Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1906-12-17

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 I 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 carefully 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 management of the hospital
service, although occasionally 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
on the isthmus is remarkably good
so much better than in most sections
of the United States that do not be-
lieve that it can possibly continue at
quite it's present average. Thus, early
in the present year band Of several
hundred Spaniards were 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 a railroad accident and
one by dynamite explosion. There
has been for the last six months
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 a single death has oc-
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
Oh IF no r
ly obtain, but it certainly goes to prove
that if good care is taken the isthmus
is not a 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.
Dnanution 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 WING
have been inspecting houses where the
stegomyia mosquito is to be found and
destroying its 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 a veal
! ago all kinds Of mosquitoes, including
the two fatal species. were numerous
! about the Culebra cut. In this cut
during last October: every room @
! every house was carefully examined
and only two mosquitoes, neither o
! them of the two fatal species. wers
found. Unfaltering energy in inspec
ton and in disinfecting and in tht
| work of draining and of clearing brusl
are responsible for the change, Lap
pend DR.. Gorgas' report on the healtl
conditions; also a letter from Surgeo,
! General Rixey to DR.. &Gorgas. &sTh
surgeon general reported to me tina
the hygienic conditions on the 18th
/ mus were about, as good as. for in
stance, those in the Norfolk maynard
The sanitation work in the cities Q
Panama and Colon has been just a
i important as in the zone itself and i
4 many respects much more difficult
because ii was necessary to deal wit
1.-THE already existing population, whic
naturally had scant sympathy wit
4 revolutionary changes, the value (
which they were fer a long time nc
, able TO perceive. Yet astonishin
, progress has been made in both cite
j / In Panama 80 per cent of the street
, that are to be paved at all are a1read
] paved with an; excellent brick paw,
, ment laid in heavy concrete, few
! the streets being still in process /
|, Fpaving The sewer and water. service
! la the city are Of the most rnoder
hygienic type som Of the service ha
Ing just been conpl eted.
Colon Water supply. sss
II was not practicable with ii
49,