The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-28
PORTO RICAN STUDIES
WHAT AN AMERICAN PHYSICIAN
SAW WITHIN THE ISLAND.
American Medical Methods Are a
Revelation to the Natives-The
Horrible Spanish Hospitals.

AMERICAN surgeons VINO nave mad TO Work
in them will never forget the experience.
Much praise was bestowed upon the sur
geons and doctors of our army. Besides
their regular duties, which kept them very
busy morning, noon and night, they care
fully studied the diseases peculiar to the
natives, and endeavored to effect cures
where it was possible. Foremost in the
ranks of the surgeons who have carried TO
the utmost this philanthropic and humani-
tartan purpose in the divisions of Mayaguez
and Las Marias was DIR. Edward Parrish.
AS his fields of work We're far remote from
Ponce, Coamo, Yauco and other cities in
constant communication with headquarters,
his reports did not reach here until re-
Gently. These documents and letters to his
family however, have just been completed.
and are of such value in throwing light
upon the situation in Porto Rico since the
occupation by the American army and it's
admission into the dominion of the United
States that they seem well worth an endur-
ing place in the literature of the war.
DIR. Parrish belongs to a family of
physicians, his father and grandfather hav-
ing been members of the profession. The
latter was the founder of the Philadelphia
College of Pharmacy. He was born in Phil
adelphia, but before he entered the service
was resident of Brooklyn. He has taken
the scientific course, at Swarthmore College,
and received the degree of M. D. from the
Long Island College Hospital. After receiv-
ing his orders from the War Department
he proceeded to Mayaguez and Las Marias.
This is what he says of hospital life and the
curious customs of the people of those parts:
CAUSED BY CARELESSNESS.
''The climate is delightful, and the only
wonder at first is that there should be any
sickness at all. After a short time the real
trouble is easily seen. This consists in the
reckless good nature and the carelessness
of our own people The land is full of nov
elites and they desire to enjoy these to the
utmost. No matter what the surgeons say,
or the officers command, the men will eat
fruits to excess at all times, and they will
not go to the trouble of preparing either
fruits or vegetables so as to insure freedom
from disease germs. This is the real cause
of many of the typhoid and malarial fever
cases. nearly every one of which is to be
charged to the sufferers carelessness and
not to the climate or the country.
Another cause of trouble is strong drink.
There is a profound difference between the
Spanish race and our own: the former are
naturally moderate in their tastes and de-
sires, and, although they all drink, it is rare
that they do it to excess. We Americans
seem bound to go TO extremes. We either
don't drink at all or else we drink too much.
1t is easy to imas zine the consequences of
this condition of things when an army of
Americans is put in a country where drinks
of all sorts and kinds are to be had at ridic-
ulously cheap prices. Very fair wine costs
Is cents q bottle, and native runs can be
secured for eyen less.
Another trouble the surgeon has to con-
tend with is the ingenuity of the soldier
who wants to shirk guard duty and other
details of his daily work. He learns the
symptoms of the local disease, and pretends
to be a sufferer so well that he will deceive
any unsuspecting physician: One doctor
111 hnfA
that the second day he was on duty he ex-
Cused ten men whose symptoms as de-
scribed by themselves, indicated a serious
attack of typhoid fever When he left them
they appeared to be in a condition of semi
collapse. That night, however duty called
him to neighboring town to see sick Off
Ger. On his way back he stopped at re-
sort where there was laughter. music and
song, and there to his amazement, he found
the sick men playing the leading roles OF
the evening.
SOME NATIVE CUSTOMS.
"Many of the native customs surprise
visitor Thus, at the funerals, hearses are
very seldom employed, and only then by
the wealthy or official classes. The coffin
is carried by two or more pallbearers on
a litter or frame, while mourners, relatives
and friends follow in pedestrian process
sion. Instead of using mourning, they dress
in gay attire and look as if they were go
ing to a picnic rather than to a grave. When
there are no mourners or friends. as some
times happens, the picture presented is GER
tainly very pathetic. All that is seen is a
cheap coffin. two or three men carrying the
litter, talking and smoking, with no more
apparent feeling than If they were trans
porting box of merchandise from one store
to another.
Equally startling is the practice of us
ing the coffin over and over again. In most
cases the coffin is taken to the edge of the
grave, rested on the side, and turned over
so as to dump the poor body into the cavity
in the ground.t In other cases the coffin is
lowered to the bottom of the grave and then
lifted out. Some continuance opens the bot
tom so that the body is left while the empty
box is lifted to the surface. Some collins
do duty in this way for years. and no one
seems to realize that the disease germs of
one funeral may be spread by means of this
practice so as to result in the death of other
people
diers call a dead mans tower which is
found in every cemetery / have visited in
Porto Rico. 1t is a gloomy-looking affair
made of brick or stone in which there is
no door, but only narrow window with
out sash or bars or shutters. It's purpose is
startling, if not shocking, to an American
According to the natives, the cemeteries
were set out by metes and bounds when
the land was first settled by the conuuesta-
dores. The earth was blessed by the church
In the course of time the entire surface be-
came a continuous series of graves and
then the bodies were deposited in layers AT
last, point was reached at which no grave
could be dug without dislodging The bones
or occupants The towers were then built
as a receptacle for the bones that were
disturbed in excavation Some of the towers
are half full, while one tower is full up to
the level of the window sill 1t is said that
IN some graveyardS the people have not
even taken the trouble to erect these tow
ers, and the overcrowding compels them to
either throw the bones and skulls into a
neap IN corner of the place or else to
treat them as the earth and stones in which
lney lie when a new grave is being exca-
waited.
PORTO RICAN MARKETS.
The market customs in smaller towns are
often amusing to one coming from an
American city. The roads are so bad in
most of the districts that it would be diff
cult If not impossible, to employ carts or
market wagons. The poorer farmers bring
In loads upon their heads or backs, but the
great majority use wretched looking little
horses, patient donkeys, or half-fed mules
TO perform the transportation. Fastened Sc
curely to each beast are two paniers or
market baskets, some of which half conceal
the quadruped between them Into these
are thrown the products of the soil. animal
ana vegetable When the contents are fruits
or vegetables the effect is pretty and MIC
turesque: when it is of grass or hay the pic
tufe Is even more attractive than that of
great nay cart IN an American farmyard.
But when there is a squealing pig or two in
each basket or two pigs In one side and a
couple OF lambs in another the sight is very
ludicrous.
ION account of the absence of ice and ice
boxes and the warmth and moisture of the
than thirty-sx hours. AS a consequences the
public of Porto Rico prefers to buy this