The San Francisco call., 1898-11-21

came filled, operations for field service had to give place to the immediate ne- sion hospitals became expanded as at Sib- oney and Tampa into base hospitals. with increased needs and increased responsi- bilitieS.
 GENERAL HOSPITALS.
 Up to September 30 eleven general hos pitals were esta blished and fully manned and equipped. These had a capacity of nearly 7000 beds. At the same time cer- tain post hospitals having good accommo- dations were used for the treatment of army cases generally, without alteration My report presents tabulations compiled from monthly reports of sick and wound ed received from May to September. in- elusive, and representing strength pres sent of 167 16S men. These give full partic- ulars There were 1715 deaths, Of which number $40 were occasioned oy tyRnolo fever. 97 by malarial fevers and 39S by diarrhoea and dysentery. The death rates for May and June, .46 and TO-, were noE in excess of those Of the army m uIhe oA peace. In July the rate became soines1 what higher than that of most Well-careo for cities, 215 per month. or the equlVa- lent of an annual rate or 2oSU per tnou- sand living In August 1t became eXceS. sive, 40S, equal to an annual rate or oo 4o,sS per thousand. In September the influence of measures taken in July and August; eo improve the health of the army becomes manifest in the falling of the death rate to 245, or the equivalent of an annual rate of 29.40. The same progression to dn It, September, in various ratios are gwen under the specific titles, typhoid 1eVer: malarial fever and dtarrhoea and klnoreo diseases. This is exceedingly gratl1ylng and must be credited, as stated, to the sanitary measures adopted for our expe- rience In the vivil war demonstrates that in the absence of these measures the high ratio of August would have been cont1n- ued for many months to come. from "a bles of absolute numbers and or ratios by which the incidents of sickness and u1orS tality of the regular troops and volunteer troops may be contrasted, IL VII De seen seen that the exposures of the reguIar troops in the Santiago campaign gave them rom June to September hlgher deatn rate than the volunteers ana tnaI tne FaIe or inum mortality, was S62, as compared with 5.SS among the regular troops.
 VOLUNTEER RELIEF WORK.
 Nv guiding principle throughout tho war has been that relief, when needed, should be promptly accepted without ref The relief afforded by the National Red Cross at Siboney was promptly accepted by the surgeons on the spot, but 1t is evil Gsnt that it was entirely inadequate to meet the emergency. This association has had full authority to send agents and sup manner for the use of our neld hospitals. Other organizations which have rendered very valuable service are the National Relief Commission. having it's headquar- ters in Philadelphia, and the Massachu- setts Volunteer Aid Association, with headquarters in Boston. Both of these which were placed at my service for transportation of our sick from Porto the valuable services rendered by the yacht May of the National Relief Com mission and the hospital ship Bay State of the Massachusetts Volunteer Aid As sociation.
 THE. MEDICAL CORPS.
 Before concluding my report of the op- erations of the Medical Department dur ing our short and glorious war with Spain, feel it my duty to call special at tention to the efficient services rendered by the medical officers of the army in the various responsible positions which the exigencies of the service have made 1t necessary for them to fill.