The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-22

and the manner in which he met his deain
in what is now believed TO have been
temporary fit Of insanity during which
he shot himself calls attention to some
startling statistics regarding the prevail
enc. Of mania in the Philippines. as shown
by the records Of the War Department
These records show that from May l.
1898 TO April I, 1900, there have been
efgbtv-three suicides in the armies Of the
United States. nearly everyone due to in
sanity and most OF them OF men who had
served il the Philippines. During the
same period nearly loco soldiers have
been shipped from their posts in our new
possessions to the Government Hospital
for the Insane in this city. OF these about
90 per cent have come from the Fhlp-
mines Since December ] last. there have
been twenty-nine suicides there all due
70 insanity. Strange 10 say the rate OF
insanity and suicide continued normal
during the war with Spain. but during the
Philippine campaign it has been steadily
increasing until now General Otis reports
more suicides a week than deaths IN ae-
tion. the figures showing an average OF
three per week.
In to date seven officers have own
out their brains in efforts TO escape from
the decisions Of insanity following the
effect upon them Of the hardsnips ana
climate Of the Philippines. A paiueu-
larry sad instance was the death Of Lieut.
Louis P. Weber, Of the Forty second In
fsutrv. L. s A. Lieutenant Weber while
one of the Youngest officers in the Army
had served with distinction Throughout
the campaign in Cuba and later enlisted
in one Of the regiments equipped for ser
vice in the Philippines last summer lie
landed in Manila on January ] last. ard
two months later shot himself with his
revolver His mind had become unbal-
anced by the tortures Of fever and ma
laria. Lieut.. Col John J. Brerston, OF
the Thirty-third Infantry, veteran in
Army service killed himself in ths same
manner.
has contributed victims to the ravages Of
the most appalling affection which can
visit humanity.
Mentally deranged. is General Gus
official comment on each OF these casual
the tragic and pathetic history invo yed
In each. The case Of Captain Ostheim
presents the frightful effects produced by
military life in the Philippines Upol the
minis Of many. which are not always Oh
liberated by a return to a temperate CT
mate and more tranquil conditions. A
man 10 The prime Of life. about TO lie
married to his afhanced bride, IS foun1
in bis room in a Chicago hotel with bull
n arra nj fnfI
living near his hand. All the inoicati1ns
point TO suicide. but how reconcile such |
q conclusion with the happy prospect be-
fore the deceased. a prospect which |
seemed to offer him a haven Of happiness
and peace after a long and haz rdous mill
itarv carcer9 The only explanation and
the one now generally accepted is that in
a 1T Of temporary insanity. the result Of
bis Philippine campaign, he had destroyed 1
his life.
To one acquainted with the conditions |
attendant upon the life Of a soldier in the
Philippines, said man recently returned
from that quarter the baneful effects
which follow seem scarcely surprising The
campaigning is done through incessant
rains. marching through jungles and
swamps in pursuit OF the natives. who,
thoroughly immune to the ill-efects Of
their own climate, select the most IN
healthy localities as retreats. The food
supply OF our troops is often curtailed and
Of Indifferent quality; their clothing is in
sufficient and. above all, the climate can
only be described as maddeniEg to those
who are obliged to 90 through with the
hardships OF a campaign"
The number Of suicides. as may be read
fly seen by an examination Of the records
OF the War Department. furnish only a
slight indication of the actuS ravages Of
Insanity among our troops. For every man
who has blown out his brains there are
dozen who have gone mad and been saved
by their comrades before they could do
themselves bodily harm.
General Otis recently ordered a ship
meut Of one thousand pairs of handouts
from Washington for use upon those
whom II is necessary to chain in order
that they may not do themselves or others
bodily injury.
Each transport running between this
country and the Philippines is equipped
with a padded cell SO that the insane can
not harm themselves before they reach
their native land. The sherman, which
recently arrived from the islands, brought
twenty-five maniac soldiers. the prevail
Ing form Of insanity among them being
melancholia
II however. one wishes 10 actually wit
ness the effects Of the Philippine campaign
upon so many OF our troops be must 90 to
St Elizabeths Asylum and contemplate
the physical and mental wrecks who are
received al frequent intervals at that IN
stitution. Today there are 80 insane sol
oiers at the Asylum. many Of whom viii
never recover the Light Of reason.
II to the facts thus revealed is added
those brought 70 Light by the census OF
Manila recently completed by the Health
Department the showing made by the Phil
lppines as a field for military or CONNER
cal action Is certainly not tempting TO
those who reside In other and more tenn
perate regions The census establishes
death rate OF something over 80 per cent
The deaths in Manila officially reported
IN the six months extending from July
to December 81 last year were 6.203. Ma
Mia is at present tbe seat Of three epi-
demic disesses-buboufC plague, beri-berl,
and smallpox. The twenty mine officers
and men OF the United States Army who
have committed suicide In the Philippines
since December l. 1899, TO the present are
as follows
A. f. Bernard. private Hospital Corps;
D. T. Bowman. lieutenant Thirty
Volunteers: J. J. Brereton. lieutenant col
onel, Thirty third Volunteer Infantry;
George Briggs, private. First Wyoming
Volunteer Infantry; p B. Craddock pri-
waite, Fourth Cavalry; E. c. Crawford, pri-
Vate. Twenty third Infantry; George W.
Curtis. private. Eighteenth Infantry; F.
Dickelman, private. Hospital Corps; Fred
A. Durham. hospital steward W. Gregory.
private Eleventh Volunteer Cavalry;
Charles Hiatt. sergeant. Fourth Cavalry:
NJ A. Hills. corporal, Thirty-siXth Nolun-
teer Infantry; John c. Hudson. private,
Twenty-third Infantry; J. J. Kehoe, pri-
waite. Second Oregon Infantry; A Keller
man private. Fourth Infantry; George n.