64 HEISER— AMERICAN SANITATION 



given a course of instruction in modern sanitation and liygiene. 

 This resulted in efficient cooperation. It is but natural that a people 

 should resist health measures which they believe are enforced by the 

 governing power for the purpose of making them miserable, un- 

 happy, and uncomfortable. When it became apparent that cholera 

 seldom occurred among Americans who drank only boiled water and 

 ate only cooked food served hot, these practices soon had imitators 

 among the better-class Filipinos and from them gradually spread to 

 the masses. 



Vaccination had been practiced in the Philippines for several 

 centuries, but was never done in a systematic manner so as to reach 

 all the population. The result was that a favorable soil for small- 

 pox remained, and unvaccinated individuals were constantly at- 

 tacked. Over 10,000,000 vaccinations were made in the Philippines, 

 without the loss of a life or limb. As province after province fell 

 into line, the disease disappeared in the wake of the vaccinators, so 

 that the number of deaths was reduced from 40,000 per annum to a 

 few hundreds. 



The Island of Culion was set aside for a leper colony. The con- 

 struction of a modern town was begun. When it had proceeded 

 sufficiently far, the collection of lepers was started. More than 

 4,000 now find their home on the island, thus giving America the 

 distinction of having the world's largest leper colony. A laboratory 

 for the study of leprosy has been established, in which every efifort is 

 made to find and use remedies believed to be efficacious in the treat- 

 ment of the disease. Considerable success has been had through 

 the administration, by the hypodermic method, of a chaulmoogra-oil 

 mixture. A number of apparent cures have taken place. Most of 

 the Oriental countries are now giving this treatment a trial and 

 cures have already been reported from many of them. 



In Manila, a modern water system has been constructed at a cost 

 of approximately two million dollars. The water is obtained from 

 an uninhabited watershed, an improvement which has resulted in a 

 reduction of approximately 800 deaths annually. Water has also 

 been made available in many sections of the city not previously 

 supplied. At a cost of another two million dollars, a modern sewer 

 system was installed. 



