The age-herald., 1899-05-25
SURGEON PAGE
 TALKS OF DEWEY Is In Washington on a Leave Ol
 Absence. ADMIRAL NOT A SICK MAN The Terrific Sustained Heat and EneF-
 Yatin6 Climate IS A STRAIN ON ONES ENERGY The Hero of Manila Bay Has He'd No Need of Prescriptions, As His
 Habits Are Very Reg
 ular. Indeed.
A STRAIN ON ONES ENERGY

Washington, May 24.-Surgeon J. D. Page, of Admiral Dewey's flagship, the
 Olympia, has arrived here on leave. He came ahead of the Olympia to avoid long
 delays of the sail via the suez canal. Sur
 geon Page has been on the flagship ever since Dewey took command, seeing him daily and having general charge of medi- cal affairs, so that he is in position to have an intelligent view of the admiral's
 health and general condition. He said to- day:
 Admiral Dewey is in no sense a sick | man, but Is as well as any man could be after spending a year in the tropics. was on the Olympia at the time he came aboard and from that time to the present do not believe there has been any appreciabie change in his appearance, weight or gem eral condition. Any one who thinks he is physical wreck should hear the admiral
 on the quarter deck when he gets aroused.
 He Is the gentlest man living, and yet he
 expects every man to do his exact duty,
 and when there is any shortcoming the ad-
 miral will be heard from in no feeble or sickly manner.
 'Of course, every one in the fleet has
 suffered in health more or less during the
 last year owing to the terrific sustained heat and enervating climate. It takes all
 the life out of strong man and undoes his energy and ambition. In that way
 Dewey suffered with all the rest of us. It was particularly arduous during blockade duty when for long stretches no man could get ashore.
 Surgeon Page was asked if Admiral Dewey's responsibilities had not weighed heavily on him.
 "I think not" he answered, "and be- lieve 1t will be found that he has just as
 much nerve as the morning he fought the
 battle of Manila bay. He is man who car ries responsibility lightly and does not let 1t break him down. On the morning CT tie
 battle he was perfectly cool, and only once throughout the action did he show any signs of anxiety. That was when our head gunner found that our ammunition was running short This was about the time we pulled off for breakfast and it had rather depressing effect. But 1t was quickly off, set when the officer of the deck reported that the Reina Christina and Castelia were af1re. That was the turning point and the
 admiral had no anxiety after that"
 Asked if he had prescribed for Dewey of late, Surgeon Page said:
 "No; he has no need need for prescrfp-
 tions. During the last year he has not
 once asked for prescription or taken med
 ical advice except in a casual way. If he
 wants anything he sends down to the ships
 apothecary and gets it. His habits are 50
 regular that he needs little or no medicine
 His smoking and drinking are in perfect
 moderation. He eats we'll and sleeps well
 and 1t is one of the recognized offenses on
 board ship to tramp heavily over the ad-
 miral's cabin after he has retired.
 "It has needed a pretty calm man at the
 head of affairs" said Surgeon Page, when
 asked as to the reports of friction with the German naval officers. "I know nothing of
 any difficulties, but we all felt that much reliance was to be placed on the admirars tact and conservatism as a means of ayoid- ing any possible difficulty. Throughout the admiral was admired universally, not only as naval commander, but for his states manship and discretion"