The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-12-18
Appendix 6.
statIstIes).
IPefsOnlI.J
L. s. S. Louisiana.
At Sea, November 20, 1906.

tPersonal.)
L. s. S. Louisiana.
At Sea, November %, 1906.
My Dear Doctor Gorgas:
Following our most interesting three
days association on the Isthmus, | am
writing you more fully than / had time
to express personally my impressions OF
your great work. If you find any of my
suggestions of service. ! shall be amply
repalds for my trouble: If not. the waste
basket may receive this letter, and there
will be no harm done.
My wish Is to give all that in me lies.
however little 1t may be, to the end that
this great work may be brought to a sue
cessful completion at az early a date as
possible. The work done by the sanitary
department Is most encouraglng-the
practical elimination OF the mosquito
borne diseases; the clear showing that
the climate is more satisfactory for the
white man than the eolored, and this
would not be the case If the colored men
had even the knowledge of personal hy-
giene that our negroes have; the water
and food supply most satisfactory. only
requiring that energetic supervision that
It requires everywhere In tropical coun-
tries. What else is required? In Nmy
opinion the reply Is personal hygiene,
backed up by eternal vigilance to prevent
infection from nearby infected parts.
and the carrying on OF the good work
of clearing up and keeping clean with
thoro drainage and upon no condition al
lowing a body OF men to be brought to-
gether and quartered without suitable
provisions having been made beforehand.
The worst showing in your department
was from want Of such provision, which.
as suggested by the President might be
as temporary as you please. but certainly
such provisions should have been ample
/ have had similar conditions to contend
with at naval stations, and at my last
visit to the Naval Station. Norfolk, Va,
the sanitary conditions were found dis
tinctly bad, and the accommodations for
men, when ships in commission were in
dry dock. were not sufficient The at
tentlon of the commandant had beea
called to the threatening danger of cpl
demic diseases, and yards and docks, on
the recommendation Of the Bureau OF
Medicine and Surgery has done some
work, and tho conditions are better, but
they are still unsatisfactory and will re-
quire further action on my part. The
sanitary conditions on the canal zone are
on the whole more satisfactory than they
were at Norfolk Naval Station on the oc-
casion OF my last visit. and seeing your
work on the isthmus has stimulated me
to accomplish necessary improvements.
/ shall quote the isthmus to the depart
ment as an example of what can be ac-
eompllshed.
Your October report Is most Interest,"
ing. OF the 500 whites on the rolls there
were only two deaths from disease,
whereas Of the 1900 negroes there We're
96 deaths. or in Al population of negroes
a little less than three and one-half
times that of the whites there were AZ
times the number OF deaths. This is an
enormous difference. and is due to the
way the negro cares for himself
My visit with the President clearly
demonstrates how these negroes live,
and | am of the opinion that here lies
your principal work-to convince the
commission that their mode of living
should he kept under observation and al
tered at any cost. The preparation Of
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