Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-11-21
FIVE YEARS PANAMA LIFE.
A Sketch Of the Isthmus and Expert
Eence ThereupOn-The Climate,
Seasons and Health.
Panama as Producing and DiStribut-
ing Center-Its Quaint Old Cities
And Ruins.
Lonely Life-Indians and Negroes
Not Given to harrying-Enor
nous Rainfall.

Five years at Panama" by Woolfred
Nelson, NJ. d. New York: Belford- Clarke
| Company is book of considerable interest
concerning portion of this continent of
which, except in a general way, most Of Us
| know comparatively little. In his pre-
face the author tells US that he resided in
| Panama from 1880 to 1886 as practi
toner IF medicine, and that be has made
four visits to the Isthmus since the latter
date. In the book proper he describes
the country, its climate, seasons and
health; Its productions, natural and manu-
factured; It's trade and commerce; its laws,
and the manner OF their enforcement; Its
cities, ancient and modern, and life on
the lsthmus in and out of the cities and
! among the various classes OF the lnhabIt-
| ants.
We are given a glimpse of the history
of the country from the earliest times of
which there is record; an account of the
RAIDS Of the buccaneer Morgan and the de-
struction of old Panama; OF the building
and growth of the new city-old itself
among the American cities picturesque
views of ruins, ancient churches and
| quaint dwelling places. The building of
| the Panama railroad is described and dates
are given ofits operation. The De-LessepS
| canal is discussed In number of chap
terS and is stigmatized as the most colos
| sal bit of jobbery, inetficiency, absurdity
and crime of modern times. The
| sanitary condition of the Isthmus, the
| negligent manner of managing the ceme-
| teries, hospitals, etc, are strongly con-
demned. In this preface the author says
| concerning the matters:
Il state, without fear of contradiction,
and with all the emphasis that our mother
! tongue conveys, that the IsthmuS of
| Panama is disease-producing and dis
ease distributing center. Why should it
be allowed to graft smallpox and yellow
| fever-as it has done-on com munitieS
near and distant? Such condition is
disgrace to our civilization and constant
menace to all countries doing business
with, or by way of, the Isthmus of
| Panama.
In writing of life in the Isthmus the
author says:
1T goes without saying that a regular
life in all tOrrid climates Is It's own reward.
By a regular life | mean, something after
the following, which is the regime of
many residents within tropical countries.
Getting up arIy-say SIX or seyen-be
fee and rolls. The breakfast is eaten at II
or II, and is breakfast properly so called.
In temperate climates many would call it
dinner. | began mine by taking fome
ripe fruit, following it with Il beef
steak, potatoes and coffee. | made my
meals simple, such resulting in the greatest
good and the smallest inconvenience.
Dinner at 6-dinpar as it is understood In
all Anglo-SaXon countries, followed 10y
quiet ev ming, and going to bed early.
The regular life pays always; 1t gives the
maximum of health and the minimum of
in convenience.
"A word in regard to the use of alcohol,
beer and wine. From my professional ex-
perience, and as the result of nearly eight
years personal observation within the
tropics, and having tried both moderate
rtimuation on the one hand and total
abstinence on the other | am firmly of the
opinion that the people who best fight
against disease are the total abstainers.
The yellow fever of the Isthmus of
Panama is a peculiarly Indignant disease.
can recall forty-one admissions to the
Charity Hospital in few weeks following
my arrival on the Isthmus in 1890 Not a
single man escaped. OF seven and twenty
admissions to the officers ward OF TIE
canal hospitals, on the Panama side one
man only escaped. In case after case, in
practice. death was the rule and recovery
was the exception. While it is true that
some total abstainers have been swept away
| by yellow fever, | can recall three desperate
cases, one being my Cwn, which had been
| abandonded and in which death was looked
| for. Az three recovered, thanks to ab-
| stemlous habits.
The seasons of the Isthmus are two in
number, the went season extending from
the middle of April to the middle of Dec
ember; and the dry, the remaining portion
of the year.
The amount of rain that falls is aston
ishing. 1t is said to average 128 inches
per annum. This, when compared with
the small rainfall of Egypt-nine inches
per annum-where NJ de Lesseps built
| his ditch through the sands of Suez, is sug-
| gestive.
| when the rains come in early and reg
ularly, it means fair, healthy wet season
that is. of course, for the Isthmus.
| When the rains are irregular or late, it
means sickly season, and in the hot days
between rains yellow fever develops case
after case. Then the rains come on, and
! there is a marked diminution In the num-
| Der of cases. Again, after hot, sunny days
without rain, new crop Of yellow fever
cases results.
The rain often seems to fell in solid
| sheets of water, the streets being flooded
from curb to curb. Such storms clear
away as rapidly AS they come up; then the
>un will light up the green and tempOr-
arily clean streets. Nearly eight months
of the year are rainy months. OF course,
there ism t rain all the time. but heavy
rains may come on at any moment, and
during these months all outdoor work
must temporarily cease. With the deep
cuts of the canal they play sad savoc. as an
immense amount of earth tE at has been
thrown out naturally washes right back
into the cut The canal company modest
ly estimates this at per cent. Following
one of these storms. however, a deep cut
in the Colon side of the divide was fll-
ed covering the machinery and all. The
long wet season on the lsthmus has been a
most serious drawback to canal COnstruc-
ton. but. as all know who are familiar
with the early history of the Panama
canal, this practically was entered upon
without any previous knowledge what
ever. further than that there wal
an isthmus to divide TO reflect glory upon
France and give unlimited dividends to
| DonOuoluSrs
The dry season by many is considered
the pleasantest season of the year and it i;
the s0-called healthy season. Il
Is noted for cloudless blue skies - Italian
skies-and the grandest of tropical moon
light. During this period the starshine
is grand, the stars can be seen almost
down to the horizon. A fact noted by the
early Spanish discovers and chronicled sy
them In their many writings. In all my
wanderings never have found anything
to compare with the moonlight of the dry
season there. Reading large type in tht
open air was easily possible.
In this country, where all !:
perpetual summer. the average temperg
ture is about 50 degrees, and the average
humidity is nearly as great Vegetation
is of very rapid growth. ApropOs Of hu.
midity, there are places on the upper
levels of the Isthnus where it Is 100 de-
grees nightly-the point of saturation.
But these conditions make vegetable de
composition as rapid as the growth. The
result of the whole is the creation Of an In
tense m mlasmatic poison. People living or
1 the Isthmus are malarious, either IN ont
form or the other, and it Is impossible L
avoid this. If a few escape malarif