ANTIMALARIAL PROPHYLACTIC MEASURES AND THEIR 



RESULTS AT THE NAVAL STATION, 



OLONGAPO, P. I. 1 



By A. W. Dunbar/ 



While the naval station proper at Olongapg has an enviable sanitary 

 reputation, there has always been a large number of cases of malarial 

 infection attributed to other places on Subig Bay, especially to the 

 Marine target range at Maquinaya, distant about 4 miles. The exact 

 reason why malaria should be comparatively rare at the station itself is 

 not evident, as the presence of the anopheles mosquito and a large native 

 contingent furnish the factors necessary to infect the force of approxi- 

 mately 1,000 men. The- elevation of the quarters to a height of about 

 5 feet and the absence of vegetation probably have much to do with it. 



In January, 1909, the hospital ship Relief was ordered to Olongapo 

 to care for the large number of sick which overtaxed the small, sick 

 quarters. Incidentally, the utility of a hospital ship, even in the time of 

 peace, was shown in this instance, as it furnished a mobile hospital which 

 could be used to supplement those on shore in cases of unusual concentra- 

 tion of force, or in the event of an epidemic or serious catastrophe. 



I will not burden this paper with the figures showing the amount of 

 malaria then present at the station, but it suffices to say that about one man 

 in ten was practically unfit for active service in the field. The seriousness 

 of this can better be appreciated when it is understood that the two regi- 

 ments of the Marine Corps at this station constitute the personnel of the 

 advanced base and expeditionary force in case of hostilities in this 

 part of the world. 



By reviewing the medical records of the station and constructing a 

 chart showing the admission for each month, the greatest increase of 

 malaria was graphically shown -to follow the opening of the target season 

 at Maquinaya, other duties, such as practice marches, and the presence of 

 a company at Mecmany Point erecting a battery, causing slight rises ; 

 while during the rainy season, when the Marines were more or less re- 



1 Read at the first biennial meeting of the Far Eastern Association of Tropical 

 Medicine, held at Manila, March 10, 1910. 



2 Surgeon, United States Navy. 



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