Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-11
Makes Strong Argument for Tropics
From the New York Tribune.

and sickness has already begun in. many
places, and judging from the manner In
which they are constructed and populated
these towns are there to stay There are
fine hospitals, efficient sewerage. mag
,, nificent hotels, telephones, cables, trolley
cars-in fact, comforts and conveniences
that are not exceeded anywhere.
There are well built theaters at which
the most prominent stars in the theatre
cal armament appear for a certain term
each year before crowded houses. There
are plazas where some of the best equipped
bands In the world play. There are ba-
zaars and shops where the finest goods
may be purchased, and the trademark
Made in Germany or Bottled in
France" is a matter of fact and not of
name merely.
The streets are clean as those in Spot
less Town." the back yards are green and
the alleys unspotted; there is no more
sickness than In some northern cities or
cities south Of the equator, and disease
epidemcs are things unknown.
Drawbacks to Be Fought
Yet with all these advantages there are
many persons who do not share the views
of Colonel Gorgas and among these are
some who have put in much of their
time just across 1.-The line"
For one thing-and a powerful consider
alton with Americans-it would cost mill
lions of dollars to carry out anything like
an effective scheme of fumigation, santa
ton and drainage in the average city of
the tropics. Then, the long hunt to ex-
terminate the last of the anophele, or
stegemoyia, family would get on the
nerves of the best trained hunter as they
multiply with great rapidity.
Even with the last of the MOSQUITO
family destroyed there are other diseases
to cope with. There are various forms
of hysteria, according to physicians who
know, that attack visitors to the tropics
and act with disastrous effect on the sys-
tenn.
The heavy rains. which come without
warning and drench one before he can
reach shelter, have different and far more
harmful effects on the system than do
those of the temperate zone. The typhoon (
and the monsoon, the rainy season and !
the dry season, the lack of natural ice |
or snow, are all characteristics of the I
tropics, while to him who thirsteth after /
the highball there is certain trouble COM |
ing if he satisfies this thirst in cities of |
the tropics.
One of the most dangerous habits that |
can be INDUCED in in the tropicS is the !
drink habit, say the doctors, and the J
death of many Americans in Cuba can be !
traced to their indulgence in this /
habit
The natives of these countries have
their alcoholic beverages, but they sip
them slowly and take them in moderation,
a custom contrary to that in this country.
Again, there is the inertia that comes TO
him who lives In hot climates and the
habit of Incidence acquired from the Gus
tomary afternoon siesta.
In the woods, besides beautiful flowers
and fine fruits are scorpions, snakes of
endless variety, spiders that kill at bite
and wild animals both large and small.
Cyclones are not infrequent, earthquakes
and volcanoes far more frequent than in
the cooler zones disturbances both inter-
nal and external not altogether due to
germs and bugs are not uncommon, so
that by those who take exception to DR..
Gorgas' theory the temperate zone, with
all it's variety of climate and trouble, is
much to be preferred to one where there
are only two varieties of weather-wet
and dry.
But, on the other hand, Americans at
least are beginning to realize that new
and efficient guard against disease has
been revealed in the new doctrines as to
a balanced diet, slow and complete mas
tication and abstemlousness at the table.
Perhaps If white men in the tropics
learn to eat sensibly and dress more natu
rally they may escape the nervous trou-
bes that now attack them there, and
when refrigeration is so improved upon
that cold-air pipes can be laid into every
home or office from a central plant, just
as gas or steam is supplied here, the trop-
les may lose their drawbacks and Colonel
Gorgas' dream be realized at last.