The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-12-17

inspection, inquiry ana converse
ton with all classes of men en-
ployed on this gigantic enterprise.
After giving a brief sketch OF the
way in which each day was EN-.
ployed the president says:
THE MESSAGE.
Successful Sanitation
The irst great problem TO be solved,
upon the solution OF which the success of
the rest of the work depended, was the
problem of sanitation. This was from
the outset under the direction of Dr. w.
G.. Gorgas, who As to be made full MEM
ber OF the commission. II must be remem-
bered that his work was not mere sani-
tation as the term Is understood I'm our
ordinary municipal work. Thruout the
zone and in the two cities of Panama and
Colon. i'm addition TO the sanitation work
proper he has had 10 do all the work that
the marfne-hospital service does as re-
CARDS the nation. that the health depart
Inent officers do in the various states and
cities, and that Col Waring did in New
York when he cleaned its streets. The
results have been astonishing. The
jsthmus had been a byword for deadly
unhealthfulness. Now. after two years
cards sickness and the death rate COM
pare favorably with reasonably healthy
localities in the United States. Especial
care has been devoted 10 minimizing the
risk due 10 the presence OF those species
OF mosquitoes which have been found 10
propagate malarial and yellow fevers
In all the settlements. the little tempo
rary towns or cities composed OF the white
and black employees which grow up here
and there In the tropic jungle as the
needs of the work dictate, the utmost care
IS exercised to keep the conditions healthy
Everywhere are to be seen drama ge
ditches which in removing the water have
removed the breeding places Of the mos
puitoes. while the whole jungle is cut away
for a considerable space around the habi-
tations thus destroying the places In which
the mosquitoes take shelter. These drain
age bitches and clearngs are In evidence
In every settlement, and, together with
the invariable presence of mosquito
screens around the piazzas, and OF mos
quito 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 a single mos
quito. and this not of the dangerous
species. was seen by any member of our
party during my three days on the 18TH
mus. Equal care is taken by the inspec-
tors of the health department TO secure
cleanliness in the houses and proper hy-
gienic conditions OF every kind. in
spected between 20 and 30 water closets
both those used by the white employees and
those used by the colored laborers. In
almost every case I found the conditions
perfect. In but one case did | find them
really bad.
Hospitals and Treatment
] inspected the large hospitals at An
con and Colon which are excellent ex
amples of what tropical hospitals should
be. | also inspected the receiving hos
pitals in various settlements. I went thru
a number OF the wards in which the color
ed men are treated. n number OF those in
which white men are treated-Americans
and Spaniards. Both white men and black
men are treated exactly alike. and their
treatment is as good as that which could
he obtained In our hrst-class hospitals at
home. All the patients that ! saw, with
one or two exceptions, were laborers or
other employees on the canal works and
railways. most of them being colored men
of the ordinary laborer stamp. Not only
are the men carefully cared for when
ever they apply for care, but so far as
practicable a watch is kept to see that
II they need Il they are sent to the hos.
pitals, whether they desire to go or not.
From no responsible source did any com.
plant come TO me TO the management
Of the hospital service. altho occasionally
very ignorant w eSt Inola negro When
he is first brought into the hospital be-
comes frightened by ,-.e ordinary hospital
routine.
or the 5000 white Americans. including
some 1900 women and children. not a sin
gle death has occurred 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 20 from disease.
This very remarkable showing can not OF
course permanently obtain. but IL GER
tainly goes TO prove that II good care is
taken the isthmus Is not a particularly
unhealthy place. In October. Of the 1900
negroes on the roll. Sc died from disease;
pneumonia being the most destructive dis
ease, and malarial fever coming second.
The difficulty OF exercising a thoro SUI
course greater than is the case among
the whites, and they are also less com
petent 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 II will
be seen that the death rate Is not high.
Diminution Of Mosquitoes
A little over year ago all kinds OF mos
ouitoes. 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 Tn
faltering energy in inspection and In dis
injecting and In the work Of drainage and
OF clearing brush are responsible, tor the
change.
Panama and Colon
In Colon the conditions are peculiar, and
n is regards Colon that most of the
very bitter complaint has been made. Co
lon is built on "A low coral island. covered
at moro or less shallow depths with veg
etable accumulations or mold, which ar
fords sustensnce and strength to many
varieties OF low-lying tropical plants. one