ERADICATION OP BERIBERI. 



137 



only three times a month) which would occur after the articles actually 

 reached the commissary officer at the Scout post and which could not 

 average less than five days. All of these factors except the last have 

 been embodied in Table III. From a careful study of all the conditions 

 it is possible to set a date before which none of the articles could have 

 become a part of the diet^ and a period during which they must have 

 been gradually going into use. 



None of the Filipino number 2 rice could by any possibility have 

 been in use prior to July 15^ 1910, and but little could have been issued 

 at any time in July. In August the issue became more general, and 

 probably all Scout companies were supplied by the last of August or 

 first part of September. 



The first consigiiments of mongos and camotes were shipped simulta- 

 neously and none left Manila until May 20, 1910. Under the most 

 favorable conditions of imloading and prompt issue one Scout command 

 (three companies) might have put mongos and camotes into use as early 

 as May 21, but probably did not. No other Scouts could possibly have 

 been using these camotes and mongos before May 25 even granting that 

 they were issued at once on arrival at the station. About half of the 

 Scouts could not have received any mongos and camotes until well into 

 June. The issue to the last of the posts was not completed till the first 

 part of July. 



The first shipments of ginger root occurred at the same time as 

 those of camotes and mongos. In some of the Mindanao posts ginger 

 root was received about ten days sooner than camotes and mongos, but 

 not, however, before the last two or three days of May. 



The importance of fixing these dates will be appreciated when the 

 beriberi statistics for 1910 are considered. The details for the shipments 

 are shown in the following table : 



Table III. 



Article of 

 ration. 



First received 



in depot 



commissary, 



Manila. 



Dates first invoices were turned over to the quartermaster's de- 

 partment for shipment to Scout posts in the Department of— 



Luzon. 



Visayas. 



Mindanao. 



No. 2 rice 



Camotes 



Mongos 



Ginger root — 



July 5, 1910 - 

 May20, 1910- 

 May 18, 1910 — 

 May 19, 1910- 



July 14 to Aug. 23 _- 

 May 20 to May 231' - 

 May 19 to May 25iJ — 

 May 20 to June 17 .. 



July 14 to Aug. 3 ... 



May 20 to June 2» 



On May 18 



July S" to Aug. 5. 

 June 3 to June 8."= 

 June 3 to July 7. 

 May 19 to July 8. 



May 20 to June 2 



Time consumed in transit to 

 individual posts. 



2 to 16 days; aver- 

 age, 4i. 



4 to 11 days; aver- 

 age, 7h 



4 to 18 days; aver- 

 age, 10. 



1 This July 5 shipment reached Cotahato on July 13 and Torrey Barracks and Davao 

 on July 15. Issues to the troops were not to be expected immediately after it arrived, 

 b One post rationed August 17. 

 ' One post rationed July 2. 

 * One post rationed June 3. 



