The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-22
CANAL AND WORKERS HEALTH.

CANAL AND WORKERS HEALTH.
The task Of sanitary policing the route
/ O. the Panama canal IS going 10 Be no
: Isn't undertaking. according 10 a report
made by Medical Inspector Sirons 10
/ thc surgeon-general Of the navy Yellow
fever, ne thinks. is rot very common on
the lsthElus. though i Is said that ths
Indians from The mountains. who are
chartered IN the old barracks in Panama.
a-Ways develop The disease n { FEW days.
Ferrieious renittent fever, commonly
! hl-cTn as Chasres fever. is often 50 So
we're and the gas-ro-intestinal symptoms
s. pronounced, that II IS impossible 70
tel the difference chemically between
, shat and yellow fever There IS g small
+; ieper settlement IN Panama. near the
toca. and other cases are said 70 exist
. III private houses. Diarrhoea. dysentery.
and simple continued fever are common
ara seF.re, says q dispatch from Wash
. :. gton 70 the New York Evening Post.
( lccal prejudice interferes with obtaining
/ tiCstF. orsHy testimony as 10 the preva-
( ierce OF yellow fever or its mortality.
/ but L is certain that hundreds OF la
bcrers died during the period Of active
/ work on the canal. though probably for
I the most part Of ChagTes fever and dys-
] G. terry.
( Colon. theiAtlantic port, IS built on 4
I eef which is practically an island ,
/ l2rge part OF which Is below high-t5de
/ level. and usually flooded. while the high
est parts are from one TO ten feet above
! sea level. The shoals are gradually filed
{ in and built over. The houses are wooden
and poor. except the buildings q the canal
company the streets are IN wretcnCc con-
dtion. fun Of mud-holes. and largely
+ unpaved. the drainage Is detective. Of
I course. and the vacant lots and back
/ yards are flthvS
The isthmus between Colon and Panama
! has been turned more or less 20 agricUl-
, tUral uses since the Spanish occupation.
l or the Pacific side the cattle industry 8
more extensive tnan on the ether. but the
cultivation OF the soil is not systematic
O. thorough. a tract IS cleared and plant
ec. and worked till its fertility is exhaust
eo. and then abandoned for new one.
The ground is therefore covered with a
tangle Of vines, brambles. underhTush.
end small and worthless trees. Some OF
tho swamps are expenses OF rUsheS and
. swamp grass. With a considerable depth
OF wafer and muddy bottoms. Vegetables
O. the ordinary varieties are raised Ia
quantities necessary 10 meet local de-
roands. some OF the Chinese gardeners
around Panama being pretty thrifty; and
beef $ abundant enough, but of poor
quality The trouble with all meats is
they must be eaten within twenty-four
hours after hltchering The people If the
tropics are NOT IS many suppose. spaFing
consumers OF meat; they viii cat all they
can get but Il Is usually so inferior that
is used only in the form OF stews ari
hsshes. which IS fortunate. IS it i more
cigcstible IN this way.
Panama les on a peninsula with a wide
neck between its inner harbor and the
10 Granie. The city proper is on
rocky ridge and the inner harbor has
been SO flled with silt that ii Is almost
dry at low tide The height % the city
is from ten 10 forty feet above sea
level, and its streets, though narrow. are
Wen paved: but there is practically no
drainage, what little there is emptles into
the haTbor. the patios and backwards ars
very dirty. and the sveepngs and aight
soil are carried out beyond the adjacent
islands and dumped from bargeS. Most
Of the houses have large cisterns under
them, in which raIn-water is collected
from the roofs Cor drinking. etc. There
are wells here and there. but the poorer
people get their supply from cisterns that
take the surface water. Some also buy
water which is brought in from pools
near by and sold IN the streets. The mar
lzots are fairly clean. The buildings range
fIom brick and stucc0 structures two or
three stories high down TO the meanest
novels the surroundings OF all being in
sanitary and for the most part dirty.
DIR. SimoBs urges that our government
should obtain control Of n strip e least
three miles wide on each side az the
canal and including the cities of Colon
and Panama and the lesser towns along
the route. These he says. should be pat
into good sanitary condition ny cleaning,
disinfecting. and asphaiting the ground
fCors and pavements. and the liquor traf-
~
license system. The acclimated men now
on the isthmus should be employed 20 DO 4
the cleaning and TO clear both sides ~ Che
ca nal of bushes and trees, so that the sea
" inds can get at the pools and bogs and /
dry them up. when the excavation be- /
gins. the men should be transported On /
the railroad between their dwellings IN /
the high ground and the scene OF their /
labor. Although this precaution Win in
1olve the loss Of Pm hour or two daily /
feom their working tire, il Is believed .
thar it viii prove an economy IN the end. Z
ty IT'S prevention Of sickness. The greater I
part Of the dredging IN the low lands +
viii be done by crews who can live on f.
the dredges or on scows attached. II care +
- taken 20 keep these quarters clean
and comfortable
The inclusion Of the two terminal cities
in the policed zone Or. Simons regards -
o. the utmost importance as any effort
&c restrict the excuses q the men In
land would be wasted II the cities con-
tiuued u offer them free opportunit-cs for
Indulgence re would also have The
eovernme-t provide far the sale IF good
heer and wine to the men in reasonable
quantities. but whisky. brandy aguar-
Cierte. ard liquors of that class De would
harish utterly As good digestion 81 ~
prime Importance in a sicsiv ard ene--
waiting climate he wouid surround tnls