There were no epidemic diseases in 1897. In October 30, 1894, sixteen medical districts were established by law, and so were a number of hospitals and quarantine stations in the ports of the Republic. III. CHARACTER OF VEGETATION. This chapter I begin with a phyto-geographical classification given by Dr. Carl Hoffman and published in Bonplandia in 1858. He distinguishes: First.—Coast regions (sea shores and salt swamps). Second.—Regions of tropical forests and savannas, stretching from the coast regions to a height of 900 meters. Third.—Regions of high plains, lying between 900 to 1500 meters of elevation. Fourth.—Region of upper tropical forests, situated between 1500 to 2150 meters of altitude. Fifth.—Region of oaks, from 2150 to 2750 meters in height. Sixth.—Region of chaparrales, from 2750 to 3050 meters up. Seventh.—Region of subalpine or subandine flora, from 3050 meters up to the tops of the high mountains. Dr. Polakowsky enumerates cultivated lands, virgin forests, open forests and savannas. Another division is given by Dr. Moritz Wagner. He mentions a littoral (as appears on next page) zone, a tropical forest zone and a zone of savannas. He also distinguishes on the volcano of Chiriqui the following successive regions: First.—Regions of evergreen forest trees and palms, bananas, Araceæ, etc., to a height of 550 meters, with an average temperature of 26° to 24° C. Second.—Region of tree ferns and mountain orchids, from 550 to 1220 meters, with an average temperature of 23° to 18° C. Third.—Region of Rosaceæ, Senecionodeæ, Gramineæ and Agave americana, from 1220 to 1585 meters. Fourth.—Region of Cupuliferæ and Betulaceæ, mostly oaks and alders, from 1585 to 3050 meters. Fifth.—Higher region above 3050 meters. Dr. Wagner calls special attention to a noted uniformity of the flora on the coasts of both oceans, and Professor Pittier affirms that the vegetation between Colon and Greytown on one side, and between Panama and San Juan del Sur on the other side, is remarkably uniform. The littoral zone has a width of about four maritime miles. The predominating flora is composed of _Rhizophora mangle_, _Hippomane mancinella_, _Cocos nucifera_, _Chrysobalanus icaco_, _Crescentia cujete_, _Acacia spadicigera_, _Cæsalpinia bonducella_ and other _Leguminosæ_; _Acrostichum aureum_, _Ipomœa pescapræ_, _Avicennia nitida_, _Uniola Pittierii_ and also _Euphorbiaceæ_, etc.