The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1902-07-30
CHOLERA in PHILIPPINES.
SURGEON SAYS SPREAD OF THE NAL.
ADY IS DESPITE HARD WORK.
Is Not Surprised at the Increase, Be-
cause FiIipinos Are Ignorant of
Sanitary Regulations.

DR.. Wallace e. Parkman of San
Francisco, surgeon in the army, gives
this account of the outbreak of chol-
era in the Philippines, says the New
York Herald:
81 was in Manila last February when
the cholera broke out. 1t first ap-
peared among the Filipinos in the Ton
do district of Manila, which is popu-
lated with the very poorest of the ma
tives. Camp Wallace was situated on
the Luneta about four miles from the
infected district.
THE army surgeons and board or
health consulted, and it was thought
advisable to abandon Camp Wallace.
All the troops awaiting transportation
to the United States were ordered to
the Santa Mesa hospital, which was
turned into a detention camp. They,
as well as the city, were kept in strict
quarantine.
Notwithstanding all the precautions,
the disease not only increased in Ma
nila but spread rapidly to the prov
inces. At that time no whites had
been attacked. Hospitals and deten-
ton camps were established at once
for the care of the afflicted. Wherever
q case was found all contacts were
promptly sent to the detention camps
and kept in quarantine five days pro-
viding no new case was developed
among them. The patient would be
Immediately transferred by special am
bulance to the cholera hospital at San
Lazaro
'The people of Manila came out roy
ally and offered Major Maus, chief
power. Nothing more in the world
could be done from a medical and san
itary standpoint than was being done
by the Manila board of health.
"The difficulties we encountered
were that the Filipinos knew nothing
of sanitary regulations, and 1t was
hard to get them to understand that
the treatment we laid out for them
was the proper course to pursue. The
board of health even had sterilized
water placed at various points every
day for use for drinking, cooking and
bathing. The Filipinos did not take
well to the boon offered until they saw
some Of the brighter ones do so. The
| sale of all fresh vegetables was stop
ped, and the natives were coached as
to proper food and it's preparation.
Before l left for home some of the
| 70 yn
with the disease. There were then,
| so far as | knew, no deaths among
/ them. These men would submit will
' ingly to the treatment, and their
| chances were good.
81 am not surprised to learn from the
| latest reports that cholera is on the
| increase, but | can cOnscientiOusly say
| that it cannot be attributed to any
| shortcomings on the part of the board
] of health or the officers serving there,
| for they worked necessarily. Poor
Major f. A. Meacham was an illustra-
ton of the fine workers who are rep
resenting the United States on the Is
| land. His death was attributed TO
overwork during the present epidemic.
''The cause of the outbreak was at
| tributed to fresh vegetables brought
from Hongkong, where the disease
was epidemic. Others put it down to
the entrance of an infected Chinaman.
"The treatment we used there was
the preparation Of benzozone which
was furnished by the board of health.
| We found that it worked admirably,
and many cases recovered. In con-
function with the benzozone the treat
ment was symptomatic.
81 certainly do not think that the
outbreak will be anything like what
it has been heretofore, simply because
the sanitary condition of Manila has
been vastly improved since the Amer
lean occupation"