TUBERCULOSIS IN THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.' 



By Eugene R. Wiiitmore.^ 

 {From the Biological Laboratory, Bureau of Science, Manila, P. I. 



Tuberculosis in its sj^read over the earth has not sjjared any nation 

 or any climate, and the Philippine Islands have not been an exception 

 to the rule. AVliile cholera exists a large part of the time, and plague 

 has occasionally appeared here, tul)erculosis is always present, and causes 

 far more suffering and many more deaths than any other disease. 



The death rate from tuberculosis in Manila is 5 per 1,000. In the 

 year 190G-7, one-sixth of all deaths in Manila were from tuljerculosis, 

 and one-seventli were from tuberculosis of the lungs The following 

 table compiled from the reports of the Director of Health shows the 

 deaths from tuberculosis in ]\Ianila since 1908. 



Period. 



Popula- 

 tion." 



' Deaths 

 culosis. 



Deaths 

 from pul- 

 monary 

 tuber- 

 culosis. 



1,153 



958 



1,246 



1,121 



1,355 



1 , 209 



1,296 



1,148 



1,222 



1,076 



September 1, 1903, to August 31, 1904 ; 219,9411 10,781 



September 1, 1904, to August 31, 1905 ' 219,941! 9,731 



July 1, 190.5, to June 30, 1906 ' 219,941 i 9,486 



July 1, 1906, to June 30, 1907 '• 223,542 i 8,251 



July 1. 1907, to June 30, 1908 223, .542 9,351 



•Population for 1904, 1905 and 1906 is from the oHicial een.siis of Miinila for 1903. l"opulation 

 for 1907 and 1908 is from the health census for 1907. 



It is not easy to get satisfactory statistics ol' the ])revaloiiC(' of tuber- 

 culosis in the Phili})pine8 outside of Manila, hut since tlie conditions 

 M'hich lead to the liigli death rate from tiihci-cnlosis in j\[anila do not 

 exist to the same extent in tlie provinces, it is quite possible that tuber- 

 culosis is not as prevalent in the provinces as it is- in Manila; however, 

 we know tliat it is a very common disease throughout tlic .Islands. 



' Kead at the Meeting of the Manila Medical Society, August 9, 1909. 

 -Captain, IMedical Corp.s, United States Army: detailed to Biological Labor- 

 atory, Bureau of Science, Manila, P. I. 



45:^ 



