THE TREATMENT OF ASIATIC CHOLERA DURING THE 

 RECENT EPIDEMIC 



By Henry J. Nichols and Vernon L. Andrews.' 



I. Incidence of the Disease. 

 II. General Mortality. 



III. The Treatment and Mortality of Collapse. 



IV. The Treatment and Mortality of Uraemia. 

 V. Special Problems. 



VI. Hospital Management. 

 VII. Conclusions. 



I. I2SrCIDENCE OF THE DISEASE. 



An epidemic of 885 cases of cholera occurred in the city of Manila 

 during August, September, and October, 1908. As the population 

 numbers about 223,000, the percentage affected was a little less than 0.4 

 per cent. Fifty-nine and four-tenths per cent of the cases were males 

 and 40.6 per cent females. As males make up 58 and females 42 per 

 cent of the inhabitants, the incidence of the disease in regard to sex 

 corresponded closely to the general population. The same is true, in a 

 general way, of the incidence in regard to age as is shown in Charts 1 

 and 2. 



While these charts show that, in a general way, cholera affected 

 persons of both sexes and all ages in proportion to the number present, 

 several exceptions should be noted. Proportionately more children of 

 each sex under 10 became infected; the habits of small children may 

 explain this increase. Proportionately less children of both sexes between 

 10 and 19 took cholera; no explanation of this fact suggests itself except 



^ Read at the Sixth Annual Meeting of the Philippine Islands Medical Associa- 

 tion, Manila, P. I., February 11, 1909. 



This paper gives the results obtained in the treatment of cholera during the 

 recent epidemic in Manila at San Lazaro, the regular isolation hospital, and at 

 the Mary Johnston Emergency Hospital. A great majority of the cases were 

 treated at San Lazaro, but the same general problems presented themselves 

 and the same general conclusions were reached at both hospitals. Dr. R. P. 

 Strong was consultant when the epidemic became severe and besides the writers 

 the following took part in the treatment: Dr. Newberne, Dr. Teaguc, Dr. Bow- 

 man, Mr. Clegg, Dr. Sison, Dr. Guasson, and Dr. Laygo. 



* Henry J. Nichols, first lieutenant. Medical Corps, United States Army; 

 Vernon L. Andrews, bacteriologist and pathologist, Biological Laboratory, Bureau 

 of Science, Manila, P. I. 



81 



