Middletown transcript., 1898-09-10
DISEASE In THE ARMY
THE WORK OF MEDICAL OFFICERS is
TOO OFTEN PERFUNcToRY.

The Sanitation Of Armies Has Not Kept
Pace With the Development Of Weapons.
Administration Strived In Every Way to
Diminish the PeriIs of the Campaign.
With the end of hostilities the atten-
ton of the people is directed more
closely to the health of the troops in
camp and at the front. Special efforts
are under way to remove the sick to
the most favorable surroundings and to
insure for them the best hospital facili-
ties. Everything that can be accom-
plished to this end will be welcomed by
the entire country. Serious charges Of
incompetency have been made against
the medical administration at Santiago,
and there was certainly something of
medical ineffciency in that campaign.
The treatment Of wounds. on the whole,
has been succAesiul, but disease has
been handled with less satisfactory re-
suits. Some of the ships used to trans
port the sick and wounded E1re in un-
suitable condition, and in tLase cases
boards of inquiry should fix the blame
where it belongs. Wherever there is
neglect or lack of proper knowledge in
the army medical department there
should be prompt application of dis
cipline, and sharp enough to prevent
any similar failures. The sanitation of
armies and the prevention of army dis
ease have not kept pace with the devel-
opment of weapons and the range OF
bullets. Too often the work of medical
officers is perfunctory, an evil that ought
to be severely dealt with.
But there should also be allowance
made on the part of the public for the
limited extent of our army resources
when the war broke out Many of those
who oppose any enlargement of the reg
ular army beyond ~, men are the
readiest to charge that some things
have gone wrong in caring for over
200, 900 fresh troops called to the field.
Congress has consented that the regular
army may be increased to something
over $4,000 men in time of war, but
with a provision for q reduction to
nearly the old limits when peace re-
turns. 1t ought to be remembered that
by no sort of magic can the medical
staff Of a regular army Of 80, 900 be
suddenly expanded to meet the require
ments Of host ten times as large. II
more volunteers had been sent to Santi
ago, the shortcomings in the hospitals
would have been far worse. Improvis-
ing a great American army in two
months can be done as far as the cour-
age of the men is concerned, but lar
ger permanent trained staff department
is needed to care for them and to direct
the inexperienced officers intrusted with
the health and comfort of the troops.
One thing to be borne in mind, in
Justice to all concerned, is that the
campaign in Cuba became imperative
at the season most dangerous to health.
It is certain that the administration has
striven in every way to lessen the per-
lis. The army at Santiago has been
quickly transported to northern health
camp, a movement in many respects
unique. Ordinarily an army is compel
led to face siege of disease without
hope of any relief of this nature. Cuba
at best is trying place for soldiers. In
two years ending with March, 1897, the
Spanish army lost from disease, chiefly
malarial, 440 officers and 53, 600 men.
These were troops, too, accustomed to a
tropical climate. In the British expedi-
tion of 1762 against Havana 4,708 men
died of disease, or one-fourth of the
whole army. Every possible measure of
relief should be adopted in our camps,
but wanton spirit of indiscriminate
censure is not to the purpose Louis
Globe Democrat.