The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-08-08

| edge that Will come from this great
/ institution"
! Until the Gorgas memorial buiJd-
ing can be completed, the labora.
tories and equipment of the new
! Santo Tomas hospital lin Panams
City have been offered for this sns'
cial research work. 1t is bo9s5
that active work along these lines
may be begun by next January
In addition to the advantages ~
fered by the location of the insfi-
tute in the midst of the section of
the world where such diseases arc
most common another ADVANTAGE
is offered students in such researen
work by the numerous cases DE-
manding treatment which are
| brought into that vicinity by Tho
great flow of shipping through tbe
canal zone. Men from all over tbs
world are on board those vessels
and, naturally, all varieties OF dis
ease are to be found among sucb
conglomeratiOn of human ba-
ings.
1t is not possible to list here all
the known diseases that it would
! be possible to study in this institu-
ton, but among them are: ma
laria, yellow fever, plague, dengue.
human trypanosomiasis, beriberi
pellagra, leprosy, various halmin-
thic infections, and cholera.
William c. Gorgas, who succeed
ed ins turning one of the deadlipst
pest-holes on earth into a place as
safe as a health resort" as the late
Theodore Roosevelt put it. was Of
historic southern parentage. His
grandfather was one of the early
governors of Alabama, and his
father, General Josiah Gorgas, was
a West Point bred officer of tie
confederate army. William C. Cor
gas was born in Mobile, Ala. in
1854, and received his education al
the University of the South, and
Bellevue Hospital Medical college
He received his doctors degree in
1879 at the latter school. The next
year he was appointed as a surgeon
in the United States army. He saw
both active field service and serv-
ice in the hospital tent in Florida,
the west, and on the Mexican Dor
der. After the Santiago expedition
he was made chief sanitation Off
Ger in Havana.
He Could Change His Mind.
1t is a peculiar fact that General
Gorgas originally opposed the the
DRY that yellow fever was trans
mitted by mosquitoes. He spent
long hours trying to argue DR.. Car
los J. Findlay, the chief advocate OF
this theory, out of such an idea.
General Leonard Wood, however,
upheld the firmly assertive DR..
Findlay. and, eventually. the cor
rectnesS of their views was proved
beyond doubt. General GOrgas
demonstrated his greatness in that
he did not think that he could err.
He frankly acknowledged his mis-
take and entered the fight against
the mosquito in Cuba with splendid
energy and vigor. In the 20 vears
following that fight in Havana
against yellow fever and the NOS
quito, not one case has occur Ell
there.
General Gorgas was sent to Pan
anna March 4, 1904. He was then
a colonel and had received APP
pointment as assistant surgeon gem
eral in recognition of his accom-
in Havana IN Panama
he found conditions so bad that
there averaged 5000 deaths year
from tropical diseases. Having had
a few rounds with this yenomous g
beast, the mosquito. the general
was at least familiar with the mos.
line of tactics TO pursue
in tackling the job in Panama.
There is no need to repeat details
Of the fight, but it is beyond doubt
true that the enterprise Of building
the Panama canal could never have
been accomplished without tie So
luton of the sanitation pToblcms
by General Gorgas. The mosquito,
yellow fever and malaria left the
canal zone for parts unknown.
Again, prior to the World war
General Gorgas performed similar
deeds in eradicating
pneumonia among the kafir dia-
mond mine workers Of Africa. Ana
yet again, he went to South Amer
lea, on the western coast, to stamp
out yellow fever in its most for
where this disease had ragged Tor AZ
years. In January, 1914. he pc
came surgeon general Of the United
States army, with the rank of brig
adler general. The next year he
became a major general Then
with the American eXpediuonary
forces in France, he developed the
great system for the reconstruction
Of crippled soldiers which mas
meant so much to thousands OF
men.
He retired from active service
and became permanent director Oh
he international board OF the
Foundation. 1t became
/ by-word all over the world WheI-
ever a great number of men were
stricken with disease, for govern
nents to cry. Lets send for cor
gas" He was in London on MS
way to investigate sanitary cohul
ions in West Africa, on behah u
he British government, when th9
Illness overlook him which resuteu
n his death in July, 1920. Botn tns
Iings of England and Belgium nau
to honor him with 0eC-
,rations. Nations consulted MIN
lie was really doctor to the worn
md has been called by NAM
he wholesale Iife-saver." Wlthou.
ioubt he is one of the Americans
Who have gone far in esta0iisnIns
,ur country favorably in the eye
# older nations. It is surely ~
ing that so beautiful and useIui
building should be dedicated 10 ms
memory to carry on the great WON
lie began.