New-York tribune., 1909-02-21

IN every house in the Canal Zone. and remarked
hat the government even provided luXurles ior
SIS employees.
An army surgeon who was escorting the trav-
e1ers observed politely that the screens were one
f the compelling necessities for sanitation and
Informed the woman that had it not been for the
1se Of screens in yellow fever determination her
life might then be in jeopardy from the ofeao
disease as she 5ourneyed across the isthrnus.
II vas with the assistance of the screen IN dleir
s1rsriroenrs in Cuba that army surgeons were
enabled to find that yellow fever was transmitted
only through the agency of the stegoplyla- Anu
the screen also was Of the agents In the 1a1al
tests Of Ixazear army surgeon who submitted
~ the bite of an infected mosquito in Cuba and
lost his life for the sake Of humanity and ms
theory. I4szear. Carroll, Reed and Agramonte the
medical commission established by the government
"a solve the yellow fever problem in Cuba brought
ont In their successful experiments the necessity
of screening and when Colonel !Torgas was sent
10 the isthmus chief sanitary officer OF the
Canal Zone 10 fight disease did not overlook the
screen.
PREVENTS SPREAD OF FEVERS-
The necessity OF screening to isolate and elmi-
rate yellow fever may be seen by showing brleny
the way The disease fought. Let it be assumed
that a yellow fever patient is found somewhere IN
one OF the communities in the Canal zone Inc
moment he IS stricken he IS Quarant!ned in room
screened SO carefully that the smallest mosquito
cannot get near him The victim usually shows
symptoms within five DAYS after Infection ana lle
germ Is only accessible 70 the stegoTny1a during Ie
5rst three DAYS of the disease If the patient IS
Ecreened from the germ transmitting mosquito
there is no opportunity the fever to be carried
70 Others through the agency Of the insect tx
perirnents have shown conclusiYely Iat d
stegounyia which has bitten patient within the
FIST three days Of infection IS not able 10 transmit
the disease until twelve days afterward The
stegornyia as a rule Is active only at night ana Il
persons in the community are isolated from an IL
fected MOSQUITO by screening, while careiu4Iy
UarieDt, the chances lOF
the suread of yellow fever are exceedingly small
The stegomyia is the only mosquito able 10 Trans
nit yellow fever while the anopheles alone can IN
feet one with malaria There are many VaIieues'
but only the two named known thus far TO
science as agents Of disease
Since the beginning OF the canal Work by lhe
Americans in May 1904. to September or last year
apuroxir1atelv sslsO0O has been spent on screening
The Tsth-nian Canal Commission wasted no time on
adjustable window screens. The work was cone on
& larger scale than that The houses Tor the canat
EMPLOYEES are sl equipped with wide verandas bulIt
usually around three OF the four sides, and me
screening extends from the ground TO the Fool
The windows which are not screened open out on
The screened verandas. and perfect ventllaioh Is
obtained When the weather is too warm Wlthlh
6oors the occupants Of the quarters SIT on the
verandas protected absolutely frsm mosquitoes
This sum Of $4,000 expended on screening N
cludes the woodwork and painting ana the iaDoI re-
oulred 10 put It UP. The screening used by the
commission has been mainly of kindsa bronze
wire containing from s. 10 80 per cent copper ana
brass wire containing from g to 66per cent cop
per. -
The mosquitoes OF the isthTnus have found mat
there are some s66.975 square yards OF formdden
surface through which they cannot penetrate lot
this is the total area OF screening used Ihe cost
Of the wire was S255 IA. averaging SsS4 cents d
.,.-o ,ars az this amount 25s 567 yards were OF
brass wire costing s9s6s5. average OF 5eS cents
e square yard II estimated that the cost OF
copper wire screening. including WOODWORK sup
ports for screening. painting and laoor' A'eraSeu
8 O. a square yard.
While The system OF screening the entire house
from ground 70 roof might seem extraVagang care
fui estimates proved that it cost only trhe more
than the screening Of individual windows doors ana
other oneninszs An estimate made on one 81 ths
houses showed that the cost OF screening openings
cost only 500 while the cost Of screening the entie
house from roof to ground was only *4-1- Il mas mas
49, ,;,,-ssrated that a greater protection
against the mosquito IS insured BY the ferenoa
screening process Ihan by the screening OF open
ings the latter plan taking longer ana ieaFihg moro