The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-05-25
HEALTH OF ADMIRAL DEWEY
STATEMENT OF SURGEON PAGE FORMERLY OF THE OLYMPIA.
The Admiral fin no Sense Sick Man-As We'll as Anyone Can be After Year In the TrOpics-TOoIS Excellent Care of Himself - Carries Responsibility Lightly.
Lightly.

l
 Washington, May 24.-Surgeon J. F.
 Page of Admiral Dewey's flagship the 1 Olympia has arrived here on leave. He
 came ahead of the Olympia to avoid the
 long delays of the sail via the Suea
 canal. Up to the date of his departure | from Manila Surgeon Page had been on | the flagship ever since Dewey took com | mand, seeing him daily and having gen eral charge of medical affairs. so that he is in a position to give an intelligent view of the admiral's health and gen.
 eral condition. He said: Admiral Dewey is in no sense a sick man, but is as well as any man could be after spending year in the tropics. I was
 on the Olympia at the time he came
 aboard, and from that time to the pres-
 ent I do not believe there has been any
 appreciable change in his appearance,
 who thinks he is a physical wreck
 should hear the admiral on the quar-
 ter deck when he gets aroused. He is
 the gentest man living, and yet he ex-
 poets every man to do his exact duty
 and when there is any shortcoming the
 admiral 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
 terrific and long sustained heat and tho enervating climate. It takes all the life out of a strong man and weakens his energy and ambition. In that 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 weight ed heavily on him. T think not he answered, and I believe 1t will be found that he has just as much nerve as on the morning he fought the battle Of Manila bay. He is a man who carries responsibility lightly, and does not let it break him down. On the morning of the battle he was perfectly cool and only once throughout the action did he show signs of anxiety. That was when the head-gunner reported that our am- intuition was running short. This was about the time we pulled off for break fast, and it Lad rather a depressing ef feet. But it was quickly offset when the officer of the deck reported that the Reina Christina and Castilia were afire. That was the turning point, and tho ad- miral had no anxiety after that"
 Asked if he bad prescribed for Dewey of late, Surgeon Page said: NO. he has no need for prescriptions. During the last year he has not once asked for a prescription or taken medical advice except in a casual way. If he wants anything he sends down to the ships apothecary and gets It. His habits are so regular that he needs little or no medicine. His smoking and drinking are in perfect moderation. He eats we'll and sleeps we'll and 1t is one of the rec ognizd offenses on board ship to tramp heavily over the admral's cabin after he has retired"
 "It has needed pretty calm man at the head of affairs" said Surgeon Page when asked as to the reports Of frlc- ton with the German naval officers "I know nothing of any differences. but we all feel that much reliance was to be placed on the admirars tact and con- servatism as a means of avoiding any possible difference Throughout the fleet | he was universally admired not only as | T naval commander, but also for his | and discretion"