Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1898-09-03
A WARNING NOTE.
Assistant Surgeon General Sem
Has Sounded It.
He Predicts that Unless the Troops Now
at Camp WiIsoff are Moved and tho
Camp Abandoned that Terri
bio Epidemic of Typhoid
Fever VIII Break Out.

new lOrK, aug. 5l.-Dr. Nicholas
Sem, assistant surgeon general, U. S.
A., is quoted as saying yesterday at
Camp Willoff:
I'm Justice to the camp l want to
say that almost none of the sickness
among the soldiers up to the present
time and none of the deaths have been
due to the conditions which now pre-
vail here or have in the past. Sick
ness has been almost entirely limited
to fevers contracted in the south, and
the death rate would have been much
more than now had the men remained
in the south instead of being brought
here
$50 far none of the fevers has been
indigenous to camp. But if the men
remain they will certainly be attacked
with typhoid fever. This will be due
to the germs which they will get in
the water For time this camp will
be healthy one, but in a few weeks
the typhoid fever germs from the
sinks and cesspools now scattered so
thickly about, will permeate the earth
and contaminate the water supply.
ITO make this place healthy we
should have system of drainage,
which would carry away all these
germs, but to build such would cost
large sum, owing to the extent of
the camp"
DR.. Sem was asked If he had
brought his views to the attention Of
the surgeon general at Washington.
81 have not done so in regard to Camp
Wikoff," said he. my protests in re-
gard to other camps have passed un-
needed. In regard to Camp Wikoff
have written an article embodying all
my views, which will be printed in
medical journal. The article Is over
my signature and will be reported to
the authorities at Washington, 1 am
sure.
81 am asked about and will empha-
size my opinions. l want you to reit-
crate that unless this camp is cleared
out within six weeks 1t will be the
worst infected place in the United
States. The soil will be permeated
with typhoid fever and epidemics will
follow. 1t will be worse than it has
been at any time at Chickamauga.
"In regard to that camp / want to
say that l warned the Washington au-
thorities before the soldiers were sent
there of the danger which would re-
suit from massing a body of men
there. told them that the water sup
ply was insufficient. There were not
enough springs and the use of river
water would result in typhoid fever.
My protests were unheeded. The result
was shown when I was in Porto Rico
with Gen. Miles. Almost the first men
sent him were from Chickamauga.
They were run down and half sick
when they arrived. They were in no
condition to stand the southern eli
mate. Gen. Miles noted their weak
ness and | told him the cause of it.
asked him to notify the Washington
authorities and have the Chickamauga
camp broken up. He did so at once
and the evacuation of the place fol-
lowed.
~ want to say that, bad as Chicka-
mauga was, this place will soon be far
worse. Within three weeks all the dis
ease contracted in Cuba will be cured.
After that there will be no sickness
in this camp except what is indigen-
Gus to it-but the death rate will be
vastly greater than it is now. Then
men will die from typhoid fever, which
will inevitably follow. Unless this
camp is broken up within six weeks
predict that it will be instead of
'recuperation camp a horror camp
worthy to rank with the infamous
pestholes of the civil war"
Ten soldiers died at Camp Wikoff
yesterday. The transports Berlin, San
Marcos and Specialist arrived at Camp
Wilzoff yesterday, carrying soldiers
from Cuba, and landed them. The
Berlin had s66 men of the First Illi-
nois infantry, of whom 160 were sick.
Cen Bates and staff were also on the
Berlin. The San Marcos had 3o7 men
on board, "a of whom were sick. The
Specialist had lis men on board. Two
were sick
Camp Willoff is to be investigated.
Gen. Wheeler has ordered Gen. Adel-
bert Ames, chief of Gen. Kent's staff
to conduct an investigation. He is
given almost autocratic powers. Gen.
Wheeler has ordered him to get at
the bottom of all the things which
have been complained of.
RaFuaad Tn I.at tha SunnIIaa ha Iandad