AN UNUSUAL DISEASE PREVAILING IN EPIDEMIC FORM AT 

 BUHI, AMBOS CAMARINES, P. I. 



By Marshall A. Barber 

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



On October 17, 1912, Dr. Segundo Isaac, acting district health 

 officer of Ambos Camarines, reported the presence of an unusual 

 disease prevailing at Buhi, Ambos Camarines Province, Luzon. 

 His report, in summary, is as follows: 



Eight deaths were reported to me as caused by this disease from 

 August 15 to date. It is suspected that some of the deaths were due to 

 other diseases. Of these 8 fatal cases, 5 were thoroughly investigated: 



Zeila Juareg: A girl of 13 years. The morning of October 3 she 

 noticed a red tumor on her breast. This tumor was hot, somewhat 

 hard, and gave very little pain. On the next day she felt slight pain 

 in it. She died on October 5 with subnormal temperature. 



Maria Sabinorio: A girl 14 years of age. She felt slight pain in 

 the breast on the morning of October 6, the pain extending later in the day 

 to the stomach. Little pain was felt until her death the next day at 

 2 o'clock in the afternoon. 



Justa Balectora: On September 26 she was pricked by a small piece 

 of bamboo. Inflammation of the part followed. The lesion was soft 

 and white in the center with some infiltration and inflammation. On 

 the 28th inflammation extended to the forearm and the elbow. At night 

 she suffered headache and pain in the bowel. She died on the morning 

 of the 30th, not suffering great pain. 



Severino Oliceres: On October 4 he was pricked on the hand by a 

 bamboo thorn. A slight inflammation followed which disappeared after 

 a little treatment. The night of October 7 a swelling appeared on 

 the breast, not painful but somewhat hard and red. The next day the 

 patient felt a slight pain in the bowel, and died at 3 o'clock in the 

 afternoon. 



Esperanza Arcilla: A girl 2 years of age. She had a very small nodule in 

 the leg. It was cauterized, and disappeared; but after a while another 

 nodule appeared near it. This was treated the same way and also disap- 

 peared, but was followed by a third in the same region. After two days 

 she died with the same symptoms as the above-mentioned cases. 



Other patients suffering with this disease are likely to recover. In 

 almost all of the fatal cases the patients died after a very short illness and 

 with very little pain. The disease begins in the skin, extends to other 

 parts of the body, and death follows with subnormal temperature. 



Almost all the people of the town declare that this disease is, in all 

 respects, similar to the disease that is causing great mortality among 

 carabaos. 



As a measure for its suppression, instructions were given to the 

 president for the isolation of the infected persons and the disinfection 

 of the premises, 



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