Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-03
HEALTH ON lSTHMUS
Panama Conditions Grossly
Exaggerated.
PRESENT SITUATION
STORIES STARTED BY ALARMIsTs
AND DISCOUNTED ONES.
Former Washingtonian Writes at
Former Washingtonian Writes at
Length to The Star for Bene-
At Of Homefolks.

Lewis ]. Boynton. formerly Of this city,
writing to The Star from Panama under
date of July II. 1855. says:
Every paper from the states, every let
ter from those at home and every boat load
of those returning from the isthmus give
forth wonderful reports concerning condi-
lions on the isthmus. They seem to harp
mostly on the sanitary conditions and sue
coed in dfstorting them to such an extent
that our mothers. wives and sweethearts
are filled with alarm.
1T is with the idea In view of dispelling
some of this feeling among those left be-
hind In Washington and with the request
that you give me such space you con-
sistently can that 1 writing this. be-
lieveing that much of the worry and alarm
felt by the families of employees working
here could be reduced by truthful reports.
In the first place all the reports about
the terrible Conditions here are given out,
almost entirely, by men who have been here
not longer than two months or less, and
who have not in that time learned the true
state of affairs. and in many instances by
men who have been discharged for various
reasons and who talk thus with spirit of
revenge. Then there are a class of men
who thought they were coming to Land
flowing with milk and honey who had
never been away from home before, and
who became easily excited and alarmed.
Ask any of the men who have been here
since the first and they will tell you to a
man that the conditions are not what these
men report and furthermore they feel that
the conditions are improving every day.
There Is a certain class of men here
whom we call gossip mongers' and whose
particular delight Is in frightening new
men, An instance of this will help to illus
day from the San Francisco boat and were
sent out to point the line not far from
Panama. The day they landed two men
had been taken to the hospital from the
very point to which these new fellows were
assigned. When they reached their sta
ton they were given quarters and proceeded
to supper. At the table one of the gossip
mongers' was talking about the two men
who had been taken to the hospital. See
ing new men present he remarked that both
of the sick men had died within twenty
minutes of each other; and soon after reach
ing the hospital. There being no one to cor
rect this transformation, our friends from
San Francisco believed it and became very
much agtated. That night they got out
their chests of tools. held an impromptu
auction and raised enough money to get
to New York. steerage. AS matter of
fact neither of the two men were very sick
and promptly recovered, and the men who
fed in panic would not have done so had
1t not been for these false reports which
they had heard and believed.
Yellow Fever Conditions.
1.-THE truth about yellow fever Is this:
There has been more or less of it for the
year that the commission has been here.
1.-The official figures. given out by the SAN
itary department, showing the number Of
cases of yellow fever on the isthmus from
July l. 1904 to July l. 1905, is follows:
Total number of cases, 146; total number
Of deaths. 43.
''Of the above number 70 were employees
of the commission. and out of the 70 there
occurred IA deaths.
LAS you know. Panama, especially the
city of that name, has always been a hot
bed for this malady, and practically moth
ing has ever been done to systematically
fight it. Through the efforts of Col. w. c.
Gorgas, Z. S. A, and his able staff this
malady has been held in check ever since
we arrived here, and considering the large
number of non-immunes now on the 18TH
mus and those who are going and coming
all the time, the percentage of sickness
from yellow fever is quite small. In get
ting an estimate of the percentage of this
disease not only the entire number of men
on the isthmus must be considered, but
also the number who in a given length of
time arrive at and leave the isthmus, and
as the latter number is a varying one, such
an estimate has never been made. At pres