Evening star., 1939-09-17
Gen. Gorgas' Life Recalled
Vividly by Mrs. Wrightson
Daughter of Sanitation Scientist
Witnessed Panama Canal Work
And Mosquito Fight
By GRETCHEN SMITH.

ny SlAGAN CAvAA
The modesty and gentleness, which
were outstanding characteristics of
Americas great scientist and hui
manitarian, Gen. William c. Gorgas,
and which neither fame nor sue
cess ever lessened, have been abund-
antly inherited by his only child,
Mrs. William D. Wrightson of Chevy
Chase, who enjoyed many years of
close companionship with her famous
father.
When Mrs. Wrightson recently was
elected president of the newly or
ganized Woman's Auxiliary of the
Panama Canal Society of Washing
ton, she modestly demurred at the
honor, declaring there were many
others who should be chosen for
the Office rather than herself.
Friends, however, who had served
with her father during the build
ing of the Canal, insisted that she
accept the position.
One of the objectives of the Pana-
ma Canal Society is to KEEP alive
memories of the early days of the
Canals construction and it is COM
posed Of men who assisted in the
work.
Mrs. Wrightson's memories of IA
nous people goes beyond the build
ing Of the Panama Canal. As little
girl, she was sent to the Audubon
School in New York, directed and
taught by the grand-daughters of
John James Audubon, famous Or
nitrologist, who conducted a school
In the home of their grandfather
at l58th street and Riverside drive.
II can still remember my first i'm
preston Of the place" Mrs. Wright
son said. "The walls were covered
with paintings and pictures of birds,
and stuffed birds were everywhere. I"
The Audubon sisters were described
by Mrs. Wrightson as dear little
old ladies in quaint Basque cos
Tunes"
"One thing they taught me that
shall never forget" she smiled, were
the Ten Commandments.
NIsiteu CuDa During
Yellow Fever War.
While a student at the Audubon
School, Mrs. Wrightson went to
Cuba to visit her mother and her
father, who had been sent by the
Army to 'clean up" insanitary con-
dltions and make living possible for
American soldiers. Although but
young girl at that time, Mrs. Wright
son vividly recalls the tragedies
which were brought about by yellow
fever.
Gen. Gorgas, who had himself
suffered from typhoid fever during
the Spanish American War and was
sent back to the United States on
the hospital ship Relief, accom-
panied Gen. Leonard Wood to Cuba
after the war to assist in bringing
cleanliness and health to the is
land. There, Mrs Wrightson said,
he worked in cooperation with DR..
Walter Reed, one of his closest
friends.
Papa was great sanitarian,"
said Mrs. Wrightson. land he soon
cleaned up the districts assigned to
him. But he couldn't get rid of the
yellow fever. In addition to DR..
Reed, whom I remember as a gentle,
kindly and very witty person, there
was Cuban doctor, Carlos Finley,
who was very helpful to papa in his
work. DR.. Finley" she continued,
was one of the first doctors in
Cuba to believe in the mosquito
theory-that mosquitoes carried yell
low fever. I can remember visiting
at his home. where he had great
bowls of mosquitoes under nets,
which he would study constantly. I
was very much interested in them
and would watch them as one would
goldfish"
Papa" she added. did not be-
lieve in DR.. Finley's theory at that
time and thought yellow fever came
from plain filth. Later, however, he
listened to DR.. Finleys theories and
started experimenting 1t was then
he found mosquitoes breeding in
pools of standing water. on which
he put oil and cleaned up as much
as possible"
Goes to Canal Zone
On Health Work.
1t was after his success in Cuba,
Mrs. Wrightson said. that her father
was sent by President Theodore
Roosevelt and Gen. Wood to
Panama, where his great work
made possible completion of the
canal.
When Mrs. Wrightson first visited
her father in Panama, she said
those living within the hospital