Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-08-12
The CLEANING up Of Manila.

The world has long since been made
acquainted with the greatly improved
health conditions which have followed
the American occupation of Havana.
What was formerly one of the most
unhealthy cities of the world has been
made one of the healthiest, simply by
cleaning it up and enforcing common
sense sanitary regulations. What has
been done i'm Havana has also been
done in Manila, although the work ac-
complished in the latter city has been
less generally recognized and COM
| mented upon. A recent report of the
public health department of Manila
! shows that the sinister reputation of
that city has been completely trans
formed. and that good progress has
also been made toward teaching the
INHABITANTS of the neighboring
provinces of the Philippines how TO
defy the pestilences which have
periodically descended from Asia and
devasted the Filipino towns and
villages.
The lazy Spaniards were as unable
to cope with disease in the Philippines
as they were in Cuba; and Manila, like
Havana. was for generations a plague
spot of the earth. with an appalling
death-ratc aHong both native and
foreign residents. When the Amerf-
cans first occupied Manila the predic-
ton was freely made that the climate
would be an insuperable difficulty
toward governing the island or even
keeping troops there. The report
above referred to shows that the
dcath-rate among the Americans III
Manila in the first quarter of 1907, was
only $40 per thousand. Nor are our
civilian and soldier countrymen the
only beneficiaries of the vigilant ana
fOrceful American system of SANTA
ton. The death rate for the entire |
population of Manila, F'ilipinos, |
Chinese. Europeans, all included, was
only 2S.4S per thousand. which is a |
remarkably low figure for the Orient |
The record steadily improves with the |
increasing grip of the American
difficult situation. Thus. there has |
been not one case of the plague in the |
Philippines since April 20. 1906. Real |
cholera has almost disappeared, and |
though smallpox has not been entirely |
there has not been one death |
from this disease for three months in
the districts where it's ravages used TO /
be most disastrous. This fact of the |
almost complete stamping out of
where it has ragged for centuries is
hailed by the American health officers
as a conclusive proof of the wisdom
and efficiency of vaccination, work on
which has been regular and continuous
since 1903
1t is interesting to note that the
residents of Manila are ap-
of higher physical stamina
and better able to withstand the ener-
waiting tropical climate than any other
IF the many races represented in the
Philippine capital This, at any rate,
s the obvious meaning of the recorded
TACT that the death-rate of the Amcri-
cans is only $40, as contrasted with
The 1888 of the Spaniards and the
l6.45 of other Europeans. Nor is the
number of Americans in Manila incon-
siderable. There were 5199 there at
ne opening of the year, as compared
With Spanish and European popula-
ion of $3.50. The native population
vas 1892
Much of the splendid results which
lave been achieved by our sanitary
'fficers in the Philippines is due to the
almost military authority
winch they exercise. The sanitary i
ode requires. for example. not ONLY
nat all sources of water supply. | I
private as well as public shall be ;
lnder official control, but that all c
water used by hotels, restaurant.
lemonade stands. icc-crcam l,
'ariors or other public drinking places
nan be distilled, boiled, or otherwise
tcrlnZed and purified in q manner an
proved by the director of health" This ,
precaution extraordinary in the !
eediess Orient. But the American | a
uicrS of Manila have the disposition :
nd the power to insist upon it's
bsolute enforcement. !