Malaria And The Panama Canal

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Mary-Ann DeCelle-Austin

Professor: D. Alvarez

IS 305

December 9, 2006

Malaria, Yellow Fever and the Panama Canal

"Panama was a crossroads of global trade, the keystone of the great Spanish Empire, a century before the first white settlers struggled ashore at Massachusetts Bay (La Feber 3). In the 1500's, many explores came to the Isthmus looking for fame and fortune but found neither. "Spanish explorer Rodrigo de Bastidas first landed in the are during the spring of 1501, wandered through a hundred-mile zone desperately searching for treasure, and retuned empty-handed to his ship" (La Feber 3). If the explores left alive, they were lucky. "Then one by one they began to die, of what they did not know" (La Feber 3). They were unaware that the insect that was biting them could cause fever, disease and eventually death. "The Spaniards greatly feared the many poisonous snakes which infest the country's jungles, but their killer was doubtless the tiny mosquito that carried yellow fever and malaria" (La Feber 3). "In 1510, Balboa hurriedly traveled to Panama as a stowaway to escape creditors" (la Feber3). "He became one of the nearly 800 Spaniards who settled on the Isthmus" (La Feber3). He was one of the lucky ones; he lived, did not die and found fame and fortune. The death toll of his time was great. Only a few of the 800 Spaniards who arrived with Balboa lived. "Soon only sixty Spaniards remained" (Le Feber 3). By

1879, the French began the construction of the Panama Canal. By this time, in

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France, the Canal Zone was renamed, "the white man's graveyard". "Between 50 and 75 percent of French officials who came to work in Panama died from disease, which explains why in France, Panama was given the unflattering moniker of the "white man's graveyard" (Harding 23). The French soon discovered that disease would be their greatest obstacle not the mountainous terrain. "But, was the case during the construction of the Panama Railroad, the French soon learned that the greatest challenge that confronted them was not geography but epidemiology" (Harding 23). "As many as 20,000 died before de Lesseps gave up in 1889" (La Feber 11). As the French went bankrupt and the United States of America seized the opportunity to finish the canal, a sanitation committee was formed. "In 1904, the Isthmian Canal Commission, accompanied by Col. W.C. Gorgas, Medical Corps, U.S. Army, John W. Ross, Medical Director, U.S. Navy, Capt. C.E. Gillette, Corps of Engineers, U.S. Army, and Maj. Louis A. La Garde, Medical Corps, U.S. Army, as experts on sanitation inspected the potential site of construction" (CDC 1). "On June 30, 1904, the Sanitary Department was formed with Colonel Gorgas as its head" (CDC 1). After inspection of the Canal Zone, a plan was implemented to improve conditions and sanitation of the site. "These experts prepared a plan for the sanitation of the Canal Zone and the cities of Panama and Colon" (CDC 1). "An integrated program of mosquito control was initiated that involved seven basic programs that were strictly enforced. These were, in order of importance: drainage, brush and grass cutting, oiling, larviciding, prophylactic quinine, screening and adult killing" (CDC 1).

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Drainage was the most important aspect of the plan. "The Isthmus of Panama was an ideal environment for mosquitoes" (CDC 1). "The high temperature varies little during the year and rainy season lasts for nine months and the interior of the Isthmus is tropical jungle, ideal for mosquito breeding" (CDC 1). There was stagnant water everywhere and little drainage; ideal for mosquito breeding. The mosquito's that carry yellow-fever are very clever insects. "While all mosquitoes lay their eggs in water, the yellow-fever mosquito is extremely particular about where the water is located and its condition" (Mc Cullough 2). "The female Stegomyia will deposit her eggs only in or near a building occupied by human beings and only in water held in some sort of artificial container such as an earthenware jar or a rain barrel" (Mc Cullough 2). "But the main attack had been on water jars, barrels, cisterns, any stray bucket, tin can, or broken dish in which rainwater might collect" (Mc Cullough 2). After this fact had been discovered by the committee, all pools within a certain distance to human life were ordered to be drained. "All pools within 200 yards of all villages and 100 yards of all individual houses were drained" (CDC 1).

"Anopheles, the malaria mosquitoes, were quite different creatures and thus a wholly different kind of problem" (Mc Cullough 3). "Lastly, open ditches were constructed" (CDC 1). This enabled run off of the water so that it would not pool and become stagnate. Inspectors were hired to maintain the drainage systems and ensure

that all villagers were in compliance with the seven step plan. "Paid inspectors made sure ditches remained free of obstructions" (CDC 1). This was important because if the ditches became obstructed, the ditch would become a mosquito breeding site.

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Brush and grass cutting was acknowledged as the second most important component of the program. This part of the program mandated that all brush and grass would be maintained to the following criteria. "All brush and grass was cut and maintained at less than one foot high within 200 yards of villages and 100 yards of individual houses" (CDC 1). "The rationale was that mosquitoes would not cross open areas over 100 yards" (CDC 1). There should be a 10 foot clearing between living quarters and the start of vegetation. Business offices should follow the same criteria as living quarters. By removing the brush and cutting the grass, the citizens were limiting the mosquito's natural habitat.

Oiling was another method of mosquito control