The Saint Paul globe., 1900-04-22
Medical Notes..


Surgeon Major Ira c. Brown, referring
to sanitary work in the Philippines, says
that while the natives are scrupulously
clean as to their person. they have but
slight knowledge of sanitary laws. and
look upon all orders for maintaining
a healthful surrounding as arbitrary
manifestations of authority and persecu-
ton. Among the lower classes of the
Chinese it is much worse. and most of
the plague cases have been among these.
White people seem to have escaped alto
gether. A curious complication arose when
the plague first appeared in Manila.
There is an inveterate and implacable
hatred between the Fiipinos and China
men, and the native inspectors appointed
to search out nuisanceS improved the op-
portunity to get even with the Cinnamon.
Chinese inspectors were then appointed,
at the suggestion and by the aid OF rich
Chinese merchants. and the racial squar-
ing up of old scores ceased. There are
now loo inspectors at work in Manila, who
patrol the city in squads comprising two
FilipiRos and a Chinaman, with a soldier
to boss them to prevent their shirking and
blacHmailing A house IN which a plague
victim is discovered Is disnfected and
everything movable is burned. A yellow
card with the words ''Bubonic Pest is
attached to the door, and a sentry stands
guard, the house being quarantined for
four days. If several cases occur in a
street, 1t is closed to all business. Dead
Cinnamon are buried eight feet under
ground and covered with quickIime, but
the FilipinoS are cremated If the relatives
will consent to it. The authorities are
eagerly looking for rain. believing that a
few siX-inch showers will flush the streets
IofA Alxy fhok
further cases of the plague will be impos-
sible
Even in highly civilized communities
there are always some people who believe
that the precautionary measures of pIa-
Carding houses in which there are cases
of contagious diseases and the isolation
of the inmates is an interference with per-
sonal liberty. The Philadelphia Medical
Journal, speaking editorially, says: ''Diph-
liberia and scarlet fever are two of the
great scourges of child life; they are
likewise two of the most readily con-
trolled contagious by the exercise of mod
ern preventive methods. These methods
SAVIOR TO some of interference with per-
sonal liberty and freedom of action: there
fore, with eyes willfully and tightly
closed, they thrash their arms about and
strike bliHdly at those who in attempting
to save life inadvertently iostle against
them or interrupt their peaceful daily
promenade upon the public highway" If
these objections should be humored and
their requests granted, human life would
be lost, contagion spread and much need
less suffering be caused. An essential ele-
ment of sanitary effort is love of our fell
low men. We must be willing to sacrifice
personal convenience and interests for the
welfare of the community, for such sacri-
flee ultimately benefits the Individual and
the people.
The colonial office of England is about
to make some very entertaining expert
ments upon the possibility of preventing
malaria. A hut will be built ir the most
malarial spot In the pestilentiaI Roman
Campagna. This will be made absolutely
mosquito proof by screens and two medl-
cal experts will live in this hut during
the malarial season from May until Oc-
tober. Two servants will wait upon them
and If the four persons are not affected
with malaria it will be proof that with
proper precautions any person may in
habit ma!arious country with impunity
For second experiment mosquitoes are
to be raised from eggs in a laboratory !
where they Will have no chance to pick
up malarial germs and will then be fed
in Rome upon patients known to have
malaria. These mosquitoes will then be
sent 10 London and set free in a house
inhabited by Englishmen who have never
been away from home and who have
therefore never been exposed to the dan
ger of malarial Infection These men
will probably develop malaIial fever
These experiments, one positive, the 9TH
er negative. will doubtless be successful
and will lead to the devising of methods
to protect those in malarial countries
from Infection by that disease.
The determination of rats, always a
desirable thing. is especially so in the
present threatening aspect of the plague.
Citizens along the Pacific coast have
been warned Of the necessity of killing