The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-06-09
MORTALITY AMONG TROOPS.
DEATH RECORD IN SPANISH WAR
RELATIVELY SMALL.

was comparatively very Much
Less Than in other Wars of the
Present Century-Greatest Number
OF Deaths Due to Disease-TyphOid
Fever One of the Principal Causes.
Experience Is Needed.
| Columbus, o.. June s.-To-day's session
of the American Medical Association was
the largest in attendance of the conven-
ton. The interest centered largely in the
presence of Surgeon General Sternberg. of
| the United States Army.
Gen. Sternberg was accorded the closest
attention. and he was warmly applauded.
| The subject Of his address was Sanitary
Lessons of the War" He said, in part:
| las compared with the civil war and
the other great wars during the present
century the mortality from wounds and
disease among our troops during the war
! with Spain has been low Our wounded
| nave, to large extent, had the advantage
of prompt treatment with aniiseptc
| dressings, and a very considerable proper
ton of those who were not killed outright
have recovered without any mutilating
operation or scepdc complication.
The mortality from disease has also
| been comparatively low. but unfortu-
/ HdlSly uuIlHS the NrSt months OF the war
! that scourge of new levies of troops, ty-
phoid fever, prevailed in many of our
camps and claimed numerous victims. II
/ is we'll known 10 sanitaraus and military
surgeons that as a general rule more sol
| diers succumb to disease than are killed
by the bullets of the enemy, and our re-
cent war has not been an exception in
this regard
1.-THE total number of deaths reported
ant
and volunteers, from May l, 1898, to
april 80. 1899, is 6,4O6 OF these 5,43S died
of disease and 96S were killed in battle or
| died of wounds, injuries or accidents.
During the civil war the number of
/ deaths from disease was 1926. The num-
Der who were killed in battle or died from
wounds was 93969, or about one-half of
the deaths from disease. The total
deaths from disease in the Union armies
from the commencement of the war TO
Dec. 81, 1852, was 1885, and in the Con-
| federate armies during the same period
81 2SS.
Fewer Deaths From Disease.
Although the number present in the
camps of 1912 after October. 1861 was
largely in excess Of those aggregated our
ing the past year, the average annual
| strength during both wars did not differ
greatly. Nevertheless the deaths from
disease in 1S61-62 numbered 10.522. while in
1889 they amounted only to ,43S. The
death rate per thousand of strength
mounted gradually month by month in
1S6l-62 and indeed it did not reach its
/ acme until February, 1868, when the rate
of $50 was reached. In 1898. on the other
| hand, the acme $50, was reached suddenly
in September, but owing TO the sanitary
measures adopted the fall during October
and November was as rapid as had been
the rise.
1.-THE same gradual rise is seen in the
mortality statistics of typhoid fever during
| the civil war. The highest death rate,
PSI, was not reached until May, 1862, the
thirteenth month of the aggregation of the
troops, when 1892 men died of this dis
ease, and the fall of the rates was as
gradual as the rise In the other hand,
the rise in 1898 was sudden, the maximum
| rate, 3.57, being reached in September,
when 933 men died of this disease, but he
| fall during the months of October and No
vember was as notable as the rise. This
sudden suppression of the disease cannot
| be attributed to an exhaustion of the Sus-
ceptibilty of the troops to attack from
this fever, as they only suffered at the
rate of 12.97 per thousand of strength dur
/ ing the twelve months, whereas the troops
of the civil war suffered at the rate Of 1911
per thousand. 1t can be attributed only
10 the active preventive measures hat
were instituted and especially to moving
the troops to fresh camp sites and to the
| greater care exercised in the disposal of
excreta
Mortality From Typhoid.
.'The average annual mortality from ty-
phoid fever in our regular army since the
! civil war has been: For the first decade
CS6S- 1870, 90 per 100000 of mean strength
| C95 per 1.OO0; for the second decade QS7S-
| third decade
cSSs-1S97. IS per 100000. This latter rate
| COMPARES favorably with that of many of
our principal cities. For example, 1t is
| exceeded by the typhoid death rate In the
| city of Washington, which is ISL per 10O-
900 average of ten years, 1SSS-lSyD; by
that of the city of Chicago, which is GA
per 100000; by that of Pittsburg, which is
| IS per 100000. These figures, however, do
| not show the entire morality IN the cities
mentioned as a result Of typhoid fever,
for without doubt many of the deaths
ascribed to ''malarial fevers" were, in
fact due 10 typhoid infection. Thus IN
the CITY of Washington the deaths report
ed from typhoid and typho-malarial FEVER
| average of ten years. numbered 81 per
100000 of the population, while 2S.4 per
| 100 GOO are recorded as due to malarlal
i fever In Baltimore the mortality as re-
corded. from typhoid fever is AIS, and from
''typho-malaria and other malarial few
ers," 1873 per 100000 in st. Louis the
figures are, typhoid fever, 1851; typho-ma-
larial and other malarai fever .49 per
100000; in New Orleans, typhoid fever 26.l,
| tvpho-malarlal and other malarial fevers,
1912 per 100000
Sanitary Conditions.
cit will be seen that sanitary conditions
at our military posts in time of peace. as
Judged by the typhoid death rate. compare
fayorabIy with those in our large cities
in various parts of the country AS
matter of fact great attention has been
given to post sanitation for many years
| past. and through the persistent efforts OF
| officers of the medical department great
improvements have been made, especially
during the past ten years. The result Is
| shown In a reduction of the typhoid NOR
! tality from 1OS per 100000 in the ten years
ending in 1887 to So per 100000 in the decade
ending in 1887.
Typhoid fever in our camps has been
| 70 ha Of