The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-22
THE PHILIPPfNE CLIMATE.
An Army Surgeon Writes of It's Evil
Effects ON the Minds of Soldiers.


Effects ON the Minds of Soldiers.
Washington Telegram to Chicago Tribune.
Officials of the war department. from the
Secretary down have perslstently denied
the stories of an unusual percentage OF
insanity among the troops in the Philip
pines There will probably be a sensation.
therefore, over report from Capt. Il. C.
Woodruff, assistant surgeon. now on duty
at Fort Riley, Kan, who shows officially
the existence of a positive epidemic of
nervous prostration, If not of insanity,
among both officers and men in the Phil
ippines. In reporting on the general SUBJ
Ject of intemperance, Surgeon Woodrum
says:
ut made no difference in the tropics TO
tell every one that alcohol was dangerous,
and 1t must be confessed that we saw
more drinking In the Philippines than we
had seen for long time-not drunken
ness, but a steady daily consumption. IL
seemed inevitable. This almost universal
drinking must mean natural defensive
craving-sui ely so many men cannot be
fools to do what was so positively said
to be wrong
"A Spanish army surgeon told me that
their experience was TO the effect that a
certain amount Of wine daily was essen
tial IN that climate. did not believe him,
OF course, anu was 1nctlneu 10
their large acquisitions for wine, putting
II down to the race characteristics inn
ported from the shores of the Mediterran-
can. 1t did not take long 10 find out that
he was correct, and the reason is not
difficult to find
II have never yet seen any account Of
the terrible nervous exhaustion which re-
suits from Iong-continued exposure to
great heat and moisture. II is a veritable
neurasthenia. There is no escape from
the heat, day CT night. One wakes up at
night fairly drenched with perspiration. IL
wears out nervous force quickly ana
surely"
There is food for serious consideration in
what this army surgeon reports as to the
mental condition of the troops in the is
lands. He says for instance: Now the
symptoms OF exhaustion are everywhere.
never heard so many complaints of per-
slstent insomnia as ! did In the Philip
pines. One young, vigorous staff officer.
who seemed always cool. complained to me-
one day that on the previous afternoon at
5 o'clock he found that he could not re-
member anything he read. When he aph
to the end of a sentence he had forgotten
the beginning He was surely disabled
until the next morning. A surgeon in
formed me that before he was half
through his da3iy rounds he discovered
he could not remember the patients an
swers, and he always had to lie down
thirty to sixty minutes before the brain
would again work properly.
1T was rumored @ general officer ona
day at an early hour found himself An tha
same condition. He could act on no pa
pers because he could not remember what
was to be acted on. 1t is needless to re-
mark that in warfare the lives of SOL
diers are rather precarious II from sheer
exhaustion their officers cannot use their
brains II is serious question and have
been astounded at the Illogical actions
taken In some instances.
I'm conditions of mental prostration the
thing that ought not to be done Is apt to
be ordered through sheer paralysis of rea-
soning faculties and memory. Much abs
surdity of conduct has its origin In cere-
bral asthenia. In my limited circle ons
man broke down completely and another
became insane-both largely due to over
work and the heat. A high percentage OF
soldiers have gone insane There were
also a large number in whom muscular
force was largely reduced.
Soldiers who appeared to be Just as
strong as at home found themselves done
up efter five innings at baseball. lt
showed itself in the eyes, and in num-
Der OF cases there was inability to read
through paresis of accommodation, indeed
acconimodative asthenopia Is almost u
tropical disease. A great many have cons
planned of their glasses"