Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-10-14
READILY In trODical china teS.

readily In tropical climates.
Several Of the annual reports Of the
sanitary department have noted the
remarkably few diseases peculiar to
men. such as alcoholism, etc.
Allowance must be made in consider
ing The favorable health showing on
the isthmus to the fact that the en-
plOyees in one sense are picked men.
They must be in sound condition when
employed and usually In the prime OF
life. Another thing that has kept the
death rate down among the Americans
has been the practice of returning to
the United States many patients who
apparently had not long to live. Thus
their deaths were not charge against
the canal zone.
It cannot be assumed that all the
deaths from disease in the canal zone
were from causes that originated
there. The diseases peculiar to the
tropics have not claimed AS many vic
tins among the Americans as the dis
eases peculiar to the northern climates.
But there has been a steady improve
ment. as may he noted in fall in the
death rate among the Americans from
S.14 per 1000 in 1907 to 5.14 per 1000
in 1911.
An incident in the sanitary govern
ment of the isthmus was an executive
order by President Taft. effective on
Dec. II. 1911. which prohibited the
practice Of any system Of therapeutics
or healing that the sanitary depart.
ment. the ailopathic school. should rule
against. The president upon it's possi-
BILE application to create monopoly of
healing in the canal zone being point
ed out to him revoked the order on
Jan. l. 1912.
Employees are not permitted to re-
main in their homes and quarters
when sick. but must 60 to the Colon
or Ancon hospital unless the district
physician expressly rules otherwise.
The hospital grounds at Ancon are
beautiful. and convalescent patients
are sent to Taboga island. ten miles
out in Panama bay. for final treat
ment A dairy with 1875 cows supplies
fresh milk to the AncOn hospital.
! At first Colonel GOrgas was not a
member Of the isthmian canal commits
sion. But the extraordinary ability he
displayed resulted in the separation Of
the sanitary department from the ju-
risdiction Of the governor of the canal
zone. and on Feb. %. 1907. Colonel
GOrgas was made member Of the
commission. with the department of
santa ton having equal dignity with
other grand divisions Of the work. He
is the only official Of the highest rank
who has been with the canal project
from its earliest days to the present.
| The cost of the sanitary conquest of
the isthmus to July l. 1918. was the
somewhat impressive total Of $4,000
600. Here. as in the pay and treat
ment Of employees. the government
has sought results without regard to
| the expense. For the remaining days
of the canal the cost of sanitation will
be approximately $2.5OO.O0O. or ST.
100000 in all by Jan. I. 1914. which
amount is nearly $3.OOOOOO less than
the cost estir ted for the department
in 1908.
When the ordinary cleanliness to
which the Ale erican or the European
is accustomed is observed in the trop-
les and If int.Micants are not p:rmit-
ted to dominate the individual life
there will no be the slightest diff;
Guilty In living near the r-:..:.::or