Evening star., 1901-10-11
Gen. Sternberg Says 1t Was Unusu-
ally Good.
DEATH RATE BY NO MEANS HEAVY
Causes of Sickness in Philippines
49, and Cuba.
YELLOW FEVER EXPERIMENT


sick report. discharges for disability and
deaths were somewhat similar to those re-
ported during the past year, but then they
were the result of service in the garrisons
of the United States, while now they re-
suit from what practically has been war
service in the Philippine Islands
Lessening of Death Rate.
Sanitary Improvements in the condition
of the soldier says the surgeon general
gradually lessen the rates year after year
subsequent to the civil war among the
troops in the United States. until in 1854
the admission rate from all causes fell to
1,0So.T T3 per thousand of strength. The
loves admission rate for disease was
s;}065 in the year 1896 The lowest
death rate from all causes was 5.11
per thousand of strength, 314 having peen
the rate for disease. both of which were
recorded in the year 1897, the year pre-
ceding the great change in the sanitary en-
vironment of the soldier, which resulted
from the outbreak of the Spanish-Ameri-
war. Following that outbreak we had
heavy rates of sickness and mortality. due
t. the exposures of active service in Cuba,
Porto Rico and the Philippine Islands. + or
short time these rates were in excess of
those of the civil war when at their worst,
but the sanitary knowledge of the present
time put to energetic practical use speedily
caused a cessation of those excessive war
rates. leaving the ratios still high as
those whcih prevailed in the garrisons of
the United States for a number OF years
after the close of the civil war.
Increase the Past Year.
The increase in the ratios of admissions
TO sick report, discharges and deaths dur
ing the past year over those of the years
1sa+1S9I. is due TO the relatively large pro-
portion of our military force which served
under war ncoditions in the Philippine
Islands and China; but for this the rates
given by the army would have made
very satisfactory record, those given by
troops serving in Cuba, Porto Rico and the
United States were by no means heavy.
The admission rate for all causes The
army, volunteers and regulars, with q
mean strength of 100.3S9 in 1900, was
2.31l.Sl per thousand of strength, as COM
: pared with 2,17s.O6 in the previous year;
but during the year 1899 only Sc, go men
out of a total Of 105,546 were serving In
the Philippines, while during the past year
GGSS2 of a total of 10O,3S9 were thus Sery-
ing. This is important point to re-
member in considering the sick rates of
the two years.
The troops serving in the United States
during the year 1900 (mean strength 2O69G)
had an admission rate of 1.o1o.9T per thou
sand of strength compared with 677 81
during the previous year. The death rate
was ITS from all causes per thousand of
strength as compared with 7.S9 in the pre-
vious year, 4.S3 from disease as compared
with 6.56 and 2-95 from injury as compared
with 1.33.
In the philippines.
"In the Philippine Islands, with a mean
strength of 66.ss2, the admission rate was
2.621.96. as compared with 2.395.52 in the
previous year. this increase being mainly
due to disease among the volunteers the
ratio for which rose from 1,s5921 to
s2.It1.19. The regulars, on the other hand
showed a marked decrease in the ratio of
admission for disease which fell from
2,4541 10 to =, 1918. Two-thirds of the ad-
missions disease caused m
rial fevers and diarrhoeal diseases. The
deaths from all causes amounted to % 73
- per thousand of strength, as compared with
3O.5S In the previous year. Disease occa-
stoned 26 deaths, the principal cause of
the fatalities being dysentery, which, with
other intestinal diseases, gave rate CT
9Oo. The rate from injury amounted to
$40.
THE death rate in China was large. II 10
per thousand of strength. 1882 from dis
ease. and 2414 from injury.
From the close of the calendar year
1900 to the latest reports, the health of
the troops in the Philippines has been
steadily improving The chief surgeon mas
reported a progressive diminution in the
non-effciency of the command from dis
ease and injury. Intestinal and gastric dis
eases. including dysentery and typhoid fe-
YER, gave JAZZ per cent of the total sick
ness, malarial fevers 1923 per cent and
yenereai diseases 1910 per cent. Typhoid
fever, which scourged camps in 1858
appeared only Sporadically, constituting
merely 1.IS per cent of the total sickness
Most of the malarial cases were mild and
made little or no figure in the mortality
returns Smallpox so prevalent and dead
-ly in the early occupation of the islands
has almost entirely been suppressed Dys-
eEtery, constituting 13.44 per cent of all
cases OF sickness, is the dangerous disease.
Cuba and Porto Rico.
The medical record of the troops in Cuba
and Porto Rico for the year 1900 is an
excellent one. comparing favorably with
that OF the troops serving at the home sta
tions
THE admission rate for alcoholism in the
army as whole during the year 1900 was
Iooi per thousand of strength, as COM
pared with 1449 in 1S99 and with 1857
the mean annual rate of the decade 1889
9s The steady decrease of late years in
the admissions for alcoholism among the
men or the regular army is a matter for
congratnlation. Military officers may be
said to be unanimous in their opinion that
that was mainly the result of the estab-
Ishment OF the post exchange or canrean
at military posts. There Is less drunken
ness among troops in active service than
In command doing garrison duty in the
time OF peace In the Philippines during
the past year the admission rate for al.
coholism among the volunteers was S6s
and for regulars. Al; for troops In China
10. These statistics do not sustain the
newspaper reports of drunkenness among
the troops in the Philippines In fact, med
ical officers report the habits of the en-
listed men In the Philippines as very much
the same In the United States MANY
of the evil effects of intemperance In the
Philippines are attributed to the use of the
native intoxicant vino. which is a crudeIy
distilled alcohol, causing rapid intoxica-
tion, which is readily recovered from when
moderate quantity is taken but which
taken In excess causes wild delirium and
unconsciousness. and in habitual users In
duces a deterioration of the mental facuI-
ties.
'Of insanity 273 cases were reported.
equivalent to an annual rate Of 2T2 per
thousand of strength. or these cases 49,
or somewhat more than one-half. were dis
charged from the service and sent to the
Government Hospital for the Insane at
Washington, d. c., for treatment The In
crease during the past year is explained
by the nervous depression and nome-sick-
ness among the relatively larger proportion
OF the strength Of the army serving in the
Philippines.
During the calendar year 1900 377 men
were killed by gunshot. 305 In action and
twenty-one by accident: thirty of the
deaths were suicidal and twenty-one hom,-
cidaL Besides the 37I killed by gunshot.
LIB cases were received I'm the hospitals 8
for treatment; 7S2 were incurred in action ::
S15 not in action. but in line of duty; fifty