MEDICAL SURVEY OF THE TOWN OF TAYTAY. 



XIV. TIIK DISPOSAL OF JIU.MAX EXCRE'L'A. 



Bv Philip E. Garrisox.' 



Tlic importance of tins subject in the Philippine Ishmds has lieen 

 emphasized recently by resolutions passed at the Philippine Islands 

 Medical Association and by the Manila Medical Society, recommending 

 the appointment of a commission to study this problem and stating that 

 other measures to prevent cholera, -etc., must necessarily fail if some 

 adequate provisions be not made for the disposal of excreta. Wliile 

 the party at Taytay was in no sense a commission to investigate this 

 question, advantage was taken of the opportunities to look into the 

 subject. During the taking of the census, an examination was made of 

 each house and premises to see what provisicms were made by the innuites 

 for the disposal of excreta. The results of this inspection are given in 

 Doctor (Menients' paper. Part IX, The general sanitary conditions of the 

 town. lu lirief, it may be said that by over .50 per cent of the inhab- 

 itants tlieie is no conscious disposal of faaces; around one-half of the 

 houses in the town there were no provisions for such disposal and the 

 excreta were deposited on the surface of the ground almost anywhere 

 in the neighborhood and left exposed to the rain, or the sun, or to pigs 

 and cliickens to dispose of. In the vicinity of the remainder of the 

 houses there was some kind of outliouse or place devoted to the recep- 

 tion of excreta, but aside from an entrance niade in one place for the 

 pigs, no proxision had been made for the disposal of the ffeces. Only 8 

 per cent of tbe houses had pits in connection with them. Some of these 

 Avere sufficiently satisfactory. '^Phese were large, fairly deep pits, pro- 

 vided with a floor, an inclosure and a roof; either earth, ashes or rice 

 husks were provided to cover the depositions. 



Such being the actual situation what can he done to improve it? A 

 water carriage sewer system is, of course, wholly out of the question, on 

 account of the expense. The earth system is also not feasilile, i>artly 



'Assistant surgeon, United States Xavv: detailed niedieal /oologist to tlio 

 l^iological Laboratory. Buieau of Science. 



2S7 



