Evening star., 1902-02-25
THE HEALTHOF MANILA
Work Of Medical Department
Of the Philippines.
NEW SANITARY LAWS
ELEVATING THE STANDARD OF
THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE.
Crusade on the Plague-Infected Houses
The. Scourge Stamped Out-Plans
for the Leper Colony.

Surgeon General sternberg has received
private letter from Col. L. M. Maus of the
medical department, commissioner of pub
lie health of the Philippines. in which he
says that sickness among soldiers in the
Philippines appears to be decreasing, and
that there are no longer any complaints In
regard to proper care of patients
Sanitary Laws Drafted.
The first two months after accepting the
position of commissioner" says Col. Maus,
II devoted myself to preparing suitable
medical and sanitary laws for the Philip
pine Islands. in addition to the routine
work in the office. So far bills have been
submitted to the commission for the prac-
tice of medicine, dentistry, pharmacy. vet
erinary surgery, embalming and undertake
ing, for provincial and municipal boards of
health. compulsory vaccination, for the con-
troll of leprOsy and bill for the manufac-
ture and sale of liquors, in addition to a
large number of ordinances which have
been prepared for the city Of Manila. OF
the bills presented to the commission those
for the practice of medicines, compulsory
vaccination and the establishment of pro-
vincial and municipal boards of health have
already become laws. The remainder are
to be brought up in the very near future.
l am pleased to say that the board Of ex-
aminers for candidates who desire to prac-
already organized and is in session, and 1
believe that hereafter the practice Of medi
cine in the Philippine Islands will be placed
upon as high plane as in any state of
the Union.
Sanitation of Manila.
notwithstanding the fact that the prep
aration Of these bills has consumed a great
deal of my time, the sanitation Of the city
of Manila has by no means been neglected.
A regular crusade has been made against
the rats of Manila and the plague houses,
and a large sum Of money spent on both
OF these important matters. So far fifteen
or sixteen thousand rats have been exam
ined at the laboratory for plague, the result
of which has proven that from to 3 per
cent have been affected. 1 do not believe
that the 1900 caught in traps represent
bane.
I'VE have cleaned up thoroughly over
houses in the city of Manila, in many
of which plague cases had occurred or rats
affected with the disease had been found,
and their cleaning has been thorough
that in many instances the board of health
has required their remOdeling to the extent
of two or three thousand dollars. Pre-
vious to this crusade on insanitary houses
the board submitted a resolution to the
board declaring all houses In
which cases of plague had occurred or rats
found affected with the disease menace to
the public heath and a nuisance, and OBJ
tained authority for the closure Of such
houses and their remodeling to the satisfac-
tion of the board of health.
Decline Of the Plague.
From August until the 22d Of October
plague began to decline, on which later
date the last case occurred until the mid
die of December. when curiously enough a
group Of six cases occurred within a week.
From that date to the present we have
had no further cases. It is also pleasing to
state that the biological examination of
rats at the laboratory shows a decline Of
rats affected with the disease, which fact
argues we'll in our favor
"The organization of provincial and mu-
nicipal boards Of health, the compulsory
and the installation Of the pail
system In the city Of Manila are other
important matters on which we are at
work.
The Colony for Lepers.
"Quite recently I was on visit with
Prof. Worcester and the sanitary engineer
Of the board to the Island of Kulion, which
has been selected for the leprosy colony.
This island lies in the Calamianes group,
about twenty hours distant from Manila
by steamer. and appears admirably suited
for the colony. 1t is about twenty miles
long ten miles broad and contains MANY