The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-01-31
.NR LOtHNSTENS LAST'DISEASE THE REAL ENEMY
SICK SOLDIERS A MAJORITY ON
THE MISSOURI.
The Roll Of Sixteen Dead Will be
Added to Before the Journeys End.
Philippine Conditions.

The conditions on board the hospital
ship Missouri show that the soldier who
is struck by a Filipino bullet is luckier
than the man whose system becomes
innoculated with the disease germs of
the Philippine climate. Nearly all of
the 272 soldiers on board the vessel are
sick men and most of them are suffer-
ing with dysentery. The sixteen who
died between here annd Manila are not
the only ones of the lot that left the
scene of war who will never see home
again. Three or four others are almost
certain to succumb before San Fran
cisco is reached.
THE wounded at Manila generally do
very WELL" said Captain William l..
| Kneedler, executive officer of the ship,
and most of them recover sufficiently
to be sent home on the transports. For
that reason most of our passengers are
sick men. Dysentery and consumption
are the two diseases that are making
the greatest ravages. Consumption is
very bad in Manila. When 1t gets hold
Of the system it makes most extra
| ordinary progress. Some of those we
have lost would have recovered if they
could have been moved away from the
! islands
"The victims of dysentery are more
numerous than cOnsumptions and the
disease is almost equally incurable. 1t
has bacillus, like the plague here, and
no treatment, diet or climate change
seems to effect many of the cases. 1t
is absolutely as necessarily fatal as a
malignant case of cancer. We have
held post-mortens on some of the vic
Tins that died on the vessel, and found
that the membranes of the stomach
were nine tenths eaten away"
On the deck of the Missouri are many
men whose faces show the ravages OF
consumption or dysentery. Since reach.
ing the vicinity of Honolulu and hav-
ing fine weather they are able to sill
on the deck, but some of them cannot
recover and a large number will never
be fit for active service again. Mer
who only about a year ago were able
to pass the rigid medical examinations
for enlistment are now certain invalids
for life. They will be fit candidates fol
places on Uncle Sans pension list
Quarantine prevents the people of Ho
nolulu from showing the sympathy ant
attention they would like to display
but Mrs. S M. Damon has sent larg
quantity of fruits and flowers, 70
which Captain Kneedler expresses tn
warmest thanks.
Just gatore leaving the Philippine
Captain Kneedler made tour q
Southern Luzon with General YounF
The conditions there show a complet
cessation of wars activities. II foun
the people perfectly contented and en-
gagged in their agricultural pursuits,
! said the captain, "and they are yer.
prosperous. Splendid crops are beinl
raised and many CATTLE and there wer
no signs that the Filipinos were no
satisfied with the new order of affairs
AS far as this whole district is con
cerned, the trouble seems to be at a
end In Northern Luzon there is sti
, some rebellion, but an active campaig
, is begun, and the whole war is yer
likely to be done with in short order.
Manila itself is quiet and prosper
Gus. There is absolutely no sign {
:. disturbance there I was amazed q
J the amount of work that has bee
: done towards making the place san
7 tary. The town is in a remarkabl
, clean condition.
The Missouri has been called tn
s finest hospital ship in the world and
: really splendidly fitted up for the car
o of the sick and wounded. She has he
own plants for the making If ice, sodi
v for disinfection, etc, and operatin
e rooms that are in every way up to mC
:, dern requirements. When she wa
r purchased by the government durin
k the Spanish war, gifts of all sorts {
/. apparatus, and other needs were sci
e to her by various American societie
n She was originally loaned to the go'
o ernment for a year. free of all chars
e and with all expenses paid, by the A
IS lantic transportation Company ar
# was afterwards bought for $4,000
The officers in charge are: Evecuti'
officer Captain VIM. L. Kneedler. su
geon, U. S. A; Asst Surgeons d.
,f Duval C. ]. Manley, Act. Asst. Sur
" j. ]. Reilly; Capt. and Quartermast'
:, p, II. McCaull Hospital Stewards
Hartung and John r. Anderson.
n The Missouri will probably not e
" away till Friday morning. Work
- kept up all day and until midnigl
u getting coal aboard.
Il CHINA AND MOANA.