( 8 ) 
39. -THE INSTRUMENTS as a rule are sufficient at every station, and 
in a remarkably good state of preservation considering the quickness 
of rusting of metals in this climate. It has been necessary merely to 
dry the instruments as soon as used and coat them heavily with any im¬ 
pervious material, vaseline, paraffin, etc., While knocking around in 
the field it is impracticable and considerable loss of instruments is 
inevitable and one of the costs of this war, 
40. -KITCHENS, both in hospitals and barracks had to be placed in 
asny improvised shed or room available. The regulation stoves were 
supplied as a rule, a few places having a field outfit. 
42. “The only library consists of a few standard medical books. For 
recreation nothing but the lightest literature, trashy novels, and 
frothy magazines are useful on account of the universal cerebral as¬ 
thenia in the tropics. Heavy mental effort can be sustained for only 
short periods. Charitable people should confine their contributions 
to such games as dominoes, cribbage, cards? etc., requiring a minimum 
of effort. 
43 . —MALINGERING is as little, if not less than at home. 
44 . •£■ MARRIAGES are nearly universal among Native scouts and a 
station is a little colony by itself, at least 500 people are supported 
by each company. The large number of negro soldiers living openly 
with Natives in a friable bond is the great blot on our Army and the 
sooner these regiments leave the better. Such temporary unions are 
honorable to the Malay and Negro mind and perhaps all of these women 
will re&dily find husbands after desertion, but a certain percentage 
will no doubt drift into harlotry. But it is all a sad commentary up¬ 
on the high moral tone we have been pleased to assume in all our 
dealings. o» 
There is no doubt that white man's doom is sealed as soon as 
he takes up relations with a native woman. She drags him down to 
her level for she cannot rise to his as she has not sufficient brains. 
45. -MEDICAL OFFICERS IN this Brigade have, as far as known,estab¬ 
lished a high record for efficiency as a rule. Incompetents are being 
weeded out as fast as possible. It has been fehe practice to detail 
officers so that they can use special knowledge or skill, bu^ this has 
been impossible always. Hence there has been lack of efficiency as 
where a skilled Surgdon had little to do except make out papers with 
which he is not familiar. They do not seem to comprehend wholly the 
duties imposed by par.18, 1575, & 1577, A.R. 
46. —MEDICINES were reported good and of sufficient quantity ex- 
oept at Pantabangan, N.E., where they were deficient on May 27, 1902, 
the supplies forwarded from the Manila Depot 1 in February having gen e 
to San Jose, N.E., but were never forwarded the remaining 18 miles over 
the trail. Very few drugs deteriorate in this climate if properly 
bottled. Chloroform is generally reduced by evaporation. Chloral 
tablets are reported unserviceable and deliquesced, mustard plasters 
mouldy and inert and the pills made by Zoebel & Co., Manila, unser¬ 
viceable, hard, mouldy and stuck together. Plasters (canther ides, 
isinglass and rubber) are reported worthless at Penaranda, N.E.,P.I* 
47. —OFFAL is usually carted to a distance and buried. 
48. -THE PERIODICALS received at this office are "New York Record" 
"New York Medical Journal" "Boston Medical and surgical Journal" 
"Journal of American Medical Association" "American Medicine•' and a 
few copies of "Tropical Medicine", not enough to go around to each 
post but distributed as evenly as practicable. 
