The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1906-12-21

ply for care, but so far as practicable
a watch is kept to see that If they need
it they are ent to the hospitals
whether they desire TO go or not. From
no responsible source did any conl-
plant come TO lie as to the manage
ment Of the hospital service, altho o.
~casionaIly a very ignorant West India
negro when he is first brought into the
hospital becomes frightened by the nF-
binary hospital routine.
HEALTH SHOWING REMARKABLY
GOOD.
Just at present the health showing
on the Isthmus is remarkably good
so much better than in most sections
of the United States that l do ne: be-
Iieve hat it can possibly continue 1T
quite its present average Thus. early
in the present year Il band Of several
hundred Spaniards were brought 20 the
Isthmus as laborers, and additions %
their number have been made from
time to time; Yet since their arrival
in February last but one OF those
S%paniards thus brought over 10 work
on the canal has died of disease. and he
Of typhoid fever. Two others were
killed. one in a railroad accident. and
one by a dynamite explosion. There
has been for the last SIX months Il we'll
nigh steady decline in the death rate
for the population of the one. this
being largely due to the decrease n
deaths from pneumonia. which hal
been the most fatal disease on the
Isthmus. In October there were ninety
nine deaths of every kind among the
employees of the Isthmus. There were
then on the rolls $500 whites, seven
Fights Of them being Americans OI
these whites but two died Of disease.
and as It happened neither man wa
an American. OF the 5000 white
Americans, including some l,-"'
ONE and children. not Il single deash
has occurred in the past three months,
whereas in an average city III the
United States the number Of deaths 10y
a similar number of people in ina.
time would have been about thirty
from disease. This very, remarkable
showing can not of course permanently
obtain. but is certainly goes TO prove
that if good care is taken the lsthmuS
is not q particularly unhealthy place.
! In October, of the 10, 900 negroes or The
roll So died from disease; pneumonia
| being the most destructive disease, and
malarial fever coming second. Ih4
difficulty of exercising a thOrO super
| vision over the cOlOred laDOrers ia OF
| course greater than is the case amCn2
the whites, and they are also less COM
Detent to take care Of themselves,
which accounts for the fact that then
! death rate is SO much higher than that
| of the whites, i'll spite Of the fact that
| they have been used to similar eli
matte conditions. Even among me
colored employees it will be seen rslat
| the death rate is not high.
, DIMINUTION OF MOSQUITOES.
/ In Panama and Colon the death rate
has also been greatly reduced. TINS BE-
ing directly due to the vigorous WOri'
of the special brigade Of c.ll 'DycH:
who have been inspecting houses where
the stegomyia mosquito is to be found
and destroying it's larvae and breeding
places, and doing similar work IL OK
terminating the malarial mosquitoes -
in short, in performing all kinds OF ny
gienic labor. A little over a year iGC
all kinds CT mosquitoes, including The
two fatal species, were numerous abo"
! Culebra cut. In this cut during Octobe:
every DON of every house was care.
fully examined, and only two mOSQul-
toes, neither Of them of the two faIaI
species. were found. Unfaltering ener'
gy in inspection and disinfecting &nc
in the work Of draining and Of clearing
brush are responsible for the change
| append Doctor Gorgas'S report on thu
health conditions; also a letter iron
SurgeOn-Genera Rixey to Doctor Cor
gas. The surgeOn-general reported r
me that the hygienic conditions Oh IL
IsthmuS were about as good as, TO
! instance, those in the Norfolk nav,
! yard.
Corozal, some 4 miles from La BCca
was formerly one of the mOS unsanl
tary places on the Isthmus, probaol,
the most unsanitary. There was
marsh with a pond IN the middle
Doctor GorgaS had both the marsh ant
pond drained and the brush cleared OH
so that now, When | went over tn
ground, it appeared like a snHot;
meadow ~intersected by drainage ditch
es. The breeding places and h shell
tering spots Of the dangerous mosQul
toes had been completely destroyed
The result is that CorOZal for the las
six months (like La BOca, which for
merly also had a very unsanltaly re
cord), shows one of the best sick rates
in the zone, having less than l pc
cent a week admitted To the hospital
At Corozal there is a big hotel file;
with employees Of the Isthmian Cana
Commission, some of them with thel
wives and families. Yet this health
and attractive spot was stigmatlzed Il
a"hoW wallow" by n Of least scrup
illus and most foolish Of the profession
al scandai-mongers who from time I
time have written about the commits
siOns work.
IMPROVEMENTS IN PANAMA AM
COLON.
The sanitation work In the cities o
Panama and Colon has been Just As I'M
portant as in the zone itself. and i
many respects much more difficult; be
aus Is was necessary to deal with h