Apeil 6, 1900.] 



SCIENCE. 



527 



pulmonary tuberculosis developed among 

 the soldiers in the American troops. A 

 definite history of exposure to wet and 

 various hardships was elicitable in many of 

 these cases. 



(e) Dengue. At Cavite there occurred a 

 large outbreak of an epidemic fever of short 

 duration (a few days) known locally as 

 Cavite fever. Almost all who remained in 

 Cavite for any length of time were attacked. 

 Second and third attacks were common. 

 Muscular pains were severe in some cases 

 and not in others. A slight exanthem was 

 present in many of the cases. Flushing of 

 the face, restlessness and general malaise ac- 

 companied the fever and rapid heart action. 

 Malarial parasites were not present in the 

 blood, nor did the serum from such cases 

 agglutinate cultures of the typhoid bacillus. 

 The epidemic is regarded as one of Dengue. 



(/) Tropical Ulcers. A number of the 

 American soldiers suffei'ed from a form of 

 indolent ulceration, locally known as 

 ' tropical ulcer.' These ulcers occurred 

 singly sometimes but were more often mul- 

 tiple. They began as small pustules, which 

 gradually extended. They were most fre- 

 quent among those who had been compelled 

 to make long marches through swampy dis- 

 tricts, and the patients themselves attributed 

 the ulceration to ' poisoning ' in the marshes. 



(gf) Wound Infection. Our experience 

 with wound infections was rather limited. 

 The other problems undertaken, regarded 

 as more important as bearing on the general 

 question of disease and its causation in the 

 Islands, left but little time and opportunity 

 to attack this interesting subject. Certain 

 observations of interest were made. Pyo- 

 genic infections due to the common pus 

 cocci occurred. In a small number of gun- 

 shot wounds causing compound fractures 

 emphysematous gangrene occurred and the 

 bacillus aerogenes capsulatus was isolated. 

 In one instance of compound fracture of 

 the tibia a spore-bearing bacillus was as- 



sociated with the bacillus aerogenes capsula- 

 tus. It was found in cover-slip preparations 

 from the original wound in the first setof cul- 

 tures. It could not be further transplanted 

 and hence was not identified. In two other 

 cases was the bacillus aerogenes met with, 

 one a case of peritonitis following infection 

 of the intestine from an incarcerated hernia, 

 and the other also a case of peritonitis but 

 secondary to perforatiou of a typhoid ulcer 

 of the intestine. The army surgeons were 

 enthusiastic as to the adequacy of the 

 ' First- Aid Package ' in limiting the num- 

 ber of wound infectiQus. 



CLIMATOLOGICAL AND HYGIENIC CONDITIONS. 



The climate is that of continual summer. 

 There is a wet season ,(S. W. Monsoon) and 

 a dry season (IST. E. Monsoon). The hot- 

 test period is at the end of the dry and the 

 beginning of the wet season — precisely the 

 period of our visit. The climate from No- 

 vember to March is said to be delightful. 

 In the worst season of the year the climate 

 is very trying and especial precautions are 

 to be taken if Americans are to keep well 

 there. The extremes of temperature are 

 not great, but the constancy of the high 

 temperature, together with a high degree 

 of humidity, make the climate peculiarly 

 enervating. We were interviewed at length 

 while in Manila, officially by the U. S. 

 Philippine Commission, with regard to cli- 

 mate and the hygienic precautions to be 

 observed, as well as with regard to other 

 medical problems in the islands. The cli- 

 matic conditions and the hygienic precau- 

 tions to be taken will form the subject of a 

 fuller report to be made later. 



The above represents, briefly stated, the 

 results achieved by your expedition sent to 

 the Philippines. As will be patent to you, 

 not a little yet remains to be done before 

 the scientific portion of the work is com- 

 pleted. This portion of the report is for 

 the present only hinted at or withheld until 



