The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-04-03
CENSUS OF MANILA
Shows Philippine City to Be
One of the Most Unhealthy
in the World.

Correspondence of Associated Press.)
Manila, March 6.-The census of Ma
Mia just completed by the health de-
partrnent gives the city an unpleasantly
high rank among the unhealthjest of
the world. It establishes a death rate
of something over 40 per cent, a con-
servative estimate. Former estimates
and censuses have always given Mani a
100000 population. This census was a
careful count of natives and Chinese
living in buildings and boats in the po-
lice districts Of Manila, and it gave
total of 1914, of whom 10000 were
Cinnamon. There are to be added the
inhabitants of several villages within
the city limits Americans and Euro
peans and 400 priests in the monas-
teries. From reliable information the
officials estimate their number at be-
tween $4,000 and so 000
The deaths in Manila officially re-
| ported during the six months from July
| ] TO December 81 last year were 6,203
/ OF these 2,941 We're children. Some Of
/ the principal causes were beri-beri, 510;
/ tuberculosis, 1855; bronchitis, 314; dys-
| entery, 229; fevers, PSF, while stomach
| troubles ranked high. Manila. now has
/ three diseases epidemic which would
| throw the average community into
panic-bubonic plague. beri-beri, and
| smallpox. Beri-beri results from diet
! Of fish and rice so that whites do not
fear it. Smallpox and leprosy the
/ pDluGS always nave ana the D6O-
| pie look upon them as matter of
| course, avoiding direct contact, but
! hardly giving a second thought to their
/ presence in the neighbOrhO0d. Small
! pox hourishes in some parts of LuzOn
| constantly. Half of the natives in the
| country districts are pitted with it, and
| mothers try to get their children in
! fected 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 Dagu-
| pan are full of smallpox now. Cen
| eral Bells famous volunteer regiment,
! the Thirty-SiXth, is suffering from an
epidemic. Lieutenant Toncray and
| Lieutenant Wing, both of whom We're
| Tennesseeans, the former holding a
commission as captain in the Tennessee
volunteers, and seVeraA soldiers have
died and there are other cases in the
regiment. The easy going natives and
! Spaniards paid so little attention to
leprOsy that the Philippines have never
been noted for that disease, but there
are more than a hundred lepers in the
Manila hospital
Bubonic plague is a visitor to which
distance lends terror Two months ago
the first case was discovered in Manila.
Since that time there have been 200
cases, according tot the estimates of
the health officers, and at least 80 per
cent. of them have resulted fatally.
Yet there has been no panic, no fam
lilies have fed from the city. nor has
the usual routine of life in the city
been disturbed.
| The repreSsive measures of the health
officers have been comparatively simple,
/ hut have proven remarkably effective
considering the conditions they have
had to night Their aim has been to
make the city clean and keep it clean.
This is the last thing the masses of
| Filipinos and Cinnamon propose to do
unless driven to it.
They don't understand it. they con-
slider it only a form of persecution ex-
planned Surgeon Major Ira c. Brown,
! when asked if the natives were dis
posed to cooperate in this work. The
Filipinos are one of the most scrupulous
people in the world about personal
cleanliness. Their knowledge of sani-
tation, however. was gained entirely
from the Spaniards and is defective.
The lower classes of Chinese are worse,
as the fact that twO-thirds of the
plague cases have been among them,
| although they number but a small mi
nOrIry of the population, testifies
: White people have escaped altogether
Manila is practically without sewerage
and because of its level the cost of a
system on modern lines would be al
l most prOhibitive. AS an offset is the
character of the Nipa huts inhabited
by most of the natives, which stand or
, | posts above the ground free from rats
, and wen ventilated.
The plague is supposed to have be
gun in Cavite. It first appeared in Ma
> | Mia in the walled city only a stones
/ throw from the palace, where the army
headquarters are, and three persons
were dead before the nature of theii
disease was suspected. Most of tbs
later cases have been in the same sec
! ton of the walled city or in the Chi
nese quarter, near the water front.