The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-01-21
THE LIVING DEAD
OF PHILIPPINE WAR

When the cost of our war in the Philip
pines is finally recounted the expense can
OF be entirely estimated in dollars and
cents, nor yet by the number of lives lost
in battle with the enemy or in struggle
with disease. This list OF killed, wounded
and missing compiled after an engage
ment does not Include all those unfortun-
ates who have sacrificed themselves for
the honor of their country's flag
There are yet the living dead, those
whose bodies still exist but whose minds
are worse than Dead those who nave
given in this unhOly combat that without
which life itself is barren sad and mis-
cradle journey-their reason.
In all the wars in which Americans nave
fought there is not one where the per-
centage of insanity has been so large as
In the campaign in the Philippines. Since
that bright and balmy sunday morning IN
May when Dewey sailed into Manila mar
Dor and sank the Spanish feet, no less
than loo healthy, strong and able-bodled
young men who marched behind or sailed
under the starry banner of freedom nave
lost their reason while in the service.
The vast ma jOrity of these unfOrtunates
have belonged to the army. Some hun
dreds have died, not fighting living
enemy. as every soldier wishes to die,
but in their wild, uncomfortable delirtums,
Ofttimes lighting their best friends; some
scores Of others have d1ed by their own
hand, and more than 40 have been treated
at St Elizabeth s government insane asy-
lum at Washington ---
Among the latter is the son of the late
AOlDneL EEDHEl- VINO lost MS lie III TIE
Philippines. Others have been cared for
at Preside, Cal, and still others have
been allowed to remain in the hospitals
in the Islands until their terms OF enlist
ment expired, or they We're discharged,
and then cared for by friends who desired
to have them sent to a private SanlJar-
ium. But these cases have been few
Scarce a fortnight passes but there Is
received at St Elizabeth 5 a detachment
of fifteen or twenty soldiers and sailors,
brOugh from Manila. half way around the
rrIn n he
physical ailments, but for mental disease
Almost every ship which comes into san
Francisco harbOr from the Philippines mas
on board a number of these patients
They come to the asylum under the eS-
cort Of a guard Of their more fortunate
comrades, and accompanied either by at
tendan5s from the hospital corps or an
army surgeon. Outlines It is necessary TO
bring some of the boys upon the long VOy-
age bound in heavy chains to prevent
them from doing injury TO themselves or
to their fellows. Then as long as they
remain violent or dangerous the padded
cell is their home.
Ii is a sad ending for youths who. in
the prime of their manhood. went forth
to do battle for their country
Under the care of specialists on diseases
of the brain some recover sufficiently to
be discharged after a time and return to
their homes, while others are doomed TO
long lives of isolation, lives OF no value
to themselves or to society. and perhaps
die raving maniacs. 1t can scarce be said
that any man fully RECEIVERS his reason
!
such as that being waged in the Philip
pines.
The cure effected at such an institution
as St Eliza beth's is, even in cases which
Weld most readily to treatment. liable TO
be followed by a recurrence of mental
alteration on the part OF the subject in
instances of physical aliment or unusual
excitement.
With very few exceptions all the cases
of insanity which have come to St. Eliza
beth'S from Cuba. Porto Rico OF the
Philippines have been directly or indi-
rectIy caused by what may be termed the
climatic conditions. Only in two or three
cases has insanity been produced by
wounds, and out OF all the number treated
at the government asylum but five were
caused by alcoholic excuses, and these
not from the use of American beverages
but rather he native Filipino liquors
On the other hand, strong men have
sIccumbed TO fever. and have recovered
. only to be bereft of their mental facul-
ties. Amid conditions which time and ex-
perience have proved no Caucasian race
can endure these young soldiers and
sailors have gone down. They went out
to the islands bright, keen, alert; they