Today, Tuesday,  October 29, "The New York Times" publishes in the "Science Times" an article written by John Noble Wilford, entitled "Don't Blame Columbus for all the Indians' Ills".

What this article reveals it that the American Indians, at the time of discovery of the Americas, were already suffering from poor health due to  poor hygiene, malnutrition and even  due to a variety of several chronic diseases. 

But this article misses to mention the abundance of parasites and even the ill effects of tobacco and drugs that went from the Americas to all over the world,  and since then  have  caused many more millions of deaths than the number of deaths among the  the American Indians due to the infections originated  by the viruses that  were brought from Europe by the navigators and explores.

Here is the contents of my letter: 

To  the Editor 
The New York Times
New York City

Dear Editor:
The article “Don’t Blame Columbus for all the Indians’ Ills” by John Noble Wilford (NYT Oct. 28, 02) misses the most pertinent facts. 

If we place on one plate of a scale the viruses of  measles, mumps, rubella and influenza or flu,  which were  brought to America  by the European navigators and killed many Indians,  and  place on the other plate of the  same scale all the diseases and parasites  that have originated in America,  such has ascaris lumbricoides or round worms, tapeworms,  leishmanioses, chigoe or jigger (flea),  pinworms,  ancylostomiases, pediculus humanus or human lice,  and add  to these tobacco and drugs,  the American plate  will  tumble much faster by  having caused and still causing  today the death of many more millions of human beings all over  the world, than the  viruses at the time of Columbus voyages. 

Respectfully
Manuel Luciano da Silva, M. D.

Here is the acknowledged of receipt of my letter by the Editor:

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Sincerely,
The New York Times

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