appears. Perhaps many, if not all, will promptly recover at home under 
rest and forced feeding, if the destructive nerve changes due the 
toxic action of the alcohol, have not gone too far to be regenerated 
through nutrition. Death seems inevitable when the changes are ex¬ 
tensive, and about ten case have occurred in this Brigade. Laymen 
generally look upon all cases as vice and not disease, just as they 
looked on all mental diseases as diabolic possession calling for 
punishments or exorcisms instead of cure, and as it is practically 
impossible for us to separate the disease3^drunkards from the healthy 
men of vicious or careless drinking habits,it may not be practicable 
as yet to consider any of these cases as due to tropical war service 
and in line of duty, so many nervous wrecks are caused by privations 
of war in the tropics that I beliebe serious injustice is done to many 
a poor sufferer by casting him out as vicious, simply because one 
symptom of his disease is mania for liquor and inability to stand 
any alcohol. Though we cannot yet decide a case to be in the line 
of duty, it is ?/ise to discuss this point. 
Prevention of drunkenness is found in every measure which will 
lessen exhaustion and increase nutrition, and the more the ration 
is liberalized the bettei y Tfre effect of occasional excessive drink¬ 
ing on health is genersufty^tooe disasterous, but late reports show 
that it is not so bad as we once thought. The drunkenness we find 
is a result and not a cause of exhaustion. Total abstinence is not 
the cure for all ills in the Philippines and reports show that a 
larger percentage of abstainers break down or die than in other class¬ 
es. A little alcohol may be good, and though it may be considered 
dangerous teaching, it is the truth. The surgeon at San Felipe Neri, 
Rizal, recommends sale of beer and wine in the post exchange to re¬ 
duce drunkenness in the neighboring saloons. Being technically in 
the field theuhave only candles for light, a few by lamps and oil, t 
the others are driven to the pleasant saloon from the unpleasant bar¬ 
racks. 
22.-ENDEMICS are dysentery, malaria an<i. small-pox, and no Q&her 
recommendations are needed except the boiling of water, use of mos¬ 
quito bars, and constantly repeated vaccination, in regard to the 
latter, my experience leaves no room for doubt that ignorance, careless¬ 
ness and neglect- have characterized our management of vaccinations 
of troops at home, for not only has worthless lymph been used, but 
I have never yet? gone to a Military Post, but that I have found majsy 
unprotected soldiers, some of whom have never been vaccinated in 
their lives. 
The discontinuance of the old vaccination record was a dx- / 
saster as it reduced the importance of this operation. I strongly 
advocate a special form to be printed on all.descriptive lists, giv¬ 
ing date of every vaccination, kind and age of virus, result, tnust- 
Date. 1 
Kind of virus. . 
A.sre. 
Result. 
Sursreon. 
June 13, 1901. 
1 Gly. Tube. 
* 
Two weeks. 
• 
Perfect, 
or partial 
nr badly in¬ 
fected. 
As an illustration of this criminal carelessness on the part 
of some one who should know better, is the case of Private smitlb Co. 
"A”, 25th Infantry, who contracted small— pox in Caloocan, Rizal> 
He was reported vaccinated in August 1900, at enlistment, and again 
on transport in October 1900, both unsuccessful. Every such case 
should be followed up and worked on until the operation is successful 
unless the character of scars of prior attempts leave no dou&* 
immunity. Every case of small-'joox in soldiers is a reflection upon 
