The Washington herald., 1908-07-14
THE PANAMA CANAL.
III-SANITATION
By FREDERIC j. HASKIN
By FREDERIC J. HASKIN.

By FREDERIC
Anoon. Canal Zone. July S.-At this
place is stationed the headquarters Of
the health army Of the Panama Canal /
1t is spending about $50 per head for the
entire force each year to keep them
well and to guard them against the most
ins!dious Zoe OF the Canal concept /
demlcal disease This health army is
composed OF some 1000 trained men. and
their implements o. war are mainly
mosquito and rat exterminAtors. In the
Canal Zone they cut and burn or re-
move about sixteen million square yards
Of brush year. They drain million
square yards Of swamps a year. cut
thirty million square yards Of grass.
dig a quarter million linear feet of
bitches, and clean two million feet of
old bitches. They empty nearly mil
lion garbage cans a year. and over three
hundred thousand night soil cans. They
fumigate about eleven million cubic feet
Of space In dwelling places In a years
time.
nearly eleven thousand loads Of sweep
ings and twenty-five thousand loads OF
garbage In the city OF Panama. sprinkle
nearly three million gallons OF water on
its streets, and distribute three and
half million gallons OF water 90 the poor
Of the city. And then they have al
most as much more 10 do at Cristobal
and Colon. on the other side Of the 18TH
mus. Besides all this. they haye TO in
spect 1lS0o0 persons year IN connec-
ton with the quarantine. vaccinate some
twenty thousand people arriving on the
isthmus. and some fifteen thousand leav-
ing, and issue some thirty-fOur thousand
circulars OF Instructions with reference
20 malarial fever.
With all Of this preventive work they
combine the treatment OF the sick on
the Canal Zone. The hospitals have lit
tie to do now IN comparison with times
past yet the treatment they gave during
last year was equivalent 10 treating 43S,-
o0O people for one day, az q total cost Of
s735.0O0.
The mosquito is responsible for post
Of the big outlay for sanitation. Il was
this little pest that outgeneraled the
French and drove them ingloriously from
the task they had undertaken. Like the
midnight murderer who steals upon his
victim administers the fatal blow, and
then disappears I'm the darkness as If tho
earth had swallowed him up. the mos
quito managed 20 cover his tracks so
well that ne was never seriously suspect
ed Of being the criminal responsible for
a million murders until he met his match
IN the American doctor. This latter gem
tleman laid the crime at the mosquito 5
door and proved his case IN Cuba When
Panama was reached a new hearing was
granted Col. Gorgas was the prosecut-
ing attorney. Early In 1895 the trial be-
gan. The mosquito brought about SO
many cases of yellow fever that he was
almost able 10 prove an allbi. He did
so in the minds of thousands. In fact
ho made out such a defense for himself
that hundreds tore the screens from
their windows. refused to sleep under
mosquito bars. and professed entire indif-
ference 10 the mosquito. II even went
go far that the canal commission Itself
was almost ready to lineup on the side
or the mosquito.
At this juncture Gov. Magoon arrived
on the scene. He said he was afraid OF
the mosquito, and that II Gorgas were
given an opportunity TO make his work
absolutely thorough he would prove his
case And, what IS further, he said he
proposed 70 afford that opportunity
Three months Of eXtermnatlng warfare
left 80 few yellow fever mosquitoes on
the lsthmus that Col Gorgas offered 81
in gold 10 any one not connected with the
sanitary department who would report 8
case Of yellow fever. Thus was the mos
quito sentenced 90 banishment from IN,
isthmus. and the sanitation brigade /;
carrying the sentence into execution. Only
a comparatively few bushwackers remain
and they are having hard time.
II takes about 10000 gallons OF mos
quito oil a year 10 keep down these little
bloodsucking pests who come after you
hammer and tongs. There are fifty
known breeds Of mosquitoes on the 18TH
mus. and perhaps some twenty more
species which have not been identified
AS perhaps one-third Of the Canal Zon,
IS swamps, II VIII readily be seen that q
good many gallons Of oil must be poured
on the mcsquito-troubled waters 70 keeI
the pests from multiplying. or the fifty
or more species Of mosquitoes. ten. anC
probably eleven, belong 10 the malaria
producing family Two of the others be
long 70 the yellow fever producing class
What the other thirty-odd species are en-
gagged in besides annoying long-sufferin.
humanity has not been determined.
II Is tho young mosquitoes that tn
sanitary department Is able 10 exter
inmate. They live under the water. bu
have 70 come up 10 the surface with NOR
or less frequency TO get a breath of fresl
air, IL one happens 20 come UP wher
there Is a drop OF mosquito oil. his caree
is suddenly terminated, as the oil goe
down into his little lungs like so mucl
lead, and he IS soon done for. AS tn
average young mosquito has 10 come u
10 tho surface over 5000 times during HI
larva life, 70 VIII be seen that the odd
are considerably against him.
While the sanitary department tries Z
keep track Of every mosquito on III
ishthmus. II IS also keeping & weathe
eye out FOR the rats and mico. 1t Is sal
that these rodents play the role OF hos
20 lnnumerable heas. These feas bite
bubOnic patient. and then go off and bit
g well person, travelling about on a rat 0
mouse. So the battle of the health au
thorities is to exterminate these flea car
riers, Wherever one goes on the isthmu
he finds notices posted which advise tina
rats and mice spread the neas whic
carry bubonic plague infection Reques
Is made that everybody shall join In IN
crusade Of exterminating the rats an
mice, and that the dead body Of every ra
on the Zone be turned over TO the sani
tary department.