Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-04

During the year there has been an emf
demlc of bubonic plague in the city. agare-
eating some 200 cases. 1t is believed by the
health Authorities to have been deyeloped
nom some slight infection which main
tanned Itself in the city subsequently to the
energetic represstve measures carried out
IN E'ol, which resulted in the development
OF out nine cases of the disease in 1902 1t
II not, however, certain that the disease
was not imported from abroad as II has
existed all along the neighboring Asiatic
coast
During the year plague has prevailed to
an alarming extent In many of the cities of
the world, and seems to have been increas-
ing In severity. Considering that the man
ner or Its appearance and early develop
ment In Manila has been almost identical
with what has occurred in other oriental
cities which have suffered severely there
Is every reason to believe that a serious
epidemic has once more been averted
through the ability and energy of the MEM
bers of the insular board of health and the
effectiveness of the preventive measures
employed by them.
"Malarial disease is less common and
dangerous in the Philippines than in many
other tropical countries. The deaths in
Manila from malaria during the year have
been but 226.
Continued investigations as to the prev
alence of leprosy in the archipelago give
reason for the belief that the number Of
lepers Is smaller than heretofore supposed.
The board of health has records of 1898
lepers, and while it's records are by no
means complete the commissioner of public
health estimates the lepers in the islands
at less than 6,0G. At present but 434 are
segregated in leper hospitals Apparatus
for the treatment of leprosy with the X-ray
and the Finsen ray have but very recently
been furnished the San Lazaro Leper Hos
pital, but no statement can as yet be made
as to the efficacy of the treatment
Work Of Board of Health.
THE board of health has done admirable .
work during the past year. continued Prof
Worcester. There has been no change in
It's personnel. Major E. G.. Carter, commits
sioner OF public health, has shown himself
to be very efficient organizer and admins
traitor. He has brought the Office force of
the board to a degree OF efficiency not here
tofore attained, has met the opposition of
an association of property holders which
has attempted to prevent the enforcing of
sanitary regulations, with unfailing cour-
tesy and unfiinching flrmness and has
overcome the difficulties arising from the
hostile attitude of the municipal board Of
Manila toward sanitary measures deemed
necessary by the board Of health for prop
erly> safeguarding the health of the CITY
with a patience and perseverance which
have challenged admiration. All that has
been done has been accomplished in the
face OF q practically unanimous opposition
on the part of tie native population of the
city, most of whom appreciate neither the
theoretical value Of sanitary reforms nor
the Importance of the practical results
which have been obtained. The steady i'm.
provement in the health of Manila, brought
about in spite of these adverse conditions
bears eloquent testimony to the energy in
dustry end ability Of the members of the
board OF health.
Unreliability Of Statistics.
Considerable difficulty has been expert
enced in establishing the death rate for the
city owing to uncertainty as to the precise
number of inhabitants. The census origi-
nally taken by the board of health showed a
population of 244.732 Subsequent estimates
raised these figures to 100000 and later to
500, 1H. Unquestionably there has been
considerable fuctuation in the population
for when the provinces were in a disturbed
state people f1ocked into the city for safety
returning again to their provincial homes
as conditions improved. The recent official
census shows a population of 219941. These
latter figures show that the population Ia
made up of 1S9 1872 Fflipinos, %, 126 Csssaese,
1850 Americans and 3,e45 foreigners The
total deaths for the year were 1892 gsyina
an annual death rate OF 81 to the thousand
Eight hundred and ninety-four of these
bonic plague.
'"rhe rate per thousand by races has
been: Fflipinos, 4S.43; Chinese, 2S26; for
eigners. 12.72; Americans, 1880 OF the
total deaths occurring in the city. includ-