The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-08-30
FIGHTING WORST
ENEMY Of ARMY
SURGEON GENERAL GoRGAs TALKS
INTERESTINGLY or WAR
ON DISEASE.
PANAMA FROM FEVER
OFFICIAL HONoRED ny PRESIDENT
TRANSFORMER PEsTHoLEs
INTO HEALTH
RESORTS.
PANAMA FROM FEVER

That the medical department of
the United States army has made it
possible for soldiers and sailors to
live in the tropics and be as healthy
a. they would be In any part of the
United States was an assertion made
recently by Surgeon General William
Crawford Gorgas United States Army.
at the Hotel Belvedere
"Of over 5000 soldiers Of the
United States army VINO were vac
cinated with typhoid virus and sent
into the tropics not one developed the
disease" said General Gorgas.
General Gnrgas was recently made
surgeon general of the army by
President Wilson In recognition of
the great service he rendered the
country rs chief medical officer of
the Panama Canal zone General
G0rgas is also given credit by all ia
miliar with the circumstances for the
measures which freed Havana. Cuba
of yellow fever. Both places were
considered among tine most deadly
spots in the world. and now Havana
cuba, and the Panama Canal zone
are as healthy as Maryland. Illinois
ar Vermont. General Cforgas has
done his most important work as an
investigator Of theories based on med
ical practice. rather than as a mill
tarv commander. though he pos
sessed powers as the director Of pam
anna canal measures. The battles he
has waged have been against the
deadly mosquito that bears germs Of
yellow fever ard malaria. which have
killed more men ,han gatl!ng guns
or army rifles
when asked If the medical depart
ment had made any new discoveries.
General CsorEas said, IN a modest man
ner:
"You know. the medical department
of the army thinks ouintne very eff
fecttye In cases of malaria"
But not once did he allude to his
having startled the medical profess
sion all over the world by making
the discovery that the MOSQUITO was
responsible fer The transmission Of
the disease and nv the usa of crude
oil he had killed the MOSQUITO and
Transformed Havana from a pest hole
into a health resort.
Norke,i In Canal ZONE.
There is no reason why our SOL
diers should NOT he as healthy In the
tropics ns at home" said General
Goreas The medical department Of
the army has accom- plished great re-
Suits in sanitation and In the treat
ment ri tropical diseases
i have not been To the canal zone
for several months But when I was
there found things in excellent
shape II is healthful now and
shnuid remain so for a long time 1t
IS expected the canal VIII be ready
by January !. AT present there are
bout 90 coo men on the pay roll who
are working there. but as soon as the
canal is finished orlv about 5000 will
be retained. There have been a num-
her If slides Of sand in different parts
of the canal. but | understand these
have been dredged out, and the canal
is now in good shape"
General Gergas Is a personal friend
OF Or William IL WEIGH. of the
Johns Hopkins university. He is a
native Of the South. having been born
in Alabama. at Mobile
when II was discovered that the
germs ~ yellow fever and malaria
we're spreaa bv moscr,toes. he was
ona ~ the firsf military medical men
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