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An American Doctor's Odyssey: Adventures in Forty-Five Countries
An American doctor relates his experiences around the world, especially in East Asia and the Philippines
544 pages, Hardcover
First published August 1, 1936
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 18, 2024
When I asked my bookseller-cum-friend whether he had any Filipiniana left about seven or eight years ago, he told me that he would go to his old library and look for me. I think he gave me this book at no cost, because he thought it would be relevant: this was the creative autobiography of Victor Heiser, ci-devant Director of Health for the Philippines from 1903 to 1915. As I am also a medical doctor, this was a gift well-thought of.
This was an excellent book, not only as autobiography, but also as historical reference. Ever pragmatic, Heiser pulled no punches in describing the peoples he had worked with: "The people of the Philippines were strong imbued with superstitions and traditions. They were apparently contented in their ignorance and poverty, and resigned to their many ailments." (p. 39) His observations, particularly of the Filipinos, remain to be relevant. He called out the tendency for Filipinos to depend on the cacique (patronage) system, which hasn't been uprooted, even today. Heiser also called out the toxic manifestations of the utang-na-loob trait: "The Filipino had a difficult time comprehending that anybody should want to do anything for him without expecting something in return; he was always looking for a concealed motive." (p. 48)
In between his commentaries on Filipino traits, however, were insightful morsels of preventive medicine. Through his pragmatism, Heiser was able to save many human lives. In the latter part of his stint as Philippine Director of Health, he would establish the Culion leper colony that undoubtedly curtailed the spread of leprosy in the Philippines. This pragmatism, however, was always used in the light of science: "Anti-vaccinationists should be attacked everywhere as a menace to the welfare of mankind ... There are very few anti-vaccinationists now in the Philippines. Most of them have died of smallpox." (p. 191)
Time and again, the superstitions and traditions that he mentioned were debilitating to the progress of the Filipino were also equally problematic in the other countries he visited, such as Sri Lanka and Thailand. These would occasionally curtail his goals of effective preventive medicine, and one of the scourges Heiser has had to face, not only in the Philippines but the world over, was leprosy. At the time, the sulfone treatments for leprosy's causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae, had not been discovered. Through experimentation, Heiser was able to use an intravenous form of chaulmoogra oil that had alleviated the suffering of many a leper.
Heiser, however, would have pleasant sojourns in places like Australia and New Zealand. They had been progressive then, and they still remain progressive nowadays. The two countries provide their workers with adequate rest and compensation that led Heiser to note that: "A hundred years from now Canberra will probably be one of the world's finest cities." (p. 351) Having been there a few years ago, I agree with him.
In later chapters, I also found Heiser's comments regarding the premature desire of Filipino leaders then for independence to be incisive: "Governor Harrison had carried out to the limit his theory of Philippines for the Filipinos; he had let them ruin themselves ... A small group, surfeited with power, managed to bring about the resignations of Americans against whom they had a grievance, and it so happened that in the normal exercise of duty most of those formerly in control had found it impossible to avoid giving offense in some quarter or other. The Wood-Forbes Mission found that the government-owned project had incurred tremendous benefits. One hundred million pesos had been lost in banking schemes." (p. 420-421)
This is also consistent with the Filipino historical elite: many of them were opportunists such as Felipe Buencamino and Pedro Paterno. Manuel Quezon, for all his talent and panache, was also mercurial and tempestuous, and was also opportunistic himself. It made sense that the gadarene rush for independence was, at the time, problematic. Nevertheless, Heiser never stopped working for the global reduction of infectious diseases until his retirement: after his stint in the Philippines, he worked for the Rockefeller Foundation in establishing public health measures (such as use of sanitary latrines) all over Asia. His memoir, while a thick tome, is full of positive pragmatism and humor. While his work had never allowed him to have a family, he nevertheless saved many more than his goal of "saving fifty thousand lives a year." (p. 39)
This was an excellent book, not only as autobiography, but also as historical reference. Ever pragmatic, Heiser pulled no punches in describing the peoples he had worked with: "The people of the Philippines were strong imbued with superstitions and traditions. They were apparently contented in their ignorance and poverty, and resigned to their many ailments." (p. 39) His observations, particularly of the Filipinos, remain to be relevant. He called out the tendency for Filipinos to depend on the cacique (patronage) system, which hasn't been uprooted, even today. Heiser also called out the toxic manifestations of the utang-na-loob trait: "The Filipino had a difficult time comprehending that anybody should want to do anything for him without expecting something in return; he was always looking for a concealed motive." (p. 48)
In between his commentaries on Filipino traits, however, were insightful morsels of preventive medicine. Through his pragmatism, Heiser was able to save many human lives. In the latter part of his stint as Philippine Director of Health, he would establish the Culion leper colony that undoubtedly curtailed the spread of leprosy in the Philippines. This pragmatism, however, was always used in the light of science: "Anti-vaccinationists should be attacked everywhere as a menace to the welfare of mankind ... There are very few anti-vaccinationists now in the Philippines. Most of them have died of smallpox." (p. 191)
Time and again, the superstitions and traditions that he mentioned were debilitating to the progress of the Filipino were also equally problematic in the other countries he visited, such as Sri Lanka and Thailand. These would occasionally curtail his goals of effective preventive medicine, and one of the scourges Heiser has had to face, not only in the Philippines but the world over, was leprosy. At the time, the sulfone treatments for leprosy's causative agent, Mycobacterium leprae, had not been discovered. Through experimentation, Heiser was able to use an intravenous form of chaulmoogra oil that had alleviated the suffering of many a leper.
Heiser, however, would have pleasant sojourns in places like Australia and New Zealand. They had been progressive then, and they still remain progressive nowadays. The two countries provide their workers with adequate rest and compensation that led Heiser to note that: "A hundred years from now Canberra will probably be one of the world's finest cities." (p. 351) Having been there a few years ago, I agree with him.
In later chapters, I also found Heiser's comments regarding the premature desire of Filipino leaders then for independence to be incisive: "Governor Harrison had carried out to the limit his theory of Philippines for the Filipinos; he had let them ruin themselves ... A small group, surfeited with power, managed to bring about the resignations of Americans against whom they had a grievance, and it so happened that in the normal exercise of duty most of those formerly in control had found it impossible to avoid giving offense in some quarter or other. The Wood-Forbes Mission found that the government-owned project had incurred tremendous benefits. One hundred million pesos had been lost in banking schemes." (p. 420-421)
This is also consistent with the Filipino historical elite: many of them were opportunists such as Felipe Buencamino and Pedro Paterno. Manuel Quezon, for all his talent and panache, was also mercurial and tempestuous, and was also opportunistic himself. It made sense that the gadarene rush for independence was, at the time, problematic. Nevertheless, Heiser never stopped working for the global reduction of infectious diseases until his retirement: after his stint in the Philippines, he worked for the Rockefeller Foundation in establishing public health measures (such as use of sanitary latrines) all over Asia. His memoir, while a thick tome, is full of positive pragmatism and humor. While his work had never allowed him to have a family, he nevertheless saved many more than his goal of "saving fifty thousand lives a year." (p. 39)
January 4, 2012
While running an errand in 1997, I wandered into a used book store and found this wonderful, non-fiction book on a discount rack for $0.98. As the title / sub-title indicates, it is the story of a physician who, as a member of the U.S. Public Health Service and later as a part of an international public health foundation, had a very unusual and an incredibly fascinating medical career, from the immigation halls of Ellis Island to the leper colonies of The Philippines and on to 43 other countries over the period from about 1899 well into the 1930's. I really enjoyed reading it.
My son was at that time scheduled to begin the pre-medical program at Vanderbilt University a few weeks later. I commented to him about how much I enjoyed the book. When he was home for the Christmas Holidays after his first semester, he asked me if I still had the book. I told him I did. He then asked to borrow it, because he said it was scheduled one of the primary "textbooks" for a course he was to take the following semester - The History of Medicine. I chuckled to myself that I had probably set a record for the least expensive "textbook" for a course at Vanderbilt University.
My son was at that time scheduled to begin the pre-medical program at Vanderbilt University a few weeks later. I commented to him about how much I enjoyed the book. When he was home for the Christmas Holidays after his first semester, he asked me if I still had the book. I told him I did. He then asked to borrow it, because he said it was scheduled one of the primary "textbooks" for a course he was to take the following semester - The History of Medicine. I chuckled to myself that I had probably set a record for the least expensive "textbook" for a course at Vanderbilt University.
July 17, 2024
"'Darating, darating din bukas,' he says in the vernacular -- says it for all the patient[s], buried thousands of Culion -- 'tomorrow, tomorrow it will come'
A human perspective on the growth of modern medicine in pre-war Philippines. So much of where we started came from groping in the dark, but Heiser seemed to have an almost childish curiosity and stubbornness when facing them, knowing that the solution was never out of reach.
A human perspective on the growth of modern medicine in pre-war Philippines. So much of where we started came from groping in the dark, but Heiser seemed to have an almost childish curiosity and stubbornness when facing them, knowing that the solution was never out of reach.
March 16, 2016
My 1963 diary only rates this less than 1 star but I think it was because it was a Summer Reading book for school and I was not happy about it. If I disliked it so much why have I remembered the title all these many years and I don't mean I recalled it being memorably bad. I just never forgot the title.
December 14, 2008
This is a fascinating account and well written. His description of his education is another example of the weakness in Education in our society. This man has amazing experiences and is a statesman and diplomat. I'm not very far into it yet. Found it at a used book store.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews