Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-29
HEALTH IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Men May Keep in as Good Physical
Condition as in Temperate Cline.

Condition as in Temperate Cline.
From the Manila Bulletin
Apparently many people in the Philip
pine Islands are prone to ascribe all their
| misfortunes and troubles to local meteoro-
logical and geographical environments.
While 1t is true that such environments
| have q potent influence on life and health
| in the tropics, as elsewhere. 1t must not
| be inferred that the law of adaptability is
! limited by parallels of latitude. The phys
| Illogical machinery of the human body
| is adjusted that great variations of at
| mospheric temperature be supported
| without detriment. Indeed, it is very rare
that temperature acts directly as a patho-
genie factor. Exposure to sun may bring
about erethema, sun headache and
| symptomatic fever, hot atmosphere may
| induce heat exhaustion; prolonged residence
| in unfavorable climates may be followed
| by vague, ill-defined feelings Of debility,
| but none of these conditions can be regard
| ed as disease.
Modern science has demonstrated that
nearly all diseases are caused by germs. In
many diseases the germs have not been
| found, nevertheless their existence is prac-
| tically certain.
| Germs are organized and living beings,
| though very minute in size, and like all
| living things, demand certain physical con-
ditions for their propagation and growth.
l
! perature, appropriate media and certain
| opportunities. The natives of a tropical
| climate, generally speaking, are not affected
| injuriously by the meteorological conditions
| of their environment any more than are
| the inhabitants of more temperate climates;
| their physiological activities are adju sted to
their surroundings The American or
| European on first entering the tropics and
until the cells of his body feel at ease in
| their altered meteorological circumstances
may be liable to certain physiological irreg-
| ularties, and more especially SO If he per-
| sists in the dietetic habits appropriate to
| life In his native land. In this way a
predisposition to certain diseases and a tend
| ency to deSenerative changes may be es-
| tablished. but acute disease with active It's
| sue change is not brought about in this way
for the reason that in the tropics, as in
| temperate climates, in the white man and
| in the brown man alike, everywhere and
among all people, majority of diseases are
| of specific origin, that is, as stated before,
they are due to specific germs, 1t is in
| the difference in the specific causes that the
| difference between the diseases of temper
| ate climates and the so-called tropical dis
eases principally lies.
The germs of many diseases are true
| parasites, and to retain their existence
a species they must pass from host to host.
| If, during the passage the temperature of
| the transmitting medium be too high or too
low for the particular germ involved In the
| transaction that germ dies and ceases to
| be infective In this way may be explained
| the absence from the tropics Of class of
| infectious diseases, represented by scarlet
| fever measles, diphtfferia, etc. In the
| United States the foregoing are responsible
for many deaths
! The transmission Of many diseases from
| one person to another requires the services
| Of third or entirely different animal. The
| propagation and continuance of q disease
| of this character depends, therefore, on the
presence of the animal whose services are
| essential to its propagation. If this species
/ Of animal is found only in the tropics the
| disease for whose transmission 1t is neces-
| sary will, Of course, be confined to the
| tropics and may with accuracy be called
| a tropical disease. Malaria, which, unfortu-
| nately, is not confined to any one particu-
| lar zone, depends on the ingestion of the
germ of malaria by certain kind of mos
| quito which thrives In many parts of the
| world. If these mosquitoes were confined
| to the tropics malaria would be tropical
| disease The more we learn about diseases
| the more 1t becomes evident that tropical
| fauna exerts a greater direct influence on
the character and distribution of tropical
| diseases than temperature, and the more
! obvious II becomes that health depends on
right living and the harmonious action of
| the cells of the body If there is any place
| where it is more important than in another
that people should lead the simple life that
place is the tropics, or why not say in the
| Philippine Islands, as there is no place
| where the effects of well-ordered living
| and the benefits of physiological discipline
will show to greater advantage than in
| this much abused land. An examination of
| the statistics pertaining to the scout or
| ganization of native soldiers will suffice to
| show the influence Of discipline and hygiene
| on the mortuary statistics.
The death rate of Filipino males be-
! tween the ages of twenty and thirty-five in
| the city of Manila for the year 1905 was
| 1888 for each thousand Of the male popula-
| ton between these ages. The army figures
| are, exclusive OF gunshot wounds and other
violence and disease incidental to their
4 duty as soldiers, only 1853 per thousand.
BERLIN, December 29-Emperor WILL