Middletown transcript., 1898-08-27
TROPICAL DISEASES.
BONE OF THE ILLS TO WHICH OUR
SOLDIERS ARE EXPOSED.

Rernicious Malarial Fever Far More Dam
gerous Than Yellow Fever-LoOk Out
For Fever In Lowlands Near Manila.
Sprew o Dangerous Malady.
The Medical News recently published
two articles relating to diseases in the
tropics, to which the soldiers of our
armies in Cuba and the Philippines are
subject. One of the articles. which
was written by DR.. J. Edward Stubbert,
is entitled "The Pernieious Malarial
Fever of the Tropics. The other arti-
Gle, which is entitled ga Few Things
to Look Out For In Manila, +" is from
the pen Of Joseph Earle Stevens, author
of recent work on the Philippines. !
DR.. Stubbert in the course of his arti-
Gle says:
"Far more dangerous to the patient
than yellow fever is pernicious malarial
fever, especially in the form known as
malarial hematuria. This undoubtedly
is the disease known as the black wa
ter fever in Africa, and careful peru
sal of its history will, believe, show
that the administration of quinine, con-
trary to the report of Koch on his re-
cent trip to Africa, has nothing to do
with It's production. Those familiar
with malarial hematuria in our southern
states and Central America know that
generally the hematuria antedates ad-
ministration of the drug and disappears
when the patient is thoroughly cincho-
nized If the milder forms of remittent
fever are early recognized and promptly
treated, the pernicious forms will not
be encountered, for it seldom develops
as primary form. There is always
history recurring, and generally neglect
ed malarial attacks, and seldom does it
develop in new arrival in the tropics.
"The statement that malaria, even
untreated, in any single attack is self
limited disease, and successive attacks
are milder and milder, +" unfortunately
will not prove true in the West Indies.
On the contrary, immigrants from north
ern climes, if properly treated during
their first, second and third attacks of
malarial fever, snow greater resisting
powers during the second and seldom
have more than the three attacks If
each successive illness be-
comes more severe, and finally they de-
velop the dreaded pernicious type. Per-
nicious malaria occurs only in those per-
sons who have been a long time sub |
jected to slow malarial infection with |
out the proper administration of qui-
nine. So closely does the appearance of |
the patient resemble that of one with |
yellow fever that superficial observers
have named the disease Highland yell
low fever. !"
Mr.. Stevens, in his warning against
undesirable things that are to be found
in the Philippines, says:
"Look out for fever in the lowlands
the capital, and, as far as
Is possible, do not sleep within six or
eight feet of the ground, F" for fevers,
both malarial and typhoid, are at home
Ill the year round in the Philippines
ss well as in other tropical countries,
and though the yellow variety is not
known yet the others are insidious
enough to bother the strongest The ma
lives in order to divorce the floors of
their houses from the ground generally
1uild these structures on posts, leaving
/ free space of some two yards between
he earth and the thresholds of their
ront doors, and a commanding officer
hould think twice before quartering
lis men in tents pitched on the low
ands of Manila or Cavite. After all,
he Nipa hut, with its roof of thatch,
is frame of bamboo and its floor Of
lats, is the most rational form of domi-
die for the Philippines, and temporary
'arracks for our troops, built up in the
ashton Of native dwellings, would in
ny portion of the islands be better than
ents pitched on the ground
"Colds and dysentery, like fever, are
ommon troubles, and it indeed seems
urious that the former should be SO
'opular in hot climate But such is
he case, and the grip appears to have
cached Manila as well as more access
BILE corners of the world 1t is great |
mistake to sleep in silk pyjamas in the
ropics, and new arrivals seem to suffer
rom colds, more often caught by ex-
osure during the cool hours of the
light than at any other time Flannel
leeping suits are far more sensible than
i1k or cotton ones and are especially
0 be recommended. since they absorb
he moisture which invariably exudes
rom the pores Of the skin ON warm
ight and thus protect one from catch
ng cold while he is asleep Flannel
holera belts are also excellent and pro- !
ect the bowels from drafts of air that {
ften strike home during the dampness
the night or the cold hours before {
unrise. s
"Sprew. that peculiar tropical disease
Thich seems to attack the lining of ones
lterior and to render it SD sensitive
nat food cannot be retained by one suf- {
ering from the malady. is not uncom-
ION in Manila, and is apt to attack
ertain foreigners whose stomachs are
eculiarly susceptible to change Of fare,
nd let him who finds he has sprue get
ut OF the country just as quick as he
an, for nothing but IA change of climate
AAA OhSSe q SuAOs anu ~ e4C JIOuUlO 1S
OF attended to at the outset the victim
ill frequently get so weak that he will
3 unable to get away at all Some may
ave sprew. leave the islands for Japan
: the Pacific coast and recover from it
, come back to Manila, but others are
ot able to shake it off even by return
lg home
"Sunstroke is apparently uncommon
! Manila, for one soon gets to respect
le sun after day or two of his atten-
ons The vital point TO protect during
les stay in the direct sunlight is the
lck Of the neck. and new arrival
lould be careful about wearing hats
lat do not shelter this tender region
citing alone the question CT >lhslrnke,
is an admitted fact that ovlre D. Snre
tho e1n ia tho diraok f.oovu -, a.,