The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1906-12-17

lions perfect.
l inspected the large hospitals at
Ancon and Colon, which are excellent
examples Of what tropical hospitals
should be. l also inspected the re-
ceiving hospitals in various settle
ments. I went through number of
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 l saw, with one or
two exceptions, were laborers or other
employees on the canal works and rail-
ways, most of them being colored men
of the ordinary laborer stamp. Not
only are the men carefuus! cared for
whenever they apply for care, but so
far as practicable a VS., 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 management Of the hospital
service, although occasionally a very
| ignorant West India negro when he is
first brought into the hospital becomes
| frightened by the ordinary hospital
routine.
Health Showing Remarkable.
Just at present the health showing
| ;c&h &c. ri. h1v pnn6-
so much better than in most sections
of the United States that l do not be-
lieve that it can possibly continue at
| quite its present average. Thus, early
in the present year band of several
hundred Spaniards weie brought to
| the isthmus as laborers and additions
| to their number have been made from
time to time; yet since their arrival in
| February last but one of those Span
iards thus brought over to work on
| the canal has died of disease, and he
| of typhoid fever. Two others were
| killed, one in railroad accident and
one by dynamite explosion There
has been for the last six months a
| we'll 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 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. Of
these whites but two died of disease
and as it happened neither man was
an American. Of the 5000 white Amer
leans, including some 1900 women and
children, not single death has &C.
Cured in the past three months,
whereas in an average city in the
United States the number of deaths
| for similar number of people in that
time would have been about thirty
from disease. This very remarkable
showing can not of course permanent
ly obtain, but it certainly goes to prove
| that If good care is taken the isthmus
| is not particularly unhealthy place.
In October of the 10000 negroes on the
roll eighty-six died from disease, pneu-
monia being the most destructive dis
ease and malarial fever coming Sec
ond. The difficulty of exercising a
thorough supervision 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 themselves, which accounts for the
fact that their death rate is so much
higher than that of the whites, in spite
of the fact that they have been used
to similar climatic conditions. Even
among the colored employees it will be
seen that the death rate is not high.
Diminution OF Mosquitoes.
In Panama and Colon the death rate
has also been greatly reduced, this be-
ing directly due to the vigorous work
of the special brigade of employees 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 in ex-
terminating the malarial mosquitoes
in short, in performing all kinds of
hygienic labor A little over year
ago all kinds of mosquitoes, including
the two fatal species, were numerous
about the Culebra cut. In this cut
during last October every room of
every house was carefully examined
and only two mosquitoes, neither: of
them of the two fatal species, were
found. Unfaltering energy in inspec-
ton and in disinfecting and in the
work of draining and of clearing brush
are responsible for the change. i ap.
pend DR.. Gorgas' report on the health
conditions; also a letter from Surgeon
General Rixey to DR.. Gorgas. The
surgeon general reported to me that
the hygienic conditions on the 18TH
mus were about as good as. for in
stance, those in the Norfolk hayward
The sanitation work in the cities OF
Panama and Colon has been just as
important as in the zone itself and in
many respects much more difficult;
because 1t was necessary to deal with
the already existing population, which
naturally had scant sympathy with
revolutionary changes, the value Of
which they were for long time not
able to perceive Yet astonishing
progress has been made in both cities
In Panama 80 per cent Of the streets
that are to be paved at all are already
paved with an excellent brick pave.
ment laid in heavy concrete, few OF
the streets being still in process OF
paving. The sewer and water services
In the city are of the most modern
hygienic type, some of the service hav