Omaha daily bee., 1888-10-24
HEALTH OF THE REGULARS.
Some Startling Statistics From the
Surgeon Generals Report.
TOO MANY MEN ON SICK LEAVE.
A Remedy Suggcstcd-Prepar
for Irrigating the Arid Regions
Under the Congressional APP
propriations-Colo Cody.
A Long Sick List.
WASHINGTON BUREAU The OMAHA BEE,
5l3 FOURTEENTH STREET,

WASHINGTON, ID. c., Oct. 90. !
The statement contained IN the annual re-
port of the surgeon general Of the army to
the effect that the average number of men
on sick leave in the army of the United
States is greater than that Of any other
army in the civilized world except Great
Britain created some astonishment when
published here yesterday, but the statistics
show the accuracy of the statement The
average number of days lost from sickness
by each individual in the rank and file Of the
army was fifteen and six-tenths. Great
Britain alone shows higher ratio. One
reason for this high rate of illness is doubt
less the condition of the medical corps of the
army. The actual number Of officers in this
corps, from the surgeon general down to the
assistant surgeon, is 10l This includes
medical directors and medical inspectors
and all the high officials Of the corps who
do not perform active surgical duty. OF
this number sixteen are officially dis
abled, eight have already been recon-
mended for retirement and beside the
sixteen there are twenty others who are
what may be termed chronic invalids. That
is to say they are disabled so much Of the
time that they are physically incapacitated
from looking after the health OF the men of
any important post, and are assigned to
either smaller posts or as assistants to other
healthier surgeons. The result Of all this
illness is that the medical corps is crippled
by the practical loss of thirtysix of its men,
and the troops are not able to secure the at
tention which is due them when ill. The
thirty-six should be placed on the retired
list but the retired list is already filled to its
utmost capacity, and besides this, West
Point graduates so many men each year who
must be provided for that the places on the
retired list are generally given to the men
who are in the way of these young subalterns
who cannot be assigned to the medical corps,
inasmuch as invalid officers on sick
leave draw full pay, whereas officers
on the retired list receive only
three quarters pay. 1t is urged that con-
gress would be performing an act OF economy
if it would authorize the examination of the
retired list to sufficient degree to enable
the invalds to be weeded out of the active
service, thereby creating places for stronger
men who could perform the duties to which
they are assigned.
RETAINING THE ARID REGION.
Major Powell, director of the geological
survey, says that he has sent a number of
parties into the country at the headquarters
of the Glla river in Arizona, the Rio Grande
del Norte in New Mexico, the Walker river
in Nevada and the head waters OF the Platte
and Arkansas in Colorado for the purpose of
making maps of the country from which
water may be drawn for the great irrgating
reservoirs which it is proposed to establish
for reclaimng the arid regions. One bun
dred thousand dollars was appropriated Tor
this purpose by congress in the sundry civil
bill, but Major Powell has not yet fully de-
veoped the plan under which he will proceed.
COLONEL CoDY's MOVEMENT.
Colonel w. F.. Cody, otherwise known as
Buffalo Bill" arrived here from Richmond
yesterday and left for New York tonight.
From New York he will proceed at once to
Nebraska. The colonel has not yet decided
has very fiatterlng offer or remain in this
country during the next season.
MINOR MATTERS.
The comptroller of the currency has ap-
proved the selection of the Chicago National
bank of Chicago as a reserve agent for the
State National bank Of Lincoln, Neb.