The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1898-10-13
TROPICAL DISEASES.

SOME or THE ILLS 70 WHICH our
SOLDIERS ARE EXPOSED.
Perpicious MaIarial Fever Far More Dam
gerous Than Yellow Fever-Look Out
For Fever In Lowlands Near Ma.ila.
sprew . Dangerous lIalady.
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 Pernicious Malarial
Fever Of the Tropics" The other arti-
Gle, which is entitled "a Few Things
to Look Out For In Manila" is from
the pen of Joseph Earle Stevens, author
of q 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 it's 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 its 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 a
history recurring, and generally neglect
ed malarial attacks, and seldom does it
develop in a new arrival in the tropics.
1.-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 chimes, if properly treated during
their first, second and third attacks Of
malarial fever, show greater resisting
powers during the second and seldom
have more than the three attacks II
neglected, 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 long time SUBJ
jected to slow malarial infection with
out the proper administration of quiz
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
surrounding the capital, and, as far as
is possible, do not sleep within six or
eight feet Of the ground" for fevers,
both malarial and typhoid, are at home
all the year round in the Philippines
as we'll 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
tives in order to divorce the floors of
their houses from the ground generally
build these structures on posts, leaving
a free space of some two yards between
the earth and the thresholds of their
front doors, and a commanding officer
should think twice before quartering
his men in tents pitched on the low
lands of Manila or Cavite. After all,
the Nipa hut, with its roof Of thatch,
its frame of bamboo and its floor of
Stats, is the most rational form of domi-
cile for the Philippines, and temporary
barracks for our troops, built up in the
fashion of native dwellings, would in
any portion Of the islands be better than
tents pitched on the ground.
"Colds and dysentery, like fever, are
common troubles, and it indeed seems
curious that the former should be so
popular in hot climate. But such is
the case, and the grip appears to have
reached Manila as we'll as more access
ible corners Of the world. It is great
mistake to sleep in silk pyjamas in the
tropics, and new arrivals seem to suffer
from colds, more often caught by ex-
posture during the cool hours Of the
night than at any other time Flannel
sleeping suits are far more sensible than
silk or cotton ones and are especially
to be recommended, since they absorb
the moisture which invariably exudes
from the pores Of the skin on a warm
night and thus protect one from catch
ing cold while he is asleep Flannel
cholera belts are also excellent and pro.
tect the bowels from drafts of air that
often strike home during the dampness
Of the night or the cold hours before
sunrise.
"Sprew, that peculiar tropical disease