Mexico weekly ledger., 1906-08-30
LETTER FROM THE
PHILIPPINES
r. @. Pearson Tells Of Duties in a Far
away Island. .-Epistle Teeming
With Interest

Canaco P. l., June 30.-Dear par
ents:In this letter have done the best
l could to comply with your numerous
requests to write description of the
Hospital and my work.
The hospital is situated on a small
Island OF Oorite Province aud is sur
rounded by dense growth of large
trees, the greater part being Mango
Cocoa nut, Palms and species which
no one seems able to name. A blossom
from it has the fragrance Of Lilly Of
the Valley.
The Island is connected to the main
land by large stone causway ,one half
mile In length Sangley Point, ship
yard a naval coaling dock, the Huspi-
tai Reservation and two small fishing
villages are the only things on the Is
| land.
Manila is due north Of us and is stv.
en- miles across the historic Manila
Bay The old city can easily be seen
from here ln the evening The mnun-
tains can be seen in every direction and
sometimes look to be no more than
mile away, while In reality they range
from fifty to one hundred and fifty
miles.
The trees about the Hospital are
very old and have been very well car
ed for, as this was once the home OF q
Spanish Noble. The old buildings ex-
cept the Administration building, were
destroyed by the Filipino insurgents.
Their only reason for leaving that was
because it would not burn. 1t was
the old Don's summer house
The Hospital has two large wards,
each capable Of containing seventy-fve
beds. The wards have been full but
once and that was In June 1905 when
the Russian fleet sent their ships into
Manila Bay. They sent sixty men
over here to be given medical treat
ment, and something to eat.
There are twenty 10x5 windows and
as many smaller ones, also four large
double-doors In each ward. The Hos
pital is just a long one story building
and from distance, does not look very
inviting, but the buildings are so situa-
ted that the slightest breezes can be
felt in any part Of the house.
| In the center dividing the wards is
the dining room and the dispensary.
The latter being in reality a small
drug store. When the Doctor prescri'
bes medicine for patient, one of the
nurses takes the prescription to the
Dispensary where it is filled by Hos
pital steward. There are notas many
drugs on the Naval Medical supply
table as may be found In a Civilian
Drug store, still there are more var
ieties than will ever be used
| Adjoining the Dispensary is a large
room In which all the surplus linen II
stored.
. The Hospital has its own steam
laundry and is capable Of washing ant
: drying one hundred pieces day. Th'
linen is changed twice week and, a
we carry an average Of one hundred
patients the Chinos are kept prett.
busy.
Above the linen room is the medica
store-room and some Of every drug or
, the supply table is to be found there
Above all three of these rooms are th
nurses quarters.
There are six large and four small
3 windows, so we have plenty Of fresh
Q air. Each nurse is given locker 1Ox
0 4x2 containing four shelves and an UP
E righe compartment. They are plent
g large to hold ell the clothes and trim
S kets we care to own. There are fou
v large stationary wash stands witt
both hot and cold water and five show
g er baths. The patients have a muc
] larger bath room. 1t has six shove
: and tub baths.
The duty Of the nurses are reall!
I very light and not at all confinint
t Each ward has two nurses for the da
II duty and two for the night. The OK
Grating room has one Hospital Stew
II ard and four nurses, the Laborator
+ one nurse, the Bungalow for sick OF
e GERS, two nurses and one attending I
a all special diets. Every nurse has
10 learn to prepare and serve food to IL
T. sick, so that 1t is palatable and tn
b is our hardest duty for every on
re knows that an invalid rarely has a
b appetite for anything. We are give
y a change Of duty once month and
doing so, learn all the tricks of IL
lie trade. Our duty is day on and da
Is off and liberty whenever we ask for
n and as much as we desire.
1t Our operatingIroom and equipmen
re are classed with the best. During u
IS past year our doctors performed tv
hundreds major and fifty minor ope
ations and lost but one case. The su
geons Of the Manila Hospitals NAL
awed comments upon such success ar
call it luck, but the surgeon Gener
IN said II was careful work on the opt