Omaha daily bee., 1902-08-04

hont VI tho army mas lauoFeu since the
forces OF this government took possession
Of those islands. He said.
When the surgeons Of the United states
army and their assistants arrived In the
Philippines they found a condition con-
fronting them which they had mover before
encountered. The army had been but a
short time in Cuba and the observation Of
medical authors on the diseases Of the sub
tropical countries Of the northern hemi-
sphere were OF little use to the men who
were called upon to treat, in the held and
In the hospital amps, men who were par
ticularly subject to disease By reason Of
the sudden change IN climate.
Dysentery Raises DEATH rate.
The greatest trouble We had at hrst vas
with the amoebio dysentery. This Is q
disease peculiar to the eastern countries.
It has been noticed by authors very briefly,
although known to the English physicians
In india ever since that country. was occu-
pied by British troops. II seems strange
that they have never treated Of 1t at greater
length In the publications, but aside from
a brief reference In some OF the books the
authorities have ignored Il This disease
was therefore peculiarly distressing, ~ the
treatment made by the surgeons was
largely experimental. and at FIRST the death
rate was very high, Az a sequel Of the
attack Of the disease there follows abscess
Of the liver, requiring operation. After
operation the patient will recover and there
IL little fear Of a recurrence Of the dis
ease II the patient Is removed to temper
ate zones. but It will .recur when the pa
tient remains in the tropics, and 50 the
surgeons have generally adopted the rule
OF sending the men home a. soon as they
recover from the operation.
Yopns Doctors Aim for Future.
I'VE have a stan Of bright young men
in the medical department now and they
are taking notes and observing cases, SO
that In a short time we will have extern
sive Literature on the disease, with re-
ports Of actual cases. which win be Of In
estimable benefit. Tha progress made by
the Americans In The treatment OF the
disease is shown by the fact that one
young surgeon, who performed eighteen
operations upon the liver. had sixteen re-
c~overies. . record which has not been
equaled by the English doctors in india,
where they have been treating amoeblc
dysentery for 100 years OF more. Our
observers have discovered that the dis
uAse 10 1ue 10 a sysosas sos "a. sas sass7S=,
and there are experiments looking to the
discovery OF alspecihc ant-toxin. but little
has been done along this line. The pres
emit treatment. most successful. IL the ad-
msnistratiOn OF opium and ipecac. the latter
seeming to be fatal to the microbes Of the
disease.
aside from this, we have Q form OF
dengue fever. which does not have the
characteristic Of the same fever in our
gulf states. but which is so nearly allied
to 1t that we have given It the same name.
says the water a. bad.
.sThs water in the Philippines Is poor.
and l feel safe in saying that no one, not
a native. can drink that water any length
Of time and not contract some form Of re-
curing or Intermittent fever.
'Tuberculosis Is another disease which
prevails upon the Islands. The disease may
remain unnoticed ID this country and when
the person comes to the islands the de-
velopment is rapid. This was shown in
the case OF General Ludlow. He had no
thought Of tuberculosis when he came to
the islands. When called upon to treat
him l suspected the disease. Investiga-
tion proved my suspicion correct and ne
was ordered home. He reached America
konly to die. The natives ere very much
subject to this disease and there are many
cases in all Of the islands. The cattle also
contract the disease easily and one Of my
greatest dihculties was to ind beef free
from Tuberculosis. The caribou are safe
from It. however, nothing hurting them but
the rinderoest.
Coneerning the Choiera-
'eThe present cholera outbreak was due
to one arm In Manila. and I was successful
in keeping 1t out Of my department. that
Of the viscayas, until ] left. There has
been cholera for a long time at Hong Kong
and the government has an inspector whose
| duty II is to see that no vegetables are
shipped from that port to the Philippines
unless It can be shown that they were not
raised IN injected districts. as these Chinese
methods Of fertilization tend to bring the
excreta Of cholera patients into direct con-
tact with the vegetables. This inspector was
deceived as to the source OF origin OF =
cargo OF vegetables and Il reached an Amer
lean nrm doing business IN Manila from
an infected district. AS a result Of this
shipment the disease appeared In Manila
and the government tracing it to its source
prepared to connscate and destroy the
cargo. The owners. hearing Of the move
OF thu government. loaded the infected
vegetables upon a boat and consigned It to
noiio. the capital Of the district where !.
had charge.
FlsAtns for safety.
when I heard the goods were coming I
requested the marine hospital surgeon to
condemn them and have them destroyed
He replied that II they had q clean bill
from the inspector At Hong Kong he could
DO nothing. The same reply was made by
the head Of the customs department. and
SO there was nothing to do but let them
come IN. i took the matter up with the
local. ~lnative) authorities and BY showing
them the probable result OF the importa-
tien. succeeded In having them destroyed
BY the municipal authorities az soon as they
reached the beach. 1 then sent . surgeon
into every province and wrote letters TO
the head Of every municipal, government.
telling them to clean up the towns and
villages and Informing them as 70 the re-
suit Of failure. A quarantine was strictly
maintained against all merchandise from
any other district and I made arrange
ments to have the quarantine laid upon
all parts Of that district II cholera should
appear. ] met with active corporation on
every hand. although In order to secure Il
had TO take advantage OF every known
trait Of the Oriental character. There was
nothing done which was wrong, but ]
doubt n the rules would have been 50 well
observed II there had not. IN some in
stances At least. been 4 system Of fees,