The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-05-21

colonel CHARLES r. GREENLEAF, CHIEF
SURGEON OF THE ARMY.
The secretary of the treasury has issued an
order that asuoh communication may be
allowed with vessels of the United States
navy as the certificate of the medical Off
Ger shows will not be liable to convey in
fection." OF necessity the regulations
will be relaxed still more when the ships
of the navy are on duty protecting the
coast against an enemy.
Cuba is a hotbed of yellow fever. Most
Of the epidemics in this country have been
traced TO some one coming from that is
land. It has found its victims usually
among the residents of the cities of the
south, but it's easiest victories have been
among northern people.
S~eyenty-seyen years ago there was a sit
uation which may be paralleled in the
near future. When the Spaniards evacu-
ated Florida in 1921, a garrison of United
States troops, made up of northern men
wholly unacclimated, was sent to ST. Au-
gustine. Three transports which took the
Spanish troops to Cuba returned to Flor
ida with yellow fever. One of them bad
lost its entire crew and was navigated into
port by two passengers.
Troops stationed at Tampa, Key West
and even -Chickamauga, being in connec-
tion with forces which are operating in
Cuba, will run the risk Of infection. We
are much better able to fight the. fever
now thar ever before and perhaps science
will win. Says a physician who has studied
tho disease:
"My personal belief is that our soldiers
can operate in Cuba without suffering
much if the rules laid down by the sur
geon general of the army are followed. We
have never yet made the experiment ON a
large scale of living up to the b~estsrules of
health, and / am very hopeful of the re-
suit in the present instance. The army
will look out for high ground, especially
for the hours of sleep"
1t was the old wooden West Indian ships
that carried the germs from Cuba. These
are not plying back and forth DOW. The
warships of our navy are olean and whole
some and do not afford Judgment for germs
of infection.
The man who will direct the campaign
against yellow jack is Colonel Charles r.
Greenleaf, who has been appointed chief
surgeon of the army in the field. He will
go with the troops wherever they are sent
and will fight the fever while they are
fighting theS Spanish.
4 SJiU1cA dE6Cu4ctA kAON6 INV w COtf0uco
such a campaign too. He is a man Of ripe
experience and well qualified for the task.
He began his army service in 1851 when
be was appointed assistant surgeon of the
Fifth Ohio volunteers, and the following
August he received his commission as as
sistant surgeon in the army. He has passed
through tho successive military grades to
his present rank of, colonel and assistant
surgeon general. Colonel Greenleaf was
senior medical officer with General Han
cock in the riots of 1873, and in 1887 he
was executive officer in the surgeon gen.
erals office at Washington, where be COM
pleted the organization of the present hos
pital corps.
Since 1898 Colonel Greenleaf has been
In charge of the medical supplies Of the
Pacific coast and has been stationed at
San Francisco. He is the author of q
number Of standard military medical
works and Of the system of personal iden-'
LITIGATION now in use In the army. He
was born in Carlisle, Pa, in 1888.