New-York tribune., 1898-11-21
THE HEALTH OF THE ARMY.
SURGEON GENERAL sTERNBERG'S RE-
PORT ON THE MEDICAL CORPS
WORK IN THE WAR.

CAUSED AND HOW REM
EDIED-CAMP wIKoFF.
Washington. Nov 90 (speciaD.-Surgeon-C Cen
eral Siernberg has submitted to Secretary Alger
a summary of his annual report describing the
work Of the Medical Corps OF the Army during
the war with Spain. from which the following
extracts are taken
HEALTH or TIE TROOPS.
In my opl-on the reduction Of the age limit from
twcnty-onc to eighteen years and the haste with
which the volunteer regiments were organized and
mustered into tho service were responsible FOR
much Of the sickness which reported in the
early days OF their camp fe. All military ex-
percnce shows that young men under twenty-one
| years break down readily under the strain OF war
service. and every regiment had many OF these
, youths in its ranks Medica. examiners were ap-
pointed TO testify the physical qualifications OF
| each man before acceptance but. Notwithstanding
! thi. which at the time was characterized In the
| press very rigorous procedure. so many men
afterward found on tho sick lists OF the
camps UNIT for service. from causes existing prior
10 enlistment. that special arrangements had TO be
! made for their discharge
soon after the newly raised eves were aggTc-
| gated IN large camps sickness began TO Increase
| progressively from causes that general In
! their operation that scarcely a regiment escaped
| from their harmful influence. These causes may
| largely be referred to ignorance on the part Of
| officers Of the principles Of camp sanitation. and
| OF their duties and responsibilities as regards the
| welfare of ;he enlisted in their commands
| Medical officers "a a rule. also without ex-
| perionce in the sanitation Of camps and the pre-
vention OF disease among troops The few who
knew what should be dOre were insufficient 10
control the sanitary situation in the large aggre-
cations OF men hastily gathered together. Officers
and men In these camps were rife for war, ana
| drill parades, practice marches and military camp
d,,,f.o ad tba oip Of of
ergies Considerations OF domestic economy and
sanitation in the companies and regiments were
not given proper attention and men who were be-
| ing taught to meet the enemy in battle succumbed
to the hardshlps and unsanitary conditions OF life
| In their camps Of instruction
The sites OF certain OF the camps have been In
stanced In the newspapers the cause OF the sick
which developed In them; but a review
| OF the whole situation shows that 1t was not the
site. but the manner OF It's occupation. which must
| be held responsible for the general spread Of dis
among the troops. On April %. 1898. fore
seeing the likelihood of unsanitary conditions in
! the camps Of our newly raised troops, and with
the view of preventing them. | issued Circular No.
| from this office. impressing upon medical officers
| their responsibility in sanitary matters and the
necessity for strict sanitary police, particularly
in the of the sinks and in the preservation
| Of the camp area from contamination. But the
| density OF the military population on the area OF
these contracted camps prevented the possibility
| OF good sanitary condition Camps OF this char-
| may be occupied for a week or two at a time
without serious results. In the case Of National
Guardsmen for days field practice during
| the summer. but their continued occupation will
| Inevitably result In the breaking down OF the COM
mand by diarrhna dysentery and typhoid fever
UNsANITARY CONDITIONS REMEDIED.
Practically nothing done to make the men
comfortable or to remedy the unsanitary cond
tions until these brought to the attention OF
the Secretary of War by inspectors sent out by
special orders from the War Department. Then
the camps held for so long were abandoned. but
not before the manifestation OF typhoid infection
rife In them. New sites were carefully Sc
ected. regimental camps we're expanded, company
tentage increased. and Board flooring provided
Then. for the first time. the troops went Into camps
suitable for continued occupation.
one prominent cause OF the increase OF sickness
in the early camps has been commented upon by
only few OF medical officers These cite the
prevalence OF drunkenness and OF disease due to
the facilities and temptations afforded by the
proximity of cities 10 the larger camps. They hold
that if the systems Of the Rad not been weak
ened by dissipation they would not nave succumbed
so readily 20 the other influence which affected
them
Malarial fevers added % the >.ck lists OF camps
In FloriGa and OF Southern regiments In the camps
OF Georgia Virginia.
II was. however. typhoid fever which broke down
the strength Of the commands generally, the out
break becoming distinctly nifest in July. Spo-
radio appeared in most )f the regiments in
May and June. these having been brought in
many instances from the State camps. In fact.
some regiments as the 18th Minnesota suffered
more from this disease at their State rendezvous
than any of the regiments In the large Federal
camps. few OF the reglmental commands in the
latter may be said to have escaped visitation. The
sanitary conditions affecting the commands In the
various camps have been studied In connection
with the prevalence OF typhoid fever among the
by board Of medical officers. consisting OF
Majors Reed Vaughan and Shakespeare but the
results OF the investigation OF this board have not
as yet been reported in full. 1t appears to me-
however. from general review OF the sanitary
reports already filed. that the prevalence OF the
disease proportioned to the unsanitary camp
conditions which have referred TO. Ny Circular |
No l. already cited. intended to bring the |
danger from this fever to the notice OF medical |
officers with the view Of obvating It. The proba- |
bility of its communication soldiers in camp !
through the agency Of flies was pointed a |
reason for insisting sanitary police of the !
strictest character
II Il well known to the medical profession that |
this fever is propagated by contaminated water !
supply and II is now recognized that the great |
prevalence OF this disease In an aggravated form !
in the camps OF the civil War was due to the use
OF surface and shallow well waters infected by
typhoid excreta. To prevent transmission by the |
water supply recommended the OF boiled and
filtered water when pure spring supply could |
not be obtained. and to enable efficient ftra-
ton Of suspected waters to be made. field filters OF
approved construction issued on my recon-
menda ton by the Quartermaster's Department.
CARE OF THE SICK AND WOUNDED
AS soon as the regiments organized into
brigades and divisions. preparatory active SER
vice. II became the duty OF each chief surgeon Of
an Army corps to that the medical department
OF his command was organized to meet the casual
ties OF battle. The object OF the concentration OF
the troops was accustom the regiments 10 op-
eratlons IN which they constituted the units OF
higher organization. The experience OF the Civil
War demonstrated that for efficient service in an