The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-11-26
COMPARISON OF MORTALITY.
pared with that Reported for
the Union Army.

Washington, Nov. 22.-Col. Chas
Smart, deputy surgeon general OF the
army, has sent a communication to
Surgeon-General Sternberg, compar-
ing the deaths from sickness in the
war with Spain and the civil war. He
says:
In reply to your inquiry l can very
promptly state that the sickness and
mortality during the war with Spain
was not relatively so great as that
from which our volunteer troops suf-
fered during the civil war.
Mortality for First Five Months of the
Civil War.
Beginning with July, 1861, when we
had medical reports from regiments
aggregating only 69,11S men, and in
Guiding August, September, October
and November, five months, we find
recorded a less by death of 3,075 men
in the reports sem in by medical Of
ficers, from an average strength pres
ent of III, 600 men, or 1871 deaths out
of every thousand men during that
period of five months. More deaths &C.
CURED than were reported, for some
surgeons failed to send reports; but
the probabilities are that, had the
missing reports been forthcoming, the
deaths would have continued to have
strength.
For the First Five Months of the Present
War.
In April, 1898, President Mckinley
called for $4,000 men and later for
$4,000. which, with an increase in the
regular army, and the immune and
other special regiments, made a total
of over 10000 men,. Beginning with
May, 1898, ior which month we have
medical reports in the Office of the
surgeon general of the army of the
regiments aggregating 151,6S5 men,
n including June, July, August and
September, we find on file n loss by
death of only LIS men reported by
medical officers, in ~anaverage strength
of 167, 16S, or 1921 deaths out of every
thousand men during that period of
tive months.
Good Showing for the Present War.
According. then, to the testimony OF
every medical officer who has placed
himself on record hen and now, we
lost in the five months of the wa
with Spain 1921 men out of every
thousand reported present by med
ical officers serving with them. and in
the first five months of the war of the
rebellion, 1871 out of every thousand
similarly reported present. This is in
teresting, but it is still more so. if we
look 4 little more into the details of
these reports. During the month of
May last, the death rate was low, .46;
it was somewhat higher in June, 20,
or the equivalent of annual rate of
S.4 per thousand. In July it rose to
2.15 for the month, or the equivalent
of an annual rate of 25.S perthousand.
In August, owing to the rapid spread
of typhoid fever in the camps and to
the broken down condition of Gen.
Skaters corps, it reached 4.OS, equal
to an annual rate of 1896, such as was
common in cities before the era of
municipal sanitation.
Effective Remedies Produce a Falling on
In Death Rate.
The war department immediately
put forth its energies to remedy this
condition Of affairs and with such
efficacy that the death rate in Sep
TENDER fell to 2.45. If it be claimed
that this falling off was due to the
fact that the typhoid infection had
done its worst and that, irrespective of
all sanitary measures, the death rate
would have fallen owing to the ex-
haustion of susceptible material. we
have merely to consider what was the
history in our civil war camps subse-
quent to November, 1861, when. as |
have stated, the number of deaths had
already amounted to 1871 per thou
sand of the strength present. In that
month of November the rate was 4.27,
or somewhat more than our recent
maximum of August last, but the next
month, December, showed no sign of
decrease, for 1,5S7 men died, or AGO
per thousand. During January, 1862,
the ravages of disease continued. 1864
men having been swept away by
death, or 4.S7 out of every thousand of
those present. In February the rate
was 4.79 and in March COS. In April
the elimination was reached when
1881 deaths were reported. |
A Startling Record with u Reassuring
Comparison.
This is a startling record. Mortal
ity from disease reached its maximum
in the camps of our civil war only at
the end of ten months. if we count
from July, 1861, or at the end of IL
months if we count from May, 1861,
when 1856 men had been buried out
of every thousand of strength present,
or 10 put it otherwise, the maximum
monthly mortality was reached only
after 10 or II months of suffering, |
during six OF which the mortality was
greater than that of the disease which
did so much harm in August last. In
that month the country became ex-
cited over the hysteric utterances of
yellow journalism, with 4.Os deaths
per thousand and the morale of the
army became broken by making the
volunteer believe that never in the