White Pine news weekly mining review. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1910-1920, 1913-04-13
THE FUTURE OF THE TROPICS.

The following article from the
journal of American Medical associa-
tion on the future of the tropics VIII
he of interest in view of the recent
development of that portion OF the
world:
Are the tropics, which were for
ages the seat Of powerful civilization
and of mighty empires once more go
ing to become favored and desirable
spots for civilized man? Col. Gorgas
thinks they will. In a recent address
at Johns Hopkins university after
describing the wonderful reduction
in disease under the sanitary pre-
cautions established, Col. Gorgas
speeulates on the effect of this de-
monstration on our ideas of the
tropics as a place of residence. He
saws that it is an established fact that
always in the past the Caucasian has
wilted and died in the tropics. He
has found 1t almost impossible to rear
his children under these conditions,
and when he has survived, a degene-
rate race has resulted. But here at
Panama a force of 10000 Caueasians
has lived for the past six years in as
good health as similar people live In
the healthful parts of the United
States. Not only is Panama located
in the most tropical portion of the
tropics, but it has been the most I'M
/ healthful location in all the tropics
+ for the past four hundred years. The
Caucasian has tried to live here and
use Panama as a crossing place. but
he has found it impossible 10 do so.
The toll in life has been very heavy
when he spent in the jungle Of the
isthmus even the few days that We're
necessary for the crossing; and when
he attempted to stay longer, as with
the French under De Lesseps, the loss
was appalling. What has made the
difference between invalidism and
death in the one period, and robust
and vigorous health in the other pc
Rod? 1t is due solely to the fact that
the Amt4ican authorities have pro-
teeted the workers and their families
from disease. especially from yellow
fever and malaria. The effects of this
experiment will be far reaching. The
tropics. at present, contain much
the largest and most productive por-
tons of the earth's surface. A mans
labor in the tropics will bring him in
many times the returns that the same
amount of labor will produce in the
temperate zone. Hereto fore he has
been kept out of these regions on ae.
count of the health conditions. Pan
anna has been known as the most un.
healthful place in the world, and also
as having had carried into execution
within its borders the greatest con.
struction feat man has ever under.
taken. If the white man can live
work and rear a family under These
conditions at Panama, he can do sc
in any other part of the tropics. The
tendency will be for mar to emlgrat,
to those parts of the world where ht
can get the largest return for hi.
labor. The great centers of ciyiliza
ton will develop in these regions
where mans labor's applied to nat
ural opportunities produces tn,
greatest return.
Our sanitary work at Panama, saw
Col. Gorgas. in a recent issue of thu
Journal of American Medical Associa
ton, will be remembered as the even
which demonstrated TO the white MAJ
that he could live in perfectly goot
health in the tropics; that from thi
period will be dated the beginning O
the great white civilizations in thes
regions; and the again great tropiea
empires will be known, such as exist
ed in the early history of man-sucI
as Egypt, Babylon and Nineveh.