Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-10-12
The Panama Canal At Work.
VII.-The IrrepressibIe
Mosquito.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

llA-=
| ANCON, October $50 much has
been written about the elimination OF
malaria on the Canal Zone by the de-
struction of the mosquitoes. one might
well get the impression that the Pana-
man mosquito Is practically extinct
There could be no greater mistake
The health department of the canal
| government wages an incessant war
upon mosquitoes, and in all probability
will do so az long as white men inhabit
the isthmus. The most important les
! son Of experience at Panama has been
4 that eternal mosquito hunting is the
| price of a low rate of malaria.
| The scientific thoroughness with
| which the mosquito is hunted out and
| destroyed at Panama Is almost fncredl-
| BILE to the layman. A typical item IN a
| Panama paper relates that a mosquito
alarm was sent to the health depart
ment from Las Sabanas, which might
| he described as the slums OF Panama.
Forthwith, six mosquito hunters re-
| sponded to the call, armed with bril-
| liant aceylene lights and chloroform.
After a thorough search Of the suspect
| ed house, a single mosquito was cap
| tured alive and removed to the labora-
tory to have its age, sex ana species
determined. nowhere else III tuc WoTiu
Is single mosquito the object Of so
much thought and solicitude.
Most of the mosquito hunters OF the
health department are West Indian
blacks, the men who dug the canal and
who are now doing most of the work
of keeping 1t in operation. These clever
negroes have learned to identify the
dangerous species of mosquito as well
as any scientist could, while some of
them are sufficiently skillful In the use
of instruments to make a microscopic
examination of blood for traces Of ma
laria.
The basis Of the campaign against
mosquitoes Is now. as it always has
been, the destruction of their breeding
places. Along the edge of Gatun lake
all Of the bushes and grass are cut, so
that there will be no shelter for the
mosquito larvae, and SO that the small
fish can get in and eat them up. Sew
eral crews of men are kept busy at this
work.
There are large swamps near Colon
and Mount Hope, which have given
much trouble to the health department
in the past, but these are now being
permanently dry-fllled at cost of
500, 900. Meantime, the brush and grass
are being cut around their edges, and
the shallow water covered with oil.
This same treatment of removing shell
ter and oiling Of waters where the
mosquitoes might breed IS applied to
within 500 yards Of every house on the
Canal Zone mosquito seldom travels
more than 500 yards in his lifetime, so
that distance from any house Is the
zone of safety. A new generation Of
mosquitoes, however. is born and
brought to maturity every seven to ten
days, so that the whole process must
be done all over again at least once
week. Every tropical shower creates
new puddles and runs which might
form breeding places.
+
The native Panaman gives little CO.
operation to the health department
in its war upon
Natives Friendly tropical diseases.
to the Mosquito. i nevse that pat they
themselves are immune to malaria and
yellow fever and that the destruction
of these diseases means the coming Of
more white men, bringing competition
and change, which are two things they
do not desire. Health department Off
Gals say that the natives are undoubt-
eddy mistaken in the belief that they are
immune to malaria. AS a matter Of
fact, most of them have had it so much
that it has become part of their sys-
TENS. and the symptoms are no longer
acute. throughout the rural OlStTlCtS
in Panama may be seen many persons
afflicted with enlarged spleen, which is
said to be simply the result OF chronic
malaria.
At any rate. many of the Panaman
are even opposed to drinking the
pure water with which the United
States government supplies them. They
prefer to capture rain water and keep
1t in earthen Jars, and these jars form
an ideal breeding place for the ever
fn hue of-
fort is necessary to keep the pest down
in the city of Panama, where 1t should
not exist at all.
AS a result Of these strenuous and I'M
relenting measures against the mos
quito, the indigenous malarial rate in
Panama has been reduced to such a low
figure that the health department offi-
Gals like to state 1t as practically
none" Whenever the people become
severely Ill they always journey to
Panama, so that there is always more
or less imported sickness. but this can
rot be charged to health conditions on
the zone.
ba,ed in addition to malaria, are yell
| low fever and bubonfc plague. There
have been no Indigenous cases of either
of these diseases in the Canal zone
since 1905. In order fully to safeguard
Uncle Sans employees against the men
| ace of plague. It is now the purpose OF
the health department to make the
cjty of Panama absolutely ratproof
Already the greater part of the streets
of Panama have been paved by the
| Government. the whole town has been
severed with concrete and tiled drains
and many of the worst quarters have
been destroyed and rebuilt in more
substantial style.
| A law has now been passed. which
prohibits the making OF any change In
| building ir
Rapidly Making Panama withou,
| ns the consent OF
| kanamA 0atPIooA' tho health de-
,,rtment. Thus, whenever an applica.