Evening star., 1908-01-29
Improvement of Philippine
Sanitary Conditions.
GOOD RECORD FOR DECADE
What Has Been Accomplished Dur
ing American Occupation.
REPORT BY SECRETARY TAFT
People Have Become Educated So
They Will Fight Disease-Gov-
ernment Medical School.

Interesting information relative to the
climatic and hygienic conditions OF the
Philippines Is contained in the special re-
port Of Secretary Taft in reference to his
recent official inspection of the islands.
He takes occa sion to contradict the de-
scriptions of the islands which give a
somber background of a baneful climate.
making it impossible for the American or
European to live in health and strength
in the islands for any length of time.
'It is true says Secretary Taft, that
the islands are in the tropics, and that
the variations in temperature are only
about a third as much in extent as in the
temperate zone. but. for tropical cli-
mate, that OF the Philippines is excep-
tionally comfortable and healthful. The
monsoons blow six months from the south
west across the islands and six months
from the northeast, so that they are con-
stantly windswept The last two dec
AIDES. especially the latter. have taught
us much in respect to tropical diseases.
their causes. their proper treatment and
the best method of avoiding them. This
was one of the most valuable results or
the Spanish war. .........
During the decade of our stay in the
islands the conditions of life for Amer
leans have steadily bettered. We have
become acquainted with hygienic methods
of living, and the death rate of Ameri-
cans Of the same social condition In the
Philippines Is certainly not greater than
In tile cities Of the southern states. and
Is very much less than that among Fill
pinos.
Physical Characteristics.
"No one can be in the Philippines long
without realizing that az race the Fill
ry{cl ~ pf frov mo
and flesh. and with small powers of re-
sistance to epidemic diseases. 1t has
been supposed that because OF their ma
tivity the Filipinos were not subject to
the malarial. intestinal and dysenteric
peans. and that measures taken to avoid
or cure such troubles In the case or the
foreigner were unnecessary and super
fuous with the Filipinos. Recent inves-
legations of a systematic kind. carried
on by keeping comparative statistics or
all the official autopsies made In the is
lands, seem to show that the assumption
that the Filipinos are immune from the
forms of disease / have mentioned Is
without foundation. The autopsies of 100
germs Of malaria, of anoebic dysentery,
and that microbe of the so-called lazy
disease of Porto Rico known as the
'nookworm.'
I'm Manila 60 per cent of all infants
born die during the first year of their
lives, and there is no reason to believe
that infant mortality in other parts OF
the islands Is less. This fri2htful per-
centage is brought about by ignorance
and neglect of the mothers In feedinS
their babies. There are very few. II any,
mich cows in the islands, and the little
ones are fed with all sorts of impos-
sible things. They die generally of lack
of nourishment. There is no reason why
If the mothers were correctly taught ana
proper infant food were brought within
the reach OF the poor, this awful rate OF
infant mortality might not be reduced.
Neglect of Sanitation.
II do NOT think it is unjust to the Span
ish regime in the Philippines to say that
very little, If any. attention was paid
to sanitation according to modern meth
DDS. In the city of Manila and In the
other large towns of the islands the
American military medical authorities,
who we're the first to assume responsible
ity for the health of the islands, found
the same utter disregard of the proper
rules for the disposiaion OF house
sewage that was found In Habana Ihon-
sands. yes. tens Of thousands, of Filipipos
were carried off year after year by Pc
culiarly virulent type of smallpox.
THE introduction Of sanitary methods
by law among the people has given rise
to more dissatisfaction and greater criti-
cism of the government than any other
one cause The truth is that the people
have to be educated in the effectiveness
of such methods before they can become
reconciled to them, and the work Of the
health department since the beginning OF
the civil government in 1901 has been OBJ
structed, first. by the inertia and indif-
ference of the people in respect to the
matter. and, second. by their active re-
sstance to Affirmative restraints upon
them necessary to prevent disease.
SO successful that in the past year not
single death from it occurred in Ma
nila and in the provinces Of Cayite, Ba-
tangas. Cebu. Rizal. Bataan, La Laguna
and La Union. where heretofore there
have been approximately COCO deaths
per year. not one was reported.
Stamping Out Diseases.
In 1902 Asiatic cholera appeared. The
loss the first year by reason of the
methods introduced was much less than
il had been fifteen or sixteen years before
but great diniculty was encountered in
putting into force the health regulations
and a futile attempt was made to estab-
lish quarantine between localities In the
islands. Since that, time better system
of isolation and stamping out the disease
III lHc ioSdiity NucIc - appeared mas Deeu
| followed. and it is. gratifying to note
| that although the dread disease appeared
each year, it was finally brought to an
end November u. 1906 and the .autho-f-
ties now feel that the people have been
SO thoroughly reused to the best meth
DDS of treating the disease that any
local reappearance of it can be readily
| suppressed. -
In 1902 or 1903 the bubonic plague ap-
| peared in the islands. This has been sup
pressed by the isolation OF all persons
suffering from the Adsease and the de-