Mr. Robinson claimed that although yellow fever had always existed in Panama it had not been epidemic for over fifty years, and the band played long and loud.
Colonel Gorgas then spoke of the sanitary problems, the most important of which was the killing of a female mosquito. Her death was necessary for the success of the undertaking. This mosquito, whose official name is Stegomyia Fasciata, a second Agrippina, was suspected of infecting people with yellow fever twenty years ago by Dr. Carlos J. Finley. Now she is considered to be the sole cause. It will be difficult to dislodge her from the twenty odd villages with 12,000 inhabitants scattered over a strip of territory nearly fifty miles long by ten wide. But by means of drainage of most of the surface water, the covering of the rest with oil and screens, the protection of the houses and beds by window screens and mosquito bars and the isolation of all new cases, she will not only be drouthed out, but will not be able to get at any diseased or disused individuals to obtain fresh supplies of the poison.
The sanitary work had hardly been begun, yet already the conditions were very much better than they had ever been before. Uncle Sam is accomplishing great things in the world through his reforms, not only in politics but also in hygiene. It is the only way to conquer the tropics.
Secretary Calvo made a few graceful remarks extending the hospitality of the city to the members. He announced that the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, San Domingo, Cuba and Peru had sent delegates.
President Amador then arose as a sign that the exercises were over, and we returned to the hotel to become better acquainted with each other. Afterward we went up to our mosquito bars, enthusiastic over the morrow’s program of scientific work as well as the thunder that was to come, and keep on coming.
CHAPTER II
Breakfast and Dinner on the Same Day
Lively Coffee—Eleven O’clock Breakfast on the Prairies—Appetizers Wasted—Music by the Band—The National Hymn and Its Composer—Laying up for a Rainy Season—The Banquet at Hotel Centrál—Menu Translated—Musical Program—Speeches by Experts; One out of Place and One out of Sight—Mixing Wines—Nightcaps at the Club—Too much Dining.
On Wednesday we awoke fully fledged members of the $25,000 Pan-American Medical Congress, wondering if from a scientific and assimilative point of view we should be able to accomplish all that the occasion called for.
It was lively at coffee. Several doctresses and doctors’ wives were present and they, as well as some of the doctors who had always been accustomed to eating in the morning, had to be instructed in the art of early fasting; and the poor waiters had to be protected from them. After finding out that nothing but unsweetened oranges, water rolls and bitter coffee with milk were allowed, one lady wanted water in her coffee, another wanted cream, another could not take milk in any form, another wanted tea, jelly, etc., etc. To be served bitter coffee without cream, and to be offered nothing to eat but cold dry water rolls and orange juice, was already enough to condemn the hotel and the country. The ladies wished they were home where they could have ham and eggs and fried potatoes, corn muffins and watered coffee weakened with cream. The practice of every-day patriotism should begin with breakfast.