Page:The National Geographic Magazine Vol 16 1905.djvu/512

disease has been a source of pride. No brighter page in the history of sanitary science can be found than that which pertains to the medical records of the navy during the summer of 1898. To prove this let me quote from the report of the Surgeon General of the Navy dated October 1, 1899:

"In the returns from the squadron operating in Cuban waters are represented 48 vessels, with an average complement of 11,599. As showing the effects of war service upon the crews of the various types of ships, the monitors gave an average rate per 1,000 of force sick daily during the war of 17.48; for 1897, 10.87; battleships, 12.34, against 12.38 in 1897; cruisers, 16.01, as against 17.31 for 1897; gunboats, 15.74, as against 20.14 for 1897."

So that for this squadron, in spite of diseases especially incident to the tropics in midsummer, the daily average sickness for the whole force of nearly 12,000 men was but 1.56 per cent.

Thus it will be seen that, leaving out the monitors, the average sickness during the war of 1898 was less in reality than in the peace year 1897, when our squadrons summered at some of the health resorts along our Atlantic coast; but, even including the monitors, the general average of sickness is less for the war period than that for the "trying times of peace." Sailors have a trite saying that "those who go down to the sea in ships see the wonders of the deep, but those who go in monitors see the infernal regions." This record of comparative sickness for the monitors would seem to lend credence to this statement.

A slightly better result than this was obtained from Admiral Dewey's squadron in the Philippines during the same period.

It may be remembered also that the Navy Department sent a battalion of marines to Cuba during the war period,, the average strength of which was 588. On June 10 a landing was made at Guantanamo, where the battalion was in camp for the remainder of the war and until some time after the main force of the army had left for home. The daily average of this force sick was but 2.23 per cent. Remember, this was shore service, the same as in the army. The Surgeon General's report continues: "There were six deaths, all of which occurred in the engagements with the Spanish troops, not a single fatal case occurring from disease." If there is any town in the United States with an equal number of inhabitants that had less sickness for the same period, I would like to see the statistics. Let this statement be compared with Japanese records and the disparagement will not appear so great as that given by the learned doctor.

With the sanitary corps on the Isthmus in charge of such men as Col. William C. Gorgas, U. S. A., chief sanitary officer, whose record as a destroyer of yellow-fever germs in Cuba recently has given him fame, assisted until recently by Medical Director John W. Ross, U. S. N. , director of hospitals, and other officers of the army and navy, we need not fear the result of any comparisons made under like conditions with any people on the globe. Dr Ross has been connected with various important sanitary enterprises during his long and useful career in the navy. As long ago as 1878-1879 he made an enviable record as a volunteer in the yellow-fever epidemic of east Florida, for which he was promoted by special act of Congress in 1888.

That the government of the United States has secured a great bargain in the purchase of the assets of the Panama Canal Company is beyond question. When de Lesseps undertook the man-