Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-22

Dr. Anita MCGEE to Japan and nursed IN
the hospitals there. The nurses are all
conscientious. and they all earn their sal
aries several times over"
Jamaica Negroes as Patients.
Give me some idea Of the character OF
your patients"
Il don't like to speak about that" said
the nurse THAT Is a sore subject with
US. 1 am a southern woman. and while L
might possibly not object to eating dinner
with Booker T Washington. l would OBJ
ject to nursing the black servant who dug
bitches in Booker T. Washington's back
yard. Most OF the wards here are filed
with the ordinary canal laboTers. men who
receive from 70 cents TO a dollar a day.
They are largely Jamaica negroes. as
black as stove. and native Panamans.
many OF whom are mulattOes We have
ten wards here, and OF these only one is
devoted to the American employees on the
canal; the other nine are occupied by the
people l have described. They are OF 4
lower class than can be found in the char
ity wards of city hospitals Some of
them have diseases which are loathsome
to an extreme. The patients are almost
all men, and many of them are such that
a woman should not be asked to touch
them"
More Money Needed for Sanitation
l understand that more money is needed
ItIt IOE sanitation Inc sanitary Of1lCerS
asked for 100000 to clean up the 18TH
mus. but they were given only one-fourth
that amount. They estimated that It would
take $4,000 to clean Panama and about
one-third that sum was allowed The sup
plies needed have been promptly ordered.
but the necessity of advertising for bids
has caused delay in the orders being
filled. and in the meantime the hospitals
have along a well fhaV COulH
patronizing to some extent the Panama
drug stores at considerably higher prices
than similar orders would have cost IN the
United States.
1t seems to me that the sanitary force
here is excellent. The corps of doctors en-
braces some of the best men of their pro-
fession. and both doctors and nurses are
doing earnest and conscientious work.
AS to the matter of supplies, one of the
doctors recommends that medical pur-
veyor be put at the head of the medical
supply department for Panama a New
York, and that he be paid 5000 year.
This man would be in close connection with
the hospitals here, and would keep in
touch with the markets at home. He would
see that Panama has always a full months
hospital supplies in advance. and large
enough reserve supply to meet eny emer-
gency. Indeed. some such provision would
seem to be almost a necessity in the pres
ent condition OF the isthmus.
Since writing the above, the news has
come that President Roosevelt has reorgan-
lied the canal commission, and that the
chief engineer will be given full authority
at this end of the line, while Commissioner
Shonts a practical railroad man, VIII have
charge of ordering supplies and all other
work in the United States. This means a
business administration throughout and
that the canal building will from now ON
be practically relieved OF the red tape
which has clogged the undertaking up
to this time. If Congress will now but do
its duty. the work of canal digging Will
soon be in full sway, and we shall have "A
union of the oceans in advance of the Wild
est dreams OF the French engineers
FRANK q. CARPENTER.