The Winslow mail., 1898-08-20
DISEASE In THEARMY
a Physician Tells Soldiers How to
Preserve Coed Health;
Does Not Believe a Change of Climate
Gives Rise to pisease-Recom-
menJs CheerfuIness and
Temperance.

Temperance.
DIR. George G. Croft, president of tn.
PENNSYLVANIA board of health, has pub
lished paper on Hygiene for the Sol
der in which he says that 1888
Spanish soldiers died in Cuba in 1897
In the same year O,COO Spanish sol
diers were invaIided there. His sta
1istical table states further that 1,00t
soldiers were killed in the Frauco-Ger
nan war and $4,000 soldiers died in the
same war from disease. Nine hundred
soldiers died in one year in single
regiment in campaign in Madagascar
and it is not an uncommon thing tc
have 300 men die out of one British
regiment in the West Indies. ''In for
mer years." he says, five years was the
full life of a British regiment in the
West India service"
On the subject of tobacco and alcohol
he says to the soldiers
.'These drugs are used to a great ex
tent in armies, and often to excess and
to the injury of the soldiers,
do not smoke or chew excessively,
do not use alcohol (or liquors. ex-
eept on the surgeons order. In the
tropics, especially, avoid alcohol in all
its forms, as it causes more harm there
than in cold and temperate climates.
1t is now well known from ample ex-
perience, that soldiers have the best
health who leave alcohol in all it's forms
severely alone. Strong liquors in the
tropics is death to the soldier"
Under the head of Things to Avoid''
DIR. Croft says:
!'The soldier should strive to avoid
discomfort, dependency, laziness, dis
respect, unchastity, drunkenness and
debauchery. These are not uncommon
in armies, and they all lead to the de-
struction of sound and vigorous health.
These things destroy armies more than
the bullets of the enemy. DR.. Parks,
the great British authority on hygiene,
says: To make an army perfectly
brave, it must be made temperate and
shaste.'"
The soldier is urged to cultivate
eheerfnlRess,
''Good health is promoted by cheer
falness. Cheerfulness is often better
than medicine. 1t is a virtue which
can be cultivated, as can also ready
obedience, hopefulness, contentedness,
patience, fortitude, endurance, temper
anee, self-confdence, self-reliance,
chastity and courageousness. These
are all virtues, and, when possessed,
they go to make the highest type of
soldier. They all promote good
health"
DR.. Croft is not one of those who be-
lieves that a change to strange eli-
mate will give rise to disease, and on
that point says:
at is not a strange climate which
causes disease among soldiers. The
body soon adapts itself to changes of
temperature: The greater number of
diseases are produced by germs or seeds
which exist in the earth and water at
some places, but rot at others. These
germs are not found in the open eoun-
try, even within the tropics, but in
certain towns and cities. These germs
90 not generally float in the air, and
so enter the body, but become attached
TO feed and drink, and so enter the
system. If one is careful always to
drink boiled or spring water, and to eat
well-eooked fodds, or, in case of fruits,
10 remove the rind, there is little dam
ger of live germs getting into the body,
for the reason that the heat Of cooking
Kills them.
Camps are situated in the most
healthy places which can be secured.
The soldier who remains with his fell
lows and eats what is provided for
him is generally safe from disease.
Dut when he wanders from camp, as
sociates with people of unknown hab-
its, drinks water and eats food of which
he knows nothing. he runs great risks
of contracting sny disease which may
Be prevalent.
Alcohol does not prevent disease,
but rather weakens the body, making it
difficult to resist disease.
The average soldier does not find
opportunity 10 wander from camp and
associate with people outside. Nor is
it an easy matter for soldiers on the
march, in temporary camp Or in active
field duty to procure boiled or spring
waters and .well-cooked food All
these things may be had in state camp,
but in the country of the enemy they
will probably be looked for in vain.' u
ST. Louis Republic.