New-York tribune., 1900-04-05
THE PLAGUE AT MANILA.
EXCESSIVE DEATH RATE FOR THE CITY-PRECAU,
TIONs TAKEN WHEN THE PEST BROKE
OUT-DISEASE ABATING.

Manila, March 6.-The of Manila just
completed by the Health Department gives the
city an unpleasantly high rank among the un-
healthful cities of the world 1t establishes death
rate of something 40 per cent, at conserva-
tive estimate. Former estimates and censuses had
always given Manila o0o0 population. This CEN
sus was q careful count of natives and Chinese
living in buildings and boats in the police districts
of Manila and it gave total of 1914, of whom
80 600 were Cinnamon. There to be added the
inhabitants of several villages within the city
limits, Americans and Europeans and 140O priests
in the monasteries. From trustworthy information
the officials estimate their number at between
90 900 1000 The deaths in Manila officially re-
ported in the six months from July to December
81 last year were 1903. OF these 2Si1 were chill
dren.
Manila has three diseases epidemic which
would throw the average community into panic
bubonic plague beri-beri and smallpox. Beri-bert
results from diet of fish and rice, that white
persons do not fear it. Smallpox and leprosy the
Philippines always have, and the people look upon
them as a matter of course, avoiding direct con-
presence in the neighborhood Smallpox hourishes
in some parts of Luzon constantly nan OF the
and mothers try to get children infected with
it. under the belief that IT is less dangerous to the
young The towns along the northern coast and
on the railroad between Manila and Dasupan are
regiment the 18Th. is suffering from an epidemic.
Lieutenant Toncray and Lieutenant Wing, both OF
commission as captain in the Tennessee volunteers.
and several soldiers have died, and there Otner
cases in the regiment The easy going ma tives and
Spaniards paid little attention to leprosy that
the Philippines have never been noted for that
disease, but there are more than hundred lepers
in the Manila Hospital.
Bubonic plague is visitor to which distance
lends Two months ago the first case was
discovered in Manila. Since that time there have
been two hundred cases, according to the estimates
the health officers, and at least so per cent Of
them have resulted fatally. Yet there has been no
panic The repressive measures of the health Of
hcers have been comparatively simple, but have
proved remarkably effective considering the condi-
lions they have had to fight Their aim has been
make the city clean and keep IL clean. The
the world about personal cleanliness. Their knowl-
edge of sanitation, however, was gained entirely
from Spaniar rds. and Is defective. The lower
classes of Chinese worse, the fact that two
thirds Of the plague cases have been among them
although they number only small minority of the
population testifes White people have escaped
altogether Manila is practically without sewer
age and because OF its low level the cost of sys
tenn modern lines would be almost prohibitive.
The plague is supposed to have begun In Cavte
1t first appeared in Manila in the walled city only
a stones throw from the Palace. where army head
quarters and three dead before
the nature of their disease suspected. Most OF
the later have been in the section of the
walled city, in the Chinese quarter, the
waterfront. The officials have hoped that when
the rainy gets fairly under way with a few
six inch showers 1t will wash up the town thor
oughly that plague will be impossible Even at its
with yellow fever in Cuba consider the buboac
plague easier control than its South American
rival. Already the number of weekly reported
is decreasing.