The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-01-29
A FILIPINO SANIfARIUM
The Commission Finds Baguio 1
Delightful Health Resort.
Ii Il in the Province OF BeEEuet.
About f:g2 EIiIes From Manila
American Troops GarrisoninG in
the vicinity in superb Condition
Thermal Springs Feature.

The Division of Insular affairs of the
War Department publishes the following
interesting extract from the report Ct the
Philippine Commission of November 80
1850. concerning Benguet as health re
sort:
The southernmost of these regions, and
therefore the most accessible from Ma
Mia. is comprised in the Province of Ben
gued- Baguio. the present capital of the
Province. is about l32 miles from Manila
in a straight line. BY the Manila and
Dagupan Railway to the town of Dagupan.
and by the shortest practicable rou-e for
railroad from this point to Baguio. the
distance IS about III miles.
The Commission soon after its arrival
here. undertook 10 obtain full and accu-
rate information as to the suitabIepess
OF Benguet as q health resort. AS q pre-
liminary step to this end. & thorough
search Of the old Spanish archives was
made. with a view to gathering together
all available data. II was soon learned
that a very fuN and extensive report lad
been published by a Spanish Commission.
consisting OF Don HenrIqUe Hore colo
mel OF artillery; Don Rafael De Arilar y
CaStanoCa, maJCT Of engineers, and Don
Elias Con y Tres, first surgeon OF the mil
-itary department, sent by General Blan-
co TO report on the climatic and health
conditions OF this province.
A careful search Cf the archives made
II evident thar all the original copies Of
this report, Of which there were three had
been removed, but We eventually asceT-
tanned that II had been published N fall in
Spanish medical journal and, through the
courtesy Of the Jesuit Fathers and of Dr..
Joaquin Gonzales, the Commission secured
possession Of nearly the full text. This
report Is a very extensive document, dis
Cussing at length the desirabiliJy OF mil
1tary sanitarium 10 he erected at some
place with suitable climatic conditions
and then going on TO demonstrate that the
township OF Baguio, IL the Province Of
Benguer, Is such d place
Il enters into an elaborate discussion
OF the geographical situation Of this town
ship, its topography and the means of
communication with it. the character OF
its soil. seismic phenomena, products.
fauna, and climatic conditions including
atmospheric pressure temperature, pre-
vailing winds, humidity, rainfall, frequen-
cy Of clouds, electric phenomena and mum
Der and length OF storms. The sources OF
water supply are discussed and shown 10
be adequate Thermal mineral springs are
also described There is some description
of the native Igorrotes. with measure
ments, and an attempt al determining the
ceEtn-Fate among them and the causes Of
death There follow general conclusions
from the Data obtained. with a discussion
OF the probable physiological effects Of the
conditions found
While the original document is dihuse
and somewhat bombastic in style, II, new
ertheless, contains great deal Of valu-
he
Perature and humidity secured during the
sixty days soJourn Of the Spanish Com
mission at B2GUio were Of SO surprising
character as to suggest reasonable
doubt concerning their accuracy.
In view OF the importance OF the Ques-
ton at issue, il was decided that moth
Ing short Of personal investigation could
satisfactorily settle the matter Commits
sloners Wright and Worcester were ap-
pointed a committee to gather all avail
able information on the subject and were
directed by the Commission 10 proceed to
the Province Of BeDguet and investi-
gate the conditions existing there. Their
report demonstrates concIusively that in
the vicinity Of the town OF Baguio there
exists an extensive region admirably
suited to serve as health resort Tor
these islands and for the ueighboring
China coast.
They found an extensive highland re-
tribe; with COOL invigorating air, and
abundant wafer free from tropical veg
Citations, aHordIng pasUurage in plenty
and suited 10 the production of many OF
the fruits vegetables. and grains charac-
terIstic OF the temperate zone. They look
with them trained meteorological OBJ
server, who VIII be kept at Baguio until
the latter part OF May, when his records.
together with those Of the Spanish COM
mlsslC1, previously referred 10. viii cover
every month Of the year.
The remarkable character Of the climate
OF Benguet VIII be better appreciated if q
brief comparison is made between il and
the climate Of Manila Il is hard to con-
ceive Of region affording a more delight
LuI temperature than BaguiO- where II is
always cool and Yet never cold. The high
est temperature recorded during August
September, and October is 76.S degrees.
The observations Of the Spanish comrzis-
sion began on the 24th day Of May and
lasted until the 22d day Of July. the maxi
mum temperature recorded during this
period beng 80 degrees These data.
taken together with those secured by US.
cover the hottest part Of the year, and the
absolute maximum temperature is proba-
bly, very close to Il degrees. From the
best available data IL would seem that the
absolute minimum was about 4 degrees.
The lowest temperatures occur during
that period Of the year when the skies
are clear and the air is dry. The mean
temperature for the entire period covered
by our observations was &c So degrees:
that at Manila was S1-3 degrees. giving 4
difference Of 14.44 degrees in favor Of
BagUio. The minimum temperature re
corded by the Spanish commission for the
sixty days Of their observations was 81 7
degrees, and the mean Temperature was
1856 degrees.
4 striking feature oS the temperature at
Baguio IS lis uniformity, the greatest dai-
y variation recorded for the three months
being 49, degrees and the least daily va
riaticn being q Of Q degree At Manila,
the greatest daily variation during The
same. period was 201 degrees and the least
WAS 8 degrees The mean daily variation
for the three months az Manila was 1875
degrees aad al BaEuio was 7-ST degrees. or
z-IS degrees less than II Manila
IEE brlclUg character Of the atmosphere
= stteste1 by everyone who has visited
the Province Of Benguet and its purity is
shown b. tie fact that fresh meat keeps
Without ice for from three TO six DAYS. ac-
cording 70 the season. This last fact is
Of especial significance IT connection with
surgical operations and the treatment Of