In order to obviate this expense and inconvenience, De Lesseps reopened the old canal of the Israelites, leading up from the Nile through the land of Goshen. This old canal came within a few miles of the present route of the Suez Canal. The French extended it to the Suez Canal, and then made a small canal parallel with the route of the Suez, which conveyed fresh water all along this route. Wherever in the desert fresh water is applied to the soil, the land becomes very fruitful and productive. At Ismalia, this sweet-water canal, just described (the Arabs usually refer to fresh water as sweet water), was used for irrigation purposes. When I saw the canal in 1902, the town and neighborhood were covered with a beautiful growth of trees and shrubbery, and vegetation appeared on every side. Unfortunately, the water which produced this wonderful oasis in the desert also bred the malarial mosquito freely and Ismalia had become a hotbed for malaria. Sir Ronald Ross, the great English sanitarian, who had taken so prominent a part in discovering that malaria was carried by the anopheles mosquito, was employed by the French Company to advise them how they should protect themselves against this plague. The plans which he advised were carried into execution, and Ismalia in a short time was entirely free from malaria. When I returned from Egypt, I found the canal project still being delayed. Pending organization, I was sent to Paris, France, as the representative of the United States Army Medical Department to the Hygiene Congress which met in Paris in October, 1903. I was directed to get while there such sanitary information as might be obtained from the Paris offices of the French Panama Canal Company. Besides having a very agreeable and delightful stay, I collected a great deal of valuable data with regard to the sanitary conditions which had existed under the French at Panama. Finally, in January, 1904, the Isthmian Canal Commission was organized by the President under the Spooner Act. The President was very strongly urged by the medical profession generally to make a medical man one of the commissioners. It was pointed out to him that sanitation at Panama was fully as important as engineering; that if our force suffered as much from disease as had the French fifteen years before we should have great difficulty in carrying through our project. His attention was invited to the fact that in this Commission of seven men, where the sanitary phase of the work to be controlled by them was just as important as the engineering phase, there were five engineers and not a single physician. The American Medical Association took a most active part in urging this matter upon the attention of the President, and hundreds of telegrams came in to him on this subject from all parts of the country. The President was not convinced by these arguments as they were presented to him, and organized the Commission of seven members without putting a physician on it.