Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-21
officials Indignant Over Persistent
Misstatements.
7HAq ACTUAL ] REPORTS SHOW
Classes of Disease Which Caused
the Mortality.
MORE EoNs SENT

War Department officials deprecate the
persistent efforts made In various anti
administration quarters to show that dis
ease is making great havoc among the
troops in the Philippines. Great indigna-
tion was expressed by many OF them today
over the sensational statement that Gen.
Cts campaign is costing upward of 1,GOO
men every month, in consequence of which
1t is alleged that it has been necessary for
the department to send unusually heavy de-
tails of medical officers to the Philippines
to care for ,he sick and dying. The official
records of the department show that the
statement that deaths in the PHILIPPINES
have averaged 900 month is utterly un-
warranted by the facts in the case Since
the American occupation Of the Philippines,
June l, 1893, up to February II, 1900, the
date of the last official compilation, cover
ing period of one year, eight months and
s1xteeR days, the actual mortality in the
army in the Philippines was 65 officers and
4G0 men, a total of / ,525 or at the rate of
"a deaths a month, being 926 less than the
monthly average enormously reported.
Surgeon WoodruR's Report.
More details are contained In the report
OF Colonel Woodruff, chief surgeon of the
Philippine army. His report, however does
not extend beyond the end of the last cal
endar year. 1t shows that from the time
that American troops landed in Manila up
to December /, 1899, the total number of
deaths were 5S officers and 1903 men. OF
this number AZ officers and so men died by
violence and 16 officers and SOB men died of
disease. Most OF the deaths by violence
occurred in battle. There We're, however
1877 deaths from violence not the result of
actual hostilities. 1t is a singular fact that
more than one-half Of the latter class of
deaths We're caused by drowning. The cir
a ~ hn Irnrr r-,,s,
stated. but are supposed TO be due to the
recklessness of the men while in bathing
The total number of wounded without fatal
results during the period covered by the
report was .T61.
Among the deaths from disease were:
Pneumonia. 20: tuberculosis, 21; malarial
diseases, 40: bowel affections other than
dysentery, 30; smallpox, 100: dysentery
149. and typhoid fever 167. Colonel Wood
ruff says that most of the deaths from
smallpox and typhoid fever occurred during
the early months of American occupation,
when the command. was relatively small
Cauae of AIarmiuss Statements.
Surgeon General Sternberg says that
many of the alarming statements of dis
ease and deaths in the Philippines seem
to be based on the fact that large details
of contract surgeons are being forwarded
to the Philippines. The fact of the mat
ter is. he says. that there is no particular
increase In the number of medical officers
In the Philippines. The contract surgeons
now being sent there are simply to take
the places of others whose contracts have
expired, and who are entitled to come
home He admitted that it was true that
twenty-four officers of the medical depart
nent Were on the transport which sailed
from San Francisco. II few days ago, but
explained that they had been accumuat-
ing at San Francisco for several weeks
awaiting transportation under orders is
sued in the usual routine
More Surgeons Going.
Arrangements have been made to send an
additional detachment of medical officers
to San Francisco with a view to there
transportation to Manila for the relief
of a similar number OF medical officers in
| the Philippines desirous of returning to the
United States. The following is list Of
acting assistant surgeons today ordered to
San Francisco from the various places
where they are now stationed:
Frank G. Raker, from Washington, d. c..
Robert NJ. Thornburgh, from New York
city. N. y: Leonard +. Bell, from Indian
apols. Ind; Caspar r. Byars from Column
bus, Tex; Joseph A. Collie, from Williams
Bay, Wis; Richard NJ. English, from New
Haven, Conn; Bower f. Hines, from Fort
Washington Court House, Ohio; George L..
Marion. from Eigin. Ill; John N. Merrick,
from Columbus, Ohio; John l.. Norris, from
Washington. D. c.; Conn r. Ohlinger, from
Canton Ohio; Samuel A. Springwater. from
Chicago, ILL.,; Randel c. Stoney, from
Charleston. S. c.; Henry H. Stromberger
from Washington. D. c.; Edwin NJ. Trook
from Marion, Ind, and Josiah NJ. Ward
from Newbern, N. G.