The Washington times., 1901-08-30
SOLDIERS In GOOD HEALTH.
Colonel Greenleaf on Conditions in
the Philippines.
The Ratio of Non Effectiveness From
Disense Remarkably Low - NAL
aides From Which the Troops Suf-
fer DisposinE of the 1nNniids.

Col. Charles Il. Greenleaf, Chief Sur
geon of the Philippines, under date OF
May 81. has made quite an EXTENDED re-
port concerning the health of the army
in the Philippines. He says the heaIth
of the soldiers continues good, the ratio
of on-effectives for the nine months
ending March 81 being 49, per cent dur
ing which time the strength of the army
ranged from sc. 791 to S,465. The princl-
pal diseases were typhoid fever. malariai
fever dysentery, diarrhoea, venereal
diseases, and wounds and injuries, the
highest being malarial fever at 15.2S.
The Improvement, he says, is due to
a certain extent to greater care in san
itation and the wedding out of weddings
and chronic invalids. The seasoned men
who pass year in the tropics and OBJ
serve ordinary hygienic rules show
small sick list.
Typhoid fever has not existed as an
epidemic, and most cases are due to in
dividual careiessness the part of the
men. The use of mosquito bars is gen.
eral, and the men understand and appre-
ciate the fact that It prevents the inocu-
iation of malarial poisoning by mos
quitoes. Smallpox exists in a less degree
than before, but has not entirely disap-
peared.
Fatal sunstroke is scarcely known, and
though men often drop out on the march
overcome by heat, they soon recover.
Colonel Greenleaf says: THE steady
increase in venereal diseases among our
troops from S.97 per cent in September.
1900, to 20.i2 per cent of total sickness in
April, furnishes ground for greatest APP
prehension. and is an item not exceeded
in Importance by any other affecting the
health and efficiency of the army in the
Philippines. Lest our forces become
seriously crippled and an irreparable in
jury be done TO the people OF these
islands, the subject must be looked at
squarely and dealt with as any other con-
tagious disease"
Colonel Greenleaf then discusses the
various forms of the disease, and says
that it spreads more particularly from
Manila, and recommends the segregation
of women in a certain part of the town
and supervision of their health as a
precautionary measure Also that SOL
diers be treated at special hospital at
Las Banos, as there is hot springs sim
liar to that at Hot Springs. Ark.
Colonel Greenleaf says it is poor econo-
my to keep soldiers in the field who have
suffered severe illness and approves the
transfer of invalids to the United States.
From August l to April 1898 soldiers
were sent home for treatment Many of
these cases were trifiing and he thinks
the soldiers generally recovered on their
way home. OF insane soldiers. 121 have
been sent home since August ], and Col
onel Greenleaf accounts for the number
by saying they are cases OF melancholia
and simple acute mania, and the causes
are TO be looked for in the general con-
ditions surrounding the life of the soldiers
in the Philippines acting on predisposed
men.
Contrary to the general belief in the
United States, there is not much disa-
bility from alcoholism. the habits of the
enlisted men varying but little from those
IN the United States. An exciting cause
for a certain proportion of insanity, as
we'll as the origin of large proportion
of the drunkenness in the provinces, is
the use of the so-called vino of the
natives. a crudely distilled alcohol. which
taken in excess causes wild delirium and
various decisions.
A portion of the report is devoted to an
account of the management of affairs by
the Board of Health of Manila. At the
date of the report the plague in Manila
was at its periodical height, and Colonel
Greenleaf directed a number of contract
surgeons to report to the Board of Health
for duty az sanitary inspectors. Colonel
Greenleaf closes the report with rec
ommendation for an increased medical de-
partment in the Philippines.