New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-09-01

1876. Many provincial towns have
/ been given safe a ,esian drinking
water. The successful wells now ex-
! coed 500. In "A number f instances
| the resulting reduction in the death
rate has exceeded ~ per cent.
/ Manila had no arrangement for the
proper disposal of human waste A
| modern sewer system costing iWN.eOO
| pesos has largely solved this problem.
/ The old moat around the city wall
was a veritable incubator of disease. 1t
/ has been converted into an athletic
/ field. where thousands OF persons take
/ healthful exercise.
! Very numerous homes, crowded he'll
! ter SHELTER on swampy, disease infected
ground. have been moved 10 high. dry,
sanitary sites. and the regions thus
| vacated have been drained. filed pro-
yided with streets and made fit for
/ human occupancy.
There was not a modern operating
! room, much less a modern hospital in
/ the archipelago. At a cost Of approx
mately 10000 pesos We have built
and equipped the great Philippine
General Hospital. which is one Of the
most complete institutions of its kind
/ in the world. 1t treats some 5000
patients yearly. Two hundred and
| twenty Of its 800 beds are free. At its
/ free clinic some 5000 patients an
nually find relief. a few years ago il
was almost unknown for a Filipino vol
unfairly to go 10 q hospital
We have established at Manila an
up-to-date contagious disease hospital
/ and a hospital for the insane.
/ Little by little hospital work is being
extended TO the provinces. At Cebu
fine institution is ready for occupancy.
( Others have been established and are
in full operation at Baguio and at Bon
/ toe and the medical and surgical work
there performed free Of charge for the
wild men of the hills has been an i'm
/ portant factor in establishing friendly
! and helpful relations with them.
A tuberculosis camp has been opened
at Baguio, and Americans have or
ganized the Philippine Anti-Tubercu-
losis Society, which operates at Manila
a hospital for incipient cases and Is
carrying on a valuable publicity cam
paign.
The frightful conditions which for
merly prevailed in j@ "ad prisons
have been effectively
/ Strict enforcement G.. .1re food
and drugs act has mad b, possible for
Fl .pinos TO obtain wholesome pre-
served foods and good drugs through
out the islands.
Insanitary and disgusting conditions
in cemeteries have been remedied' ana
the whole matter Of burials is now on
d scientific basis.
a few years since there was not
native trained nurse in the ISLANDS.
More than two hundred Filipino young
men and women are now being sue
cessfully educated in the Government
School for Nurses, from which two
classes have already been graduated
Owing 10 the lack Of adequate edu-
cational facilities there were exceed
ingly few competent native physicians
or surgeons. We have established
thoroughly modern medical college
with admirable facilities for theoretical
and practical instruction.
The cost Of sanitary improvements
has been very low. Success has been
achieved without spending large sums
OF money or resorting to military meas
ures
Would the sanitary campaign so rig
orously waged and so vitality important
TO the Filipino people be effectively
continued If American authority were
withdrawn at this time? Most en-
phatically No. Many of our Filipino
health officers are letter perfect. With
rare individual exceptions they lack
the initiative and the courage TO do
their duty without constant proddug.
The facts as 10 vaccination against
smallpox illustrate my point. When
the population at large has been i'm
munized against smallpox the easy task
of vaccinating newborn children and
newly arrived persons was by law as
signed to local authorize. 1t has
never been effectively done except
under strong stimulation from the
Director Of Health.
Briefly, we have succeeded in train
ing excellent physicians and surgeons
We have failed as yet to train efficient
santarians.
The present infant mortality rate is
higher than that Of any other civilized
country More than ~ per cent Of the
babes die within a year of their birth
Until this condition is radically
changed the Filipinos cannot safely be
intrusted with their own sanitary re-
generation.
Under American control the popula-
ton Of these islands is steadily and
rapidly increasing in spite Of the APP
palling infant mortality, which we are
earnestly seeking 10 lessen.
After observing conditions here for
four years during the Spanish regime
and for fourteen years since the Amer
lean occupation. during twelve of
which / have myself been the official
ultimately responsible for health con-
= ditions | state without hesitation or