The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-22

False Ideas About Health in the
Philippines Corrected.

Then comes breakfast, "a Il Is called,
meal OF six or seven courses
In the provinces al laoor Is suspended
for the siesta lasting until o'clock. ThES.
custom. however. does Eot prevail ii Ma
MIA, where offices are continuously open
from O'Clock a Il. It'll o'clock. About
Clock a cup OF tea with a bit OF toast
Is generally considered necessary 10 sus-
tain the inner man From the close OF
office hours until o'clock are the recrea-
ton hours for raople in general. and men
have tennis or boating or riding while the
ladies drive about IN their victorias, pay
Ing visits or listening 10 one sort OF enter
tainmeEt or another.
AT O'clock it appears that the system
needs more nourishment. and dinner IS
served. another meal OF six or eight
courses. similar in most Respects 10,
though little more elaborate, perhaps
than the MONDAY breakfast
Inc evening is not long one, and as
rule early hours are observed in reiir-
Ing. Excuses IN eating drinking or in the
manner or living bring only the same re-
suits as they do In other climates. So far
as / know the plague has never existed
in the philippines Sporadic cases OF
smallpox are continually found, bat are
hardly productive Of worse effects than in
tais country Understand, please. that this
refers TO what is called the foreign popu-
Epidenlics Of cholera exist at intervals
These come during the rainy season, and
whle productive OF intense gloom through
out the wnoie population. cause, IL proper
precautions are taken. almost 10 deaths
among the foreigners. My only expert
ence with an epidemic was during period
from the middle OF April to the last Of
August. 1883, and l think there were not
I'VE deaths IN population OF probably
$50 foreigners. OF these | personally knew
Two 10 have been brought on by absolute
refusal to allow proper care Unuuestlon-
ably the custom OF all Europeans to pro-
tect their abdomen by a ciose-ftting
broad band of flannel or knitted wool I'M
derneath their underclothing has much TO
do with this light percentage of deaths.
Let me say that this precaution Is indis-
pensable at all times of the year, both
night and day.
Care, of course. should be taken that
none but good, pure water is used for
drinking. This is not meant TO exclude the
use Of reasonable quantity OF wines or
liquors at meals. but simply that the
drinking water must be pure. In Manila
the city has fire supply OF good water
In the provinces the supply comes from
the rains. is loosely guarded during the dry
season in tanks, and should always be fill
tered before drinking.
Insects and Reptiles.
insect life is not whit more annoying
or dangerous than 1t is propertionately
with Us. The bite of the scorpion and OF
the centiDede are dreaded as producing
short terms Of fever and sore pain: but I
have never known of a case OF native or
foreigner killed by infection from their
poisons. In fact, a very eminent English
naturalist. a persistent explorer of Ocean
ha IA oyr 49,
my home in Iloilo that there was not an
Insect or reptile IL. the whole Philippine
archipelago whose bits was fatal
'As with Us. the year is divided into
two seasons. the rainy and the dry, the
former beginning some time in May or
June at the earliest and lasting until No
vemher or even later The rainy season
is the period for the southwest monsoon.
and the dry that OF the northeast,
corresponding practically 20 the trade
winds Of the Atlantic. As We all
know that part Of the Pacific ocean
lying 10 the eastward OF the Philip
pines is the breeding place OF the
typhoon. the storm so feared by mariners
as We'll as landsmen. Earthquakes-wel
there is a good crop of them. Most of
them, however. are very light, and only
at very long intervals do they do serious
damage. l had the pleasure OF passing
through a series Of thirteen distinct shocks
one flSht between II o Clock and 80. No
damage was done except to our nerves.
We had remarkably good earthquake
barometer in the shape of a volcano plain
" visible from our rear piazza, and while
this volcano was actively smoking We had
no fear of a shake. Let Il become quiet
however, and everybody was on the alert
for trouble
II would advise the boys to eat as many
good feasts of mutton as they can ana
drop beef and chickens for time, for un-
less times have changed ruch since 1859,
they will have plenty of time TO develop
their taste for the latter. while their OPP
portun.fles for getting mutton, save IN
canned shape. win he very rare. Soldiers
are not fed as If at millionaire's tables, but
under ordinary circumstances plenty of
food Of good quality can ana Will be had
al all times: and doubt not that when the
expiration of the term of enlistment comes
and orders OF homeward bound arc given.
many will leave that part OF the world
with deepest regret, or perhaps Will de-
eide to cast their fortunes in with the new
relations existing between the United
States and the Philippines