Dr. Gorgas carried on the work of the investigation and development
of the mosquito theory after the death of Dr. Reed, and became a
recognized world-wide authority on the science of tropical diseases
and sanitation, when he was chosen as the officer to whom the
sanitization of the Zone should be entrusted. He was given ample funds
by the American Government and furnished with a force of men numbering
more than 2000, his theory being that by the destruction of the
breeding places of mosquitoes he could finally eliminate the mosquitoes
themselves.
In carrying out his plan the vegetation on either side of the canal for
half a mile was cut down and burned, the dead trees destroyed, the low
marshy places drained where possible; and where it was impossible to
successfully drain the ground and water pools they were covered with a
petroleum mixture. In fact, petroleum was found to be so effective that
it came to be the favorite means of destroying the mosquitoes, and one
approaching Colon today, if the wind is in the right quarter, may catch
the odor of that ingredient one hundred miles at sea.
It was found after investigation by Dr. Gorgas that the mosquito,
called the stegomyia, was peculiarly partial to the yellow fever
victim, and that after biting a yellow fever patient and becoming
inoculated with the poison, the stegomyia became very active in its
distribution to other subjects. A mosquito called the anopheles, by
some peculiar freak of nature, had a like attraction for the victims of
malarial diseases.
And so, between the two kinds of mosquitoes there seemed to be a
rivalry as to which could do the most damage. But fortunately neither
one of these pestiferous insects could fly over a quarter of a mile,
and so the theory of Dr. Gorgas was that by destroying their breeding
places and eliminating them from the Canal Zone, he might preserve the
health of the workers.
Colon was overhauled by repaving the streets after first saturating
the ground with petroleum, bringing in fresh water and constructing
sewers. In fact, all the measures that were necessary to establish
healthful conditions were used.
The same course of treatment was given the City of Panama, much to the
disgust of many of the Panamanian residents, who had been using water
from wells and cisterns that had been dug two centuries before, when
Panama was founded.
A splendid system of hospitals was built up by rehabilitation of
the hospital system left by the French company and the addition of
others. Thousands of cabins were built for the common laborers, the
so-called “silver men,” and better cottages for white men who might
take their families with them to the Zone while engaged in labor there.
Dormitories for single white men were built at every construction
point. Restaurants were established at which a meal of four courses was
furnished the superior class of white employees at 35 cents. Provision
was made for the issuance of cooked rations at a price of 10 cents
per ration to the “silver men,” who are nearly all negroes, it being
the policy of the commission to protect the life and health of every
employee of the Zone, so that the health of the individual would become
a guarantee of the safety of the whole body of working men.