New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-31
MAY BE FEVER AT MONTAUK.
SURGEON Sem TELLS WHY TYPHOID
IS TO BE FEARED AT THE CAMP.
DIR. BROWN DIsAGREEs-TROOPs ANXIOUS
TO GET AWAY-THREE MORE
TRANSPORTS ARRIVE.
fsY TELEGRAPH TO THE rrIrrNE.l

]
ordered hero by surgeon-General sternberg as
chief operating surgeon. gave II az his opinion
to-day that If the troops now at Camp Wikon
remained here long there was likely to be
an epidemic of typhoid fever in this camp as
serious as the one at Chickamauga. If it did not
prove more serious in its nature.
Dr. Sem is 2n eminent surgeon Of Chicago.
who left large practice 10 join the Army az
a volunteer surgeon 'or the experience he
would derive in tn field and hospitals. He was
made an Assistant Surgeon General and was
sent inspect the Chickamauga and other
camps In his report from Chcksmauga he
foretold the eDidemic Of typhoid fever that
would break out II the troops were held there
any length of time. but for some reason his re-
port was not acted upon at the time 1t was
made.
When. however he Joined General Miles In
Porto Rico. and General Miles remarked upon
the bad condition of the men who came from
| Chickamauga he again gave his opinion or the
poor sanitary condition of that camp to General
Miles and the incorporation Of what Surgeon
/ Sem had told him, in General Miless report.
eventually led to the abandonment OF the
Chickamauga camp Since he has been here
Surgeon Sem has looked over the ground pretty
thoroughly and he said to-day IL would be
utterly impossible for Camp Wikof TO remain
clean il the troops were held here many weeks.
In the hollows among the sand dunes and
rolling hills there are many marshes. into whie6
little brooks and rivuets run. and the drainage
is naturally In their direction At present. ne
said. diseases existed that were indigenous
to the locality. They were all typhoid or cases
Of maarisl fevers Of light types. as was evi-
danced by the low mortality among the great
number of sick But the open sinks. the running
brooks which. arising in marshes. run into
marshes the natural surface drainage in
periods Of rainy weather. with the following
seepage of the water through the loamy soil.
were bound 10 contaminate the water supplied
for drinking purposes in a short time.
DANGER OF AN EPIDEMIC.
Nor did the surgeon think the danger ended
there The dust from the portions OF tho
marshes dried out by the sun after a rainy
season, and the dust from roads or other parts
of camp which had become infected or i'm
presnated with TYPHOID germs could be breathed
in or taken into the system through the mouth
easily by drinking the contaminated
water and typhoid would surely ensue Tie
typhoid fever patients still her only added 10
the danger. and in six weeks he of the
opinion there would be an outbreak Of an epi-
demic
Surgeon General Surgeon Sem said he had not,
but that h, had written article covering his
| observations here and his conclusions. and that
It would be published over his signature in
THE Journal Of the American Medical Associa-
tion," on Saturday. When Major Ira Brown.
executive officer OF the hospital was asked con-
cerning Surgeon Senns views. he said ne could
imag gine how such condition Of affairs could
come about II no precautionary measures were
taken to guard against them Th1~Tampy and
marshy land that existed might cause such an
epidemic but If they We're filed up and dis
infected. he thought there would be no danger
from these sources As 70 the contamination OF
water supply. NJ said there a stratum Of
clay at the depth of thirty feet shown In the
digging Of the wells. below which there was
no sespage Of surface water. He thought IL,
therefore. quite impossible tha, there could be
any contamination of tine water supply Re-
garding such other portions Of camp from which
the typhoid germs might be spread, he said
that the watering carts which are here could
he filled vita iisinfe ,tant and the grounds
thoroughly sprinklcd From the sinks used by
the typhoid patients absolutely no infection
could come for they were thoroughly disinfected
every hour and every means was taken to de-
stroy the typhoid germs He did not think
there could be any epidemic. and that Camp
Wikoff would not be broken up because OF dis
ease.
The only thing see" he s1id. (which could
bring IL 70 a close would be cold weather but
here in the hospital We would not feel the cold
70 anv extent. We have stoves here ready to
put up at moments notice if a cold wave
should come OH. and our sick would not suffer
from the cold
TROOPS WANT TO GET AWAY
But the troops are anxious TO get away. al
though II is not the fear Of disease that makes
them So They want TO get home 10 old famil-
lar scenes and faces again. now that the war Is
over and camp life. which always pals and grows
monotonous 10 the soldier. is no brighter 10 him
here, where there are not many visitors and the
day is not filled up with drills and interesting
manupvres General Ames said to-day he
thought the best thing 10 do with the soldiers
would be TO send them home particularly the
volunteers What they wanted most to restore
their health ard spirits a little home nurs-
ing and cooking That would do them moro
good than all the delicacies and dainties sent
them here. They need not necessarily be mus
tered out. for. il needed they could he called
upon again. The Regulars. too. he thought,
would do bette at their Army posts.
The 18th Infantry which probably had done
better fighting than any other regiment at San
Juan were in pretty bad shape. They sat
around their camp in listless sort of way, and
did not seem particularly interested in anything.
But If they could 60 back 10 their post. which
is in Buffalo. march through the city streets
and receive the plaudits OF the crowds ii would
do them a world Of good. II necessary they
could be sent from Buffalo TO Cuba as easily as
they could be from here. All the troops, how
ever. will probably be on their way 10 home
stations in few weeks. as Camp Wikoff was
not intended TO be mucn more than sort Of
quarantine camp.
MORE TRANSPORTS ARRIVE.