Evening star., 1926-08-22
RECORD OF CORCAS
!. SHOWN IN EXHIBIT
Decorations of Great Health
Crusader Loaned Museum
by Widow.

The Smithsonian Institution haA
placed on exhibition in the medical
department of the National Museum,
the decorations and many Of the per
sonal effects of the late Gen. William
G.. Gorgas. received as a loan from his
widow
These decorations. the institution
announces. reveal that Gen. Gorgas
was "the most internationally hon
ored American medical man who ever
lived.
Great Britain, Italy and France
Joined with his native land in tributes
70 the man who practically alone eN'
tirpated from the earth the scoVrge
OF yellow fever and made habitable
almost as great an area Of the globe
as Columbus discovered.
Include Many Citations.
The decorations include the decora-
ton and star of a knight Commander
of the Distinguished Order Of St.
Michael and 81. George, conferred on
Gen. Gorgas on his deathbed in Lon
don. England, by King George V; the
grand cross of the Order OF the Grown
of Italy conferred by King Victor
Emmanuel III, and the grand cross
of the Legion of Honor of France
The American decorations received
indicate that his own country was no
less forward in recognizing the merit
Of its great son. Foremost among
these is the distinguished service
medal.
4 huge portfolio contains the de
grees conferred on Gen. Gorgas by
uniN ersities in this country and
abroad That making him a doctor
of science Of the University of Oxford
contains the following salutation by
the vice chancellor:
Pre- eminently distinguished, sa ga
cious, health bringing. the modern Ma.
chaon of the American Army, whom
indeed | should wish to salute not
only in Latin prose, but also in Greek
verse. thus: Hall Router of the Plague
of Flies Hail Isthmian Conqueror
True, Gorgas. to that wise goddess
dear, the GorSan death who slew
Personal Effects Also Shown
Other items loaned to the Smith
sonian by Mrs. GorSas include his
dress uniform as a ma jor general. the
American flag which draped his coff;tr
during the funeral services held in st
Pauls Cathedral. the baptsmal robe
Of his infancy and a pair of beaded
moccasins worn when a child. The
entire collection will be put on ex-
hibition in separate cases in the medi.
cal section of the National Museum
under the direction of Charles White.
bread. curator
II is as the COnqueror of yellow
fever that Gen. GorgaS is best known
10 the world. The dramatic story Of
his cleanup of Havana at the begin.
ming Of this century, after Walter
Reed and his companions had definite
lN isolated the Stegomyia mosquito as
i I.
the world In 4 few months he re.
duced the death ra-e from yellow
fever from an average of 500 a year
10 zero. This achievement required
the keeping empty of every water con
tainer-rain barrel or flower vasee-in
a city Of several hundred thousand,
yet hy infinite tact and perseverance
DR.. Gorgas accomplished this
His Work at Panama.
From Havana he went in 1904 to
take charge of the sanitary work in
connection with the building of The
Panama Canal, Twenty years of eff
fort on the part of the French 10
make contact between the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans had resulted in
colossal failure and the loss of some
10000 French lives. It was yellow
1eVer and malaria which lay at the
base of this failure. but Gen. Gorgas
almost alone realized it. The success
or the American attempt depended
upon Gen. Gorgas' ability to stamp
out these fevers. The story of his
attempt is now history. According to
Gen. Leonard Wood: 1T was upon
the sanitary foundation which Gen
GorgaS laid in Panama that the Pana
ma Canal was. in q large measure
built. He transformed tho Canal
Zone from the fever and pesthole OF
the world 10 the most healthful spot
"n the American Continent
subsequently,. Gen. Gorgas helped
70 eliminate pneumonia among the
natives working in the mines Of
S"ulh hflCa. and 10 wipe out yellow
fc1er from its strongholds in South
.Nfif>a. During the World War he
nad entire charge of the medita,
work Of The American Army as sur
geon general.