Evening star., 1935-08-04
ANNIVERSARIES RECALL
PANAMA FIGHT ON FEVER
Gen. Corgas Began War on Mosquito
30 Years Ago and Made Zone
Healthful Place to Live.

opportunity of biting a person. More
over, the mosquito mortality rate is
high, and most malaria bearers die
before they have a chance to transmit
their infection.
Phases Of Attach.
Anti-malarial work in the Isthmus,
as outlined in a report by Col. Weston
P. Chamberlain. former chief health
officer, passed through these attack
phases:
l. Attack against the malarial para
site in man, by prophylactic use Of
quinine.
2. Attack against adult mosquitoes
by cutting away underbrush, screening
houses and killing insects in dwellings.
3. Attack against mosquito larvae
and pupae by oiling breeding places
and applying lsrvicides.
4. Attack against large bodies OF
standing water by filling. draining,
training streams, or admitting the tide
so as TO circulate fresh sea water.
S. Attack against standing water by
sub-soil tiling and concreted bitches.
While some of these phases overlap,
each one represents a refinement in
method as the fight against malaria,
necessary to the building and operation
of the Canal, proceeded through the
years.
The Health Department is one of the
five departments of the Panama Canal
organization functioning directly under
Gov. Julian L. Schley. It is charged
with directing the sanitation program
and with control and prevention Of
tranSmissible diseases in the Canal
Zone and in Panama City and Colon;
treatment of Government employees
and their dependents; enforcement of
| quarantine regulations, and compila-
tion of vital statistics.
Campaigns Vary.
The malaria campaign in the towns
and cities of the Canal Zone and
Panama has varied greatly with years.
Anti-malarial sanitation was extended
as the building of the Canal progress
ed. but the condition of the construc-
tion period made their own difficulties.
A1tCl lllC NdLldI was NOlllPlCtNo lAl
1914, 1t was possible to stabilize the
preventive work and to put in perma-
nent drainage systems and other con-
/ troll methods.
The coming of hard-Surfaced high
ways and the increase in motor cars
brought further problem. 1t became
much easier for persons living in the
nitofod ropinnc n rnoNh he
tated areas and expose themselves, to
infection. Military maneuvers and
mapping expeditions we're factors in
raising the malarial rate in the Army,
| and preventive measures had to be
taken.
The romantic campaign to conquer
the isthmus is paralleled step by step
by the conquest of disease. Scientists
say there is no doubt that disease was
potent factor in the failure of the
French to dig canal. In 1881. when
De Lesseps undertook the project.
Panama long had been known as
breeding place of fatal maladies Dur
ing the gold rush of 1849, during the
building of the Panama Railroad in
the sos, disease took staggering toll
of the unacclimated Caucasions.
Among the serious diseases were ma
laria, yellow fever, dysentery, typhoid
fever. smallpox and hookworm.
Yellow Fever Struck Terror.
Yellow fever particularly, because
it was so deadly and spectacular,
struck terror among the newcomers
from the North. Gen. Gorgas thought
that between 1881 and 1889 more
than 1000 white employees had died
from this cause alone in force which
never exceeded $500 at any time and
averaged only 1900 for the period.
Malaria was more serious obstacle
to construction because 1t could fell
workmen of any race. The French
sanitary authorities we're handicapped
by limited information of such dis
ease, by lack of knowledge regarding
the mosquito bearer and, moreover,
the French company lacked legal juri-
diction for enforcing sanitation In the
then Colombian territory.
Before 1904, when the United States
took it over from France, several
scientists made a brilliant series of
studies of the transmission of diseases
py certain insects. Gen. Gorgas had
applied these theories practically in
the elimination of yellow Jack" in
Cuba. Backed by treaty giving sani-
tary jurisdiction over a wide area and
provided with large funds, the Ameri-
can authorities were able to cope with
the isthmian health situation through
direct use of the new theories of mos
quito control.
tCopyright 1887