The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-12-17
PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
Continued From Page One.)

lowed to prevail Temporary accom-
modations even if only such as SOL
diers use wnen camped in the held'
should have been provided. Orders TO
this effect were issued. l append the
report of DR.. Gorgas on the incident.
1 was struck, however, by the fact
that in This instance, as in almost ev-
cry other where a complaint was
made which proved to have any Just1-
fication 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 impossible
ity. 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 possible
that this should always be the case;
when it is not there ensues period
of time during which the conditions
are unsatisfactory, until remedy can
be provided; but 1 never found case
where the remedy was not being pro-
vided as speedily as possible.
Adequate Hospitals.
1 inspected the large hospitals at
Ancon and Colon, which are excellent
examples of what tropical hospitals
should be. 1 also inspected the re-
ceiving hospitals in various settle
ments. 1 went through number Of
the wards in which the colored men
are treated, a number Of those in
which the white men are treated
Americans and Spaniards. Both white
men and black men are treated exact
ly alike, and their treatment is as
good as that which could be obtained
in our first class hospitals at home.
All the patients that 1 saw, with one
or two exceptions, were laborers or
other employees on the canal works
and railways, most of them being col
ored men of the ordinary labOrer
stamp. Not only are the men care
fully cared for whenever they apply
for care. but so far as practicable
watch is kept to see that if they need
it they are sent to the hospitals,
whether they desire to go or not.
From no responsible source did any
complaint come to me as to the man.
agement of the hospital service, al
though occasionally a very ignorant
West India negro when he is first
frightened by the ordinary hospital
routine.
All Are Healthy.
Just at present the health showing
on the isthmus is remarkably good
so much better than in most sections
of the United States that 1 do not
believe that it can possibly continue
at quite its present average. Thus,
early in the present year a band of
several hundred Spaniards were
brought to the isthmus as laborers,
and additions to their number have
been made from time to time; vet
since their arrival in February last
but one of those Spaniards thus
brought over to work on the canal has
died of disease, and he of typhoid
fever. Two others We're killed, one
in railroad accident and one by a
dynamite explosion. There has been
for the last six months a well-nigh
steady decline in the death rate for
the population of the zone. this being
largely due to the decrease in deaths
from pneumonia, which has been the
most fatal disease On the isthmus. In
October there were SO deaths of every
kind among the employees of the 18TH
mus. There We're then on the rolls
$500 white, seven-eighths of them be-
ing Americans. Of these whites but
two died of disease, and as it hap
pened neither man was an American
OF the 5000 white Americans, includ-
ing some 1900 women and children.
not a single death mas occurred in the
past three months. whereas in an av-
erage city in the United States the
number of deaths for a similar num-
Der of people in that time would have
been about thirty from disease This
very remarkable showing cannot of
course, permanently obtain, but it GER
tainly goes to prove that if good care
is taken the isthmus is not a partic-
ularly unhealthy place In October
of the 10000 negroes on the roll Sc
died from disease; pneumonia being
the most destructive disease, and ma
larial fever coming second The diff
fculty of exercising a thorough super
vision over the colored laborers is of
course greater than is the case
among the whites, and they are also
less competent to take care of them
selves, which accounts for the fact