The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-18

very ignorant West India negro when he
lie first brought into the hospital becomes
frightened by the ordinary hospital routine.
HEALTH SHOWING KEMARKABLY
Just at present the health showing on the
Istbmus is remarkably good-so much bet
ter than in most sections OF the United
States that I do not believe that it can
possibly continue at quite its present aver
age.
In Panama and Colon the death rate has
also been greatly reduced, this being directly
due to the vigorous work of the special
brigade OF employees who have been in
specting houses where the stegomyia mos
quito is to be fonr,d. and destroying it's
larve and breeding places, and doing SINH
lar work in extermm. ating the malarial mos
quitoes-in short, in performing all kinds OF
h~ygienio labor. A little over a year ago
all kinds of mosquitoes including the two
catal species, were, numerous about the
Culebra cut. In this cut during last October
every room of eve ~ house was carefully
examined. and only two mosquitoes, neither
Of them of the two fatal species, were found
Unfaltering energy in inspection and IN
-~disinfecting and in the work OF draining
and of clearing brush are responsible for
the change.
Corozal, some four miles from IA Boca,
was formerly one Of the most u~nsanitary
places on the Isthmus, probably the most
hnsanitary. There was a marsh with a
POND in the middle DR.. Gorgas had both
tive marsh and pond drained and the brush
clHared of, so that now, when l went over
the ground, it apparel like a smooth meadow
~inteTsected by drainage bitches. The
breeding places and sheltering' spots of
the dangerous mosquitoes had tSeen COM
pleteey destroyed. The result is that
Corozal for the last six months like La
Boca. which formerly also had a very I'M
sanitary reoord), shows one Of the best
sick rates in the Zone, having less than l
per cent. a week admitted to the hospital.
At Corozal there is a big hotel filed with
employees of the Isthmian Canal Com
mission, some Of them with their wives and
families. Yet this healthy and attractive
spot was stigmatized as a hog wallow"
by one of the least ~scrupulous and most
foolish of the professional scandal mongers
who from time TO tiyne have written about
the commission work.
IMPROVEMENTS IN PANAMA AND COLON.
The sanitation work in the cities of
Hdn6IlA dIlu NOlOb ~ " JubJ ~ lIupOI-
tant as in the lone itself, ani in many re-
spects much more difficult; because it was
necessary to deal With the already existing
population, which naturally had scant
sympathy with revolutionar y changes,
the value of which they were for a long time
not able to perceive. In Colu1 the popula-
ton consists largely OF colored lahorers, who,
having come over from the West Indies
to work on the canal. abandon the work
and either take to the brush or lie idle in
Colon Itself, thus ~peopling Color with the
least desirable among the imported laborers,
for the good and steady men, OF course, con-
tinue at the work. 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 pavement laid in heavy
concrete, a few Of the streets being still in
process OF paving. The sewer and water
services in the city are Of the most modern
ny gienio type some Of the service having
just been completed.
In Colon the conditions are peculiar, and
tits as regards Colon that most of the very
bitter complaint has been made. Colon is
built on a low coral island, covered at more
or less shallow depths with vegetable accu-
mutations or mould which affords suste
and strength to many varieties OF low living
tropical plants. One-half OF the surface
Of the island is covered with water at high
tide, the average height OF the and being
one and a half feet above low tide. The
slight fluctuations furnish shallow, natural
reservoirs or fresh water breeding places
for every variety OF mosquito, n the
ground tends to be lowest in the middle.
In September, 1905, a systematic effort
was begun to formulate a general plan for
the proper sanitation Of the city in February
last temporary relief measures were taken,
while in July h prosecution Of the work
was begun in good earnest. The results
are already visible in the sewering, draining,
guttering and paving of the streets. Some
four months will be required before the
work of sewerage and street Improvement
will be completed, but the progress already
made is very marked. bitches have been
dug through the town, connecting the salt
water on both sides, and into these the
ponds which have served as breeding
places for mosquitoes are drained. These
| bitches have answered their purpose, for
they are probably the chief cause OF the
astonishing diminution in the number of
mosquitoes. More bitches OF the kind
are being constructed.
UNJUST CRITICISM.
Care and ~forethought have been exercised
by the commission, and nothing has re-
fected more credit upon them than their
refusal either TO 70 ahead too fast or to be
deferred by the fear Of criticism from not
going ahead fast enough. It 10 curious