New-York tribune., 1907-12-22
THE CLIMATE OF PANAMA.

Iniudirio,,s wonder continues to he expressed
concerning the climate OF Panama and its eff
fects upon American residents. Yellow fever,
it is observed, has been abolished, and mosquito
fever-once incorrectly called malaria is
rapidly declining and bids fair soon TO be as
unknown there as 1t is at Suez where 1t once
was perhaps more prevalent and pernicious than
anywhere else in the civilized world. There are
no other endemic diseases of Importance on
the isthmus the heat is never as oppressive as
IL often is in New York and Washington, the
water supply is admirable. and indeed prac-
ticaly all the conditions of physical lie ara
salubrious, and the death rate consequently
is lower than it is here. Yet people find 1t
difficult to remain there in good health for
more than, If for as much as. year together,
and the officers and employees of the Canal
Commission need TO come home periodically
on long vacations to restore their health. Al
which, a we have said, people wonder.
The explanation is simple and should be OBJ
vious. It is found in the difference between
variety and monotony. In this country. even
in the South, there are four pretty distinct
sea sons In each year. with marked differences
of temperature and other conditions of weather.
But in Panama there are only two seasons, and
the difference between them Is practically con-
fined to the one detail of rainfall. The tenn
peratIlre, which of all elements OF climate most
affects comfort and health, remains practically
unchanged. The extreme variation of monthly
averages of temperature at Panama Is only
fraction more than three degrees Fahrenheit.
while at New Orleans IL is more than % and at
Washington more than 43 degrees. Panama is
never as hot as New York sometimes Is in
mldsummer-thcre is no record of the thermom-
eter rising as high as 100-but 1t is pretty hot,
and II Is hot for twelve months in the year. 1t
is no more humid than New York sometimes Is:
but instead of having an occasional humid day,
or q few of them together, il has six months OF
unrelieved humidity.
The American visitor on the isthmus is at
first agreeably surprised at the weather, which
he finds much more pleasant than he expected
and more tolerable than that which he left be
hind him in the dog days: and he incncs tow
ard the attitude affected by Pagett, NJ. T., who
spoke of the heat of India as the Asian Solar
Myth" For a few days. weeks, he finds
1t delightful. But when the second month starts
in as q replica of the first he begins TO think
that change Of some kind might be acceptable.
When the third month repeats the first and sec
ond with meteorological accuracy he becomes
really tired of the "damnable iteration of
warm days and thunder showers. And by the
end Of the sixth month Of unbroken monotony
well, he doesn't. like Pagett, NJ. T.. go off in
swoon, but he finds his nerves getting
piteousIy crying for some respite from the IN
tolerabIe sameness.
Those who are habtuated to that climate
like 1t, and it agrees with them; and to them
our changing seasons are trying and demoral-
izing. But they in time get used to varying
seasons SO Americans may in time get ac-
clmated to the monotony of the tropics. and
then it will agree with them. Indeed, many
have already done So There are those who
speedily become acclimated, and, indeed some
who at once find themselves at home in the land
Of unbrOken summer. But with the majority
it IS process requiring time and patience, with
occasional intervals of respite and refreshment
in the more capricious climate Of the North.
But the point to be remembered is that if Amer
leans do not always keep well the isthmus
the fault is as much theirs as the climates
or, rather, it is the fault of neither, but merely
what they used TO call In Chicago divorce
courts 'incompatibility of temperament"