Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-06-14
THE HEALTH OF THE TROOPS.

From THE HAWAIIAN of Saturday,
Under the above heading there is
lot of sound sense and wholesome
advice in recent issue of the San
Francisco Chronicle, which should
be widely copied, for the good it
may do. People other than soldiers,
who live in tropical climate,
should heed the warning. Follow
ing is the article:
1t is reassuring to the friends and
relatives of the men who are going
to the Philippines to know that
General Merritt will put special stress
on sanitary discipline. He realizes
that the danger to our troops will
be principally climatic. Spanish
soldiers are probably to be met and
fought, but these cannot always be
in evidence like the weather. Heat
and moisture are ever present foes,
to be contended with daily and
nightly, sleeping and walking, in
camp, in hospital and in the field.
General Merritt will insist, there
fore, with rigor of military law,
upon all the usual tropics precau-
tons against disease. If the soldiers
obey orders their health should be
in no greater peril than is that of
tourists who travel inteligently in
the tropics during the summer.
One precaution always taken by
the initiated and to be enforced by
the surgical staff at the Philippines,
is to wear a stomach band of porous
flannel. This keeps the digestive
organs at even temperature. During
the period of acclimation the fresh,
sweet fruits of the country are to
be avoided, and at all times water,
intended for drinking, should be
previously boiled. During the re-
cent Japanese campaign in FormoSa
water was also filtered, each soldier
having a pocket appliance for such
use. In the middle of the day
soldiers should, so far as military
duties permit, keep under cover.
There is also danger in getting wet
from rain, and no one should eX-
pose himself to it outside the line of
duty, and then not careleSSly.
Excuses, especially alcoholic ones,
are quickly punished in hot eli
mates, the more so in the case of
a man habituated to cool ones.
Travellers in India, the Philippines
and the South seas find it advant-
ageous to eat the peppery table
foods of the natives. 1t is a
mystery to the American who was
not brought up near Mexico why
red peppers, hot currieS and Chut-
ney and the like should 90 with a
warm climate. But the reason is
simple. Wherever heat causes a
tendency to sloth, the liver is
threatened with disorder. Pepper
is a corrective. Soldiers in camp
and garrison get a deal of exercise,
but they must have time to rest
while in the tropics, or SunStroke
and other maladieS that arise from
overheating the blood occur. 1t is
the rest that tells on the liver and
makes well-peppered food indis'
penSable. The soldier who will eat
curry and tamarind chutney in the
Philippines and avoid beer as ht
would a draught of poison, may
expect to keep his liver in gooc
shape.
The question of clothing is i'm
portant also. Service uniform:
such as the troops went away il
the other day are out of the ques
ton for Philippine use. Khaki clotf
which the British soldiers wear il
India, is the best possible uniform
material. 1t is light, depend
able and the color of dried grass
Before the war is over or the fate
of the Philippines decided we be
lieve the Government will have t.
reclothe its eXpeditionary force
from top to toe. Even the Army
limit felt hntC ere NOT rinht for thI