The sun., 1908-12-06

JunsEhsrs woss only ef< ozsss'oe chotggd
In Manila. 6till II spread In the PROV
inces to the north. 1t rapidly approached
the city Along the lines OF travel.
The Government urged the various
municipalities to fight the soourEe. One
province, Capis. cot aside $3.50 for thih
work and good results we're rOportod.
It was hoped that other municipalities
and Provincial Governments would fol-
low that example, but local self.eovSrn.
ment prevails among the Filipinos Ii
these places, and tlfAt does not provide
for war on disease. They are not used
10 such measures.
AZ DR.. Heiser said In his report OF July
last. II must be remembered Athat o large
proportion Of the people are ignorant and
inaccessible; that much superstition
exists; that ono OF the most popular be-
liefs ID In the supposed injurious character
Of boiled water; that tho cost Of fuel h
comparatively high, making sterile water
and cooked food difficult for the masses to
Obtain; that the majority Of people cling
tenaciously to the mode of living which
has been oustomary with them for hum
dreds Of years; that food Is conveyed TO
the mouth with the fingers from a reoep-
tacle used by all the household; that more
than 90 per cent. Of the population are
afflicted with intestinal parasites; that
with the possible exception Of the supply
for few hundred thousand out Of total
Of 100000 the drinking water is OBJ
tained from shallow surfaco wells; that
physically the people are weak and un-
resistant. and that funds and skilled
physicians needed to combat this con-
dition are very limited
All Of this Ia true, but DR.. Heiser also
said another true thing when he added:
'The funds for fighting cholera now arc
also very meagre as compared with
1907
EFPEcT OF LrAnTED FUNDS,
So they were, DR.. Heiser. and right there
hes large part Of tho fault. Who was to
blamei Manila has no health depart
ment Of it's own. That IN run by the
Interior Department Of the Insuler Gov
ernment. Dean @. Worcester Il tho head
and DR.. Heiser manages the bureau and
has done 30 for four years.
He has done notably COED work, so
much 30 that it was by the desire Of the
Insular Government that he went to
America in July to read q paper at the
tuberculosis congress-. just when the
cholera epidemic struck Manila with dead
ening force. DR.. A. j. MoLaughlin. q
young officer Of the Marine Hospital
Service. was left to grapple with the
disease. As DR.. Heiser says. funds were
scarce. very scarce.
No matter who was to blame, it is
known that when the fight against cholera
was begun in earnest in Manila. when the
hospitals were overcrowded. when the
natives were trying to smuegle their
dead away. Manila was almost helpless
From the beginning Of July the. cases
had multiplied with extraordinary rapid
ity. The feet reception committee aaW
the danger and advised the Government
to get busy. II did. but thero was no
complete organization. no adequate sup-
ply Of disinfectants. no plan OF aston
and the head OF the Health Bureau was
far''away. In Amerioai
Orders were sent to various cities In
Japan, China and India to hurry more
disinfectants to Manila no matter what
the cost Orders were also sent to the
United Statts. To the general consterna-
ton. it was found that no such supplies
could be secured then in the Orient. There
had been q plan Of attack adopted against
the disease which was working out ad-
mirably. but with no disinfeotants it was
like going into action without supply
Of ammunition.
Finally all supplies ran out. A graver
crisis never confronted q city graphing
with soourge. Then somebody recalled
that when Col. Maus was health ofioer
here several years ago he caused 70 be.
purchased large quantity Of forrnalde-
hyde. 1t had never been used under
the administration Of his successor. The
alleged excuse was that 1t was too e1-
pensive a material for disipfeCting pur-
poses, especially at q time when the
desire was to economoize and tQ keep
within the limit OF appropriations.
The iormAidehyde was brought out and
il saved the day. On September 81 the
steamship St. Patrick arrived from the
States with iseOo gallons Of Carbolio solu-
ton That kept things going until octo-
Der Q, when O large and adequate supply
arrived from various cities, and Manila
again rested easy.
In the meantime the situation was most
grave. The hospitals were jammed.
Deaths were numerous Bodies OF
cholera victims were found floating in
streams. Hero and there newly made
graves In out Of the way places told the
story of natives hiding the disease.
Manila had no health organization
The Government turned to the city
authorities TO help them out. All hands
were enlisted in the war. All were
aroused to the danger that the hest visit
might be turned into hesco and all
recognised, shat whether it was or not
common humanity demanded the finest
fieht that could be made.
The city commissioners took hold Of
things in cooperation with the health
officials and the Government. There
was no appropriation available, but plain
common sense was used. About ~ per
cent. Of the city police were put on sani-
tary inspection and taken from their
work. About 100 sanitary in
spectors were appointed.
Every house In the city was inspected
every day, Every case Of sickness was
reported and special physicians were
sent to examine. All unolean places
were disinfected.
FIRE ENGINES FOR SANITARY WORK.