Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-07
WHAT The GOVERNMENT Is DOING

with the result that there are at least
10000 less deaths from smallpox an
nually than there were before the work
of the health service began.
Berfberi which in former days caused
frightful mortality In jails and other IN
situations and was responsible Tor 1900
now. being rapidly reduced. owing to
discoveries which were largely worked
out in the Philippines This disease 10
found among persons whose staple article
Of diet is white rice, which means rice
fom which the outer portions have been
removed. The public health officers have
discovered that If persons suffering from
beriberi are given the outer portions of
the rice grain they will soon recover
from the disease. unless they are hope
lessly i'll at the time the treatment IL
begun.
more than 5000 lepers were at large
throughout the Philippine Islands and
there was no attempt to segregate the
danger Of infection to others. or of les
SEEMING the ravages OF the disease. The
Island Of Culion has been set aside now
as 1eper colony, and for the first time
care for every known leper. in. the. is
lands. The opportunities for infection
have been very much lessened. of course,
and it is estimated that at least 600
people annually have been saved from
contracting this loathsome disease.
'Tuberculosis was responsible each
year for perhaps another 5000 deaths
Of Filipinos. No effort whatsoever was
made to teach the people how to deal
with this scourge. A campaign against
the direction of the American public
health officers. and camps for the treat
ment Of incipfent cases have been con-
structed at various places. The cam
every hand. The aid Of moving picture
films has been utilized, and, in short.
everything is being done as Is customary
in enlightened communities in Europe
and America to prevent the spread of
tuberculosis. 4
plague Is no longer found in the islands.
the last case Of the disease having occurred
in April, 1905. Cholera has, been absent
more than a year. The jails throughout
the Philippines : have been thoroughly
cleansed and sanitary equipment installed.
The insidious skin diseases with. which
prisoners often, suffered were cured
and the conditions have been made
such that their contraction in the
future is extremely unlikely. In the days
prior to American control the maritime
quarantine was conducted on a basis of
graft rather than merit, with the in
evitable result that an epidemic of any
dangerous. communicable disease meant
it's early introduction into the Philip
pines. Malaria prevailed in hundreds of
towns Of the islands. without quinine be-
ing available to combat it. Imitation
quinine pills were frequently sold at fab
ulous prices in the stricken districts. and
not until the coming of the American
health officers did the poor populace have
any one to whom to apply with the hope
of receiving any relief from their malarial
condition.
There was no government provision for
the insane, and often people who were
deranged were treated most cruelty. 1t
L ~Srrt.A
fortunates tied by a chain to stake
under house or in a yard, in much the
same manner as one ties up a dog. It
often happened that during fires. which
are so frequent in towns built of flimsy
material, the insane people were burned
because no one thought to release them.
Under the direction Of the American
health officers modern insane hospital
has been constructed at Manila, where
there is room for at least all of the cases
which are urgently in need Of care.
large general hospital, with capacity Of
$50 beds. has likewise been constructed at
Manila.
cilities to care for the sick were respon-
sible for the prevalence of disease and
the high mortality rates. and not the ell
mate, as some people would suppose.
With the exception of Manila no city. In
the archipelago with its 100000 people
q
supply was known to be grossly polluted.
Manila, with population of 10000. had
no sewer system. modern water sys-
tenn has been constructed for the city at
the cost of approximately $4,000. 900, for
which the water is now obtained from an
uninhabited watershed. At the cost of
another $2,OOO,OOO a sewer system has
been provided Hundreds Of artesian wells
have been bored throughout the islands
and the work is still going on. Wherever
fho noOn1o have hpon given n pUfe-Water
supply the death rate in the community
has dropped, often as much as 50 per
LOO.
Sanitary conditions of every kind have
been improved. No opportunity is given
for the accumulation Of filth of any kind
travellers say that the capital is now one
of the cleanest cities in the world
Streets and alleys have been cut through
the congested sections of Manila, so that
all of the houses are now easily acces-
sible. Every work of sanitation has
brought about an Improvement in health
conditions
High powered and speedy automobiles
are the newest additions to the govern
ment's equipment to
Nine ReScue be used in mine-res-
Automobiles. explosions exp nA or a'''o othes
accidents. The United States bureau OF
mines has just ordered the first of these
machines, and early delivery Is expected
When it has passed the government test
the car will be sent for permanent sta
| ton at the Birmingham mining district
in Alabama.
Automobiles will not take the place of
| mine-rescue cars, which have been used
| effectively for some years, but will be
used in service where a motor car is
! more convenient than the railroad car.
and when the. ever-ready gasoline engine
| will save time frequently lost in provid-
| ing special locomotive to haul the regu-
lation rescue-car to the scene Of the dis
aster
The specifications for the new automo-
bile rescue car call for a machine which
will develop a speed of fifty miles an
hour or more. 1t will be planned for
| the seating of twelve rescue workers. and
will carry pulmotors and ten sets of mine
trescue apparatus. With it's first aid
equipment and large seating capacity. the
| new rescue automobile will resemble one
of the large police ambulances which are
| now being introduced in many cities
/ throughout the country.
In many cases Director Joseph A:
| Holmes of the bureau of mines estimates
| that the rescue automobiles will reach
mines many hours before 1t will be pos
sible to get standard rescue car at the
place Of disaster. At q recent accident,
4 only forty miles from Pittsburgh it re-
| railway rescue car to the mine. owing
| to delay in getting the locomotive to haul
the car. II a mine rescue automobile OF
| the new type which will soon be put in