a suitable and sufficient water supply for the
city, which will permit the removal of all cisterns and
tanks, which are the breeding-places of the stegomya
yellow-fever mosquito. At the present time the water supply
is so limited that it is only turned into the mains for four
hours out of the twenty-four.
- 3.
- A complete system of paving and sewerage, primarily
intended to eliminate pools of water which might form
breeding places for mosquitos. This would entail a proper
system of garbage collection, which would be under the
direct supervision of the health officer above
mentioned.
- 4.
- Building the plague-carrying rats out of existence by
putting in cement floors and sills in all the buildings,
doing away with the present system of double walls and
eliminating the gutters, etc., from the roofs of the
houses.
The above measures should be carried out gradually, and Colonel
Gorgas estimates that several years will be necessary to effectively
sanitate the city.
About $150,000, gold, annually will pay the expenses of the expert
employees needed during this period.
Colonel Gorgas further considers that the sanitary organization as at
present existing in Guayaquil can be utilized, and changes made
gradually therein as occasion therefor may arise.
