The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-07-24
Struggle Between Science and Death Washington Post.

Struggle Between Science and Death. Washington Post.
 Will the Isthmian canal commission. in spite of unlimited money, De forced to abandon excavation work on the Panama Canal while 1t wrestles with the problem of hygiene? The question Is daily becoming more pressing, as the peculiarities of the Panama situa- tion are becoming better known. The old and new French canal companies attempted to carry on the excavation work hand in hand with sanitation, and failed. The same plan Is being at tempted by the Canal Commission. The whole world will watch this struggle between science and death.
 On the one hand science Is furnish ed with ali the facilities that money will buy, indomitable courage and en- thusiasm inspire the American officials, and recent researches into the nature of malarial and yellow fever give hope of successfully combating those dis eases. On the other hand. the Isth- mus of Panama Is deaths citadel and recruiting ground. Not only do cer- tain endemic diseases prevail. but the climate itself exerts a malign influence. the exact nature of which Is imperfect ly understood.
 A writer in the London Lancet, dis cussing the sanitation of the canal zone, refers to this climatic influence. The most noteworthy characteristic or the climate, he says. is Its remarkable uniformity of temperature throughout the year. The only foreigners wno have been able to withstand the cli- mate with success have been people or Iberian extraction. inured from their birth to a tropical environment, Cartb- bean negroes. and q few Chinamen. Not single French engineer employed py the French companies was able to at tend to the work beyond year and half, although the contract called for two years. In September, 1884, the French company buried 654 officers and men. In the first eleven months or preliminary work by the French com pany, 65 Europeans and 800 laborers died of disease It Is recorded that later the French company. with force of 1000 men. always calculated on hay ing 1000 men in hospital. and In March and April, 1882, thirty-seven out of less than 100 engineers died.
 The terrible inroads of disease and death were increased. beyond quesrion n by the disturbance of the soil. This fact was noted when the Panama raii- road was constructed. and later In ex- cayating along the line of the canal. the writer in The Lancet observes, however, that 'the unhealthful enects of the work are considerably lessened when the superficial layers of the
 
 gun on the deeper strata of earth"
 American operations at Panama have not been attended with such appalling losses of life as those which ruined the French company. American methods are believed to be more thorough. and advantage has been taken of modern information regarding the handling of tropical diseases. As an example oi the scale upon which the work Is being done under direction of Governor Ma. goon and Colonel Gorgas. 1t Is stated that a recent reauisition was filed Tor thirty eight tons of insect powder twenty tons of sulphur to be burned ir pots, fifteen tons of paper with whlct to stuff up crevices, ana seven tons oi flour with which to make paste. Thi: reouisition was made by cable, anc within two weeks was being distribut. ed from Colon-gratifying proof that some of the stories of delay caused by red tape are untrue.
 But the real struggle has not com menced at Panama. When 1t Is devel. oped, the Canal Commission will fnc that its antagonist is not earth and rock, but death. .... -".