( 68 ) 
I reproduce in tabular form the Yellow fever returns of Panama and Colon 
for 1904 and 1905, to date : — 
Number of Cases. 
Number of Deaths. 
Panama. 
Colon. 
Panama. 
Colon. 
IQ04. 
July 
2 
I 
September ... 
1 
I 
October 
I 
November ... 
I 
I 
... 
December ... 
7 
... 
2 
» 9 Q 5 - 
January 
14 
1 
4 
I 
February 
12 
... 
6 
March 
8 
4 
3 
I 
April 
7 
I 
3 
May .. 
20 
14 
5 
3 
lune 19th 
29 
15 
5 
2 
| uly 20th 
23 
17 
7 
5 
August 
22 
28 
I I 
9 
September ... 
5 
... 
2 
... 
October 
3 
2 
November ... 
3 cases report 
ed on Isthmus 
These figures show that Colon was an infected port long before the 
outbreaks at Belize, Livingston, or Puerto Cortes. Colon is in monthly com- 
munication with Belize and is under five days’ steam. 
It is obvious therefore that, as long as Colon and Panama furnish cases 
of Yellow fever, an accurate examination of all arrivals from Colon must be 
made. I will refer in another place to the precautions taken previous to 
May 22nd, when the fever was declared in Belize against infection from 
Colon. 
Bocas del Toro is a small town, and a centre for the exportation of 
fruit. A case of Yellow fever was reported on August 15th, and altogether 
to October some 13 cases appear to have occurred. 
Until we have reliable information of the diseases which are present in the 
towns of the interior we cannot exclude them as a serious source of infection to 
the coast towns. The latter have now medical representatives of the United 
States who keep a watch and report the cases when they are recognised, but the 
interior towns are not so reported, or at all events not until disease has thoroughly 
established itself and it is impossible to hide it ; therefore the tendency may be 
to regard the coast towns as the primary focus when in reality the disease has 
been smouldering all along in the interior. This is especially the case when the 
towns in the interior, as in Guatemala, Spanish Honduras and Yucatan, are of a 
considerable size. 
