The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-17

i
black employees. which grow up here
and there in the tropic- jungle as the
/ needs or the work dictate, the utmost
care IS exercised to keep the conditions
\ healthy. Everywhere are to be seen
the drainage bitches which in remov-
ing the water have removed the breed
I ing places OF the mosquitoes, while the
whole jungle is cut away for a consid-
! cradle space around the habitations,
/ thus destroying the places in which
the mosquitoes take shelter. These
4 drainage bitches and cIearings are in
evidence in every settlement. and, to-
gether with the inyariable presence Of
mosquito screens around the piazzas,
and Of mosquito doors to the houses
not 10 speak of the careful fumigation
that has gone on in all infected houses,
doubtless explain the extraordinary
absence OF mosquitoes. As a matter of
fact but single mosquito. and this
not of the dangerous species. was seen
by any member Of our party during
my three days on the Isthmus Equal
care is taken by the inspectors of the
health department to secure cleanli-
ness in the houses and proper hygienic
conditions of every kind. I inspected
between twenty and thirty water
closets, both those used by the white
employees and those used by the col
OFeQ Ia DorerS. In almost every case /
found the condition perfect In but
one case did I find them really bad In
this case, affecting a settlement of I'M
married white employees, found them
very bad indeed, but the buildings
were all inherited from the French
company and were being used tenn
porarily while other buildings were in
the course of construction; and right
near the defective water closet a new
and excellent closet with a good sewer
pipe was in process of construction
and nearly finished Nevertheless this
did not excuse the fact that the bad
condition had been allowed to prevail.
F7aff for7c
only such as soldiers use when camped
in the field. should have been provided.
Orders to this effect were issued. I
append the report Of DIR. Gorgas on
the incident / was struck. however,
by the fact that in this instance, as in
almost every other where a complaint
was made which proved to have any
Justification whatever, it appeared that
steps had already been taken to rem
edy the evil complained of, and that
the trouble was mainly due to the ex-
IRENE difficulty. and often fmpossi-
bl1ty, of providing in every place for
the constant Increase in the numbers
OF employees. Generally the provision
IS made in advance, but it is not pos
sible that this should always be the 1
case; when it IS not there ensues a
period OF time during which the condi- |
uonS are unsatisfactory. until q rem
edy can be provided; but I never found
a case where the remedy was not be-
ing provided; as speedily as possible.
Hospitals and Their Treatment.
1 inspected the large hospitals at
Ancon and Colon, which are excellent |
exam Piles of what tropical hospitals /
should be I also inspected the receiv- !
ing hospitals in various settlements. |
went through a number of the wards I
in which the colored men are treated /
a number Of those in which the white |
men are treated-America and /
Spaniards. Both white men and black
men are treated exactly alike, and i
their treatment is as good as that !
which could be obtained in our first /
class hospitals at home All the pa
tents that I saw with one or two ex-
ceptiOns, We're 1abOrers or other en- /
ployes on the canal works and rail- /
ways, most of them being colored men
Of the ordinary laborer stamp. Not /
only are the men carefully cared for /
whenever they apply for care, but SO
far 8 practicable a watch is kept to /
see that If they need it they are sent
10 the hospitals, whether they desire to
go or not From no responsible source
did any complaint come to me as to
The management of the hospital ser
vice. although occasionally a very ig-
1orant West India negro when he is
irst brought into the hospital becomes
frightened by the ordinary hospitai
routine.
Just at present the health showing
1n the isthmus is remarkably good
so much better than In most sections
ieve that it can possibly continue at
lutte its present average Thus. early
II the present year a band OF several
hundred Spaniards were brought to
he isthmus as laborers and additions
Q their number have been made from
lime to time; vet since their arrival
n February last but one of. those
spaniards thus brought over to work
IN the canal has died Of disease, and /
le Of typhoid fever. Two others were
zilled, one in a railroad accident, ana |
lne by a dynamite explosion. There |
las been for the last six months a
veli-nigh steady decline in the death
ate of the population Of the zone. this
being largely due to the decrease in
leaths from pneumonia which has
been the most fatal disease on the 18th
nus In October there were ninety
line deaths of every kind among the
employees Of the isthmus. There were
hen on the rolls $500 whites. seven
sighths of them being Americans. OF
hese whites but two died Of disease
md as It happened neither man was
IN American. OF the 5000 white
Americans, including some 1900 wo-
men and children, not a single death
las occurred in the past three months
whereas in an average city In the Unit
"a states the number of deaths for
lmiIar mum Der of people in that time
would have been a bout thirty from
tlsease- This very remarkable show
ng can not Of course permanently OBJ
e1A' put II certainly goes to prove that
( good care is taken the isthmus is not
particularly unhealthy place. In Oc-
ober, Of the $4,000 negroes on the roll
IS died from disease; pneumonia beins
he most destructive disease, and ma
arial fever coming second The diff
iculty Of exercising thorough super
islOn over the colored laborers is of
curse greater than is the case among
he whites, and they are also less COM
'etent to take care Of themselves.
which accounts for the fact that their
ieath rate is so much higher than that
4 the whites, in spite Of the fact that
hey have been used to similar china
ic conditions. Even among the cnInr