Their gratitude is at times very touching.  At Atok, in Benguet, there lives an Igorot chief named Palasi.  When he was already old a son was born to him.  This boy, who was the delight of his declining years, became deathly ill with confluent smallpox, and the Igorots considered him as good as dead.  At this time Sanitary Inspector Baron appeared on the scene.  He promptly turned every one else out of the house and himself nursed the boy, saving his life.  Palasi wished to pay him for his services, but was informed by Mr. Baron that the government paid him, and he could not accept additional compensation.  Palasi promptly made the long journey to Baguio to ascertain whether Baron had told him the truth, and was informed by Governor Pack that this was the case.  The old man retired to Atok, quite disgusted with the strange ways of Americans.

Six months later he again appeared at Baguio to ask the governor about a fiesta which he had just heard it was customary to celebrate on the 25th of December.  He had been told that Americans were in the habit of giving presents to each other at this time, and asked if this was the ease.  Governor Pack said yes.  Palasi then inquired if the feast was a good feast, and the custom a good custom, and was assured that both of these things were true.  He next asked if it would be a good feast for Igorots as well as for Americans, and receiving an affirmative reply from the unsuspecting governor, triumphantly declared that he was going to give Baron his best horse.  Under the circumstances the governor allowed him to do so.

In connection with the Bontoc Hospital we use two men, one of whom travels from settlement to settlement, relieving minor ailments on the spot and sending to the hospital only those patients who need to go there, while the other stays at home and receives them.  From time to time these two doctors “change works.”  Pages from their daily journals, written in the field, often read like romance.

Were I a young man, and possessed of adequate knowledge of medicine and surgery, I would ask nothing better than to minister to the wants of these people.  One might not, and indeed would not, acquire great wealth, but he would be rich in friends.  Here lies a great field for practical missionary work.

In connection with the health work there have been many occurrences which were both amusing and sad.  At one time there was great excitement over a sacred spring which had appeared in Manila Bay off the district of Tondo.  It was duly blessed by Aglipay, the head of the so-called Aglipayano church.  Coincidently with its discovery there was a sharp little outbreak of Asiatic cholera.  Investigation revealed the fact that the “spring” had its origin in a broken sewer pipe.  We were obliged to prevent the faithful from further partaking of its waters, and thus insuring themselves a speedy trip to the better world.