Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-03
FEVERAMONG TROOPS
Paper Read Before Association Of
American Physicians.
TYPHOID EPIDEMIC SPECIAL TOPIC
Preliminary Report Of Gen. Stern
berg's Investigating Board.
DUE TO CAMP POLLUTION

| DIR. Victor c. Vaughan Of Ann Arbor,
Mich, one of the three physicians appoint
| ed as a board by Surgeon General Stern
| berg Of the army to investigate and ex-
anime into the causes leading to the intro
duction and spread of typhoid fever among
| the American soldiers in the recent war
| with Spain, read a paper this morning on
the subject before the Association of Amer
lean Physicians in session at the Arlington
| Hotel The paper was in the nature of a
preliminary report and contained all the
essential points which will be finally
brought out by the board. It was read
by special permission of the surgeon gen
eral, who was present and made a few
remarks.
In his paper DR.. Vaughan declares that
the board has come to the conclusion that
the spread of typhoid fever among the
troops was due almost entirely to camp
pollution. Another point brought out in the
report is that the volunteer surgeons either
through ignorance of the disease, or a de-
sire to conceal facts, diagnosed many cases
OF typnold as protracted malaria. In these
instances improper precautions were taken
ana consequently the disease was quickly
dlffused. The paper provoked quite a
lengthy discussion, during which the COM
potency of volunteer medical officers was
dwelt upon
The second days session of the associa-
tons fourteenth annual meeting began at
10 o'clock this morning, President Baum
garten presiding. The first paper read was
by DR.. w. w. Johnston of this city on the
| subject The Continued Fever of Epidemic
Influenza"
Then DR.. Vaughan was introduced. He
told of the organization of the board of
which he was member. He said that
Whlle the board had not completed Its
labors 1t was justified in forming the con-
illusions above noted. The board inspected
Camps Alger, Meade Wikoff the one at
Montauk Point and Chckamauga
We made ourselves acquainted" con-
tinued DR.. Vaughan, with the water sup
ply, the food. the soil which the camps
We're located, the preparation of the rations
bearing on our quest. We personally in
spected all the division and regfmental hos
pltals to ascertain what was being done in
the matter of dsinfection. We took the
evidence Of medical officers and lastly
studied the records in the office Of the
surgeon general of the army
Incorrect Diagnosis.
Before we had concluded our first days
inspection at Camp Ager we discovered
that there was one factor which must be
dealt with. That was the incorrect dag
nosis Of diseases. Most of the typhoid
fever at Alger was diagnosed as protracted
malaria. We discovered from blood exami-
HdtloHS, however, lndt malaria was rare
among the troops encamped In the United
States There was not case of true ma
laria at Aiger."
DR.. Vaughan spoke of the discrepancy
in the reports of medical officers. In one
Ohio regiment, for instance, the surgeon in
charge wrote that the prevailing disease in
his command was typhoid fever. His rec
ords In the War Department show but two
cases of typhoid. Many of the supposed
malaria patients were treated with Quinine
and failed to Improve, Showing conclusive
~ that the disease was wrongly diagnosed.
Another factor entering into the conclu-
stons of the board with regard to typhoid
fever was that the death rate from pro-
tracted malaria corresponded closely with
typhoid fever mortality statistics
There can be no doubt the speaker
continued, that the malaria was typhoid
fever in almost every instance. Typhoid
was covered by other names, too. In one
command the death rate from Indigestion
was 10 per cent Many surgeons reported
the disease as simple continued fever and
some as typho-malaria. Some reported
gastric fever. In the latter instance the
regimental surgeons could be set down as
Germans, for in the German army typhoid
fever is known gastric fever.
Many of the volunteer regiments were
infected with typhoid before they went to
the government encampments. More than
80 per cent Of the volunteer regiments at
Chickamauga were infected before being
ordered there. Some brought the disease
from home and some from the state en-
campments. So general is the prevalence of
typhoid throughout the United States that
two or three men in each regiment must
be regarded as affected, even upon muster
in. The doctors should bear this in mind
and keep a Vigiant lookout for the first
sign of the disease
Water Not Infected.
How did the disease spread? There is
no evidence that the water supplied in the
larger camps was infected. At Jackson
Vile, the troops drank artesian water,
which was pure and could only have
been contaminated after reaching the
camp. The citizens of Jacksonville drank
from the same wells. Notwithstanding this
fact. typhoid was epidemic among the SOL
diers, while there were but a few sporadic
cases among the citizens. In Knoxville
the troops and citizens drank the same
water, and here the troops were affected
by epidemic, while there was not a single
case in the city. At Chickamauga some
of the troops drank water from a creek
This might have had a slight Infection
but those regiments which secured water
from pure spring had typhoid fever as
badly as those drinking from the creek.
There was some Infection of the water in
the smaller camps, but in the opinion of
the board the water supply played a sub
ordinate role in the spread of typhoid
ut may be said truthfully that the spread
was caused by the improper disposal of ex-
erection from typhoid patients. At Camp
BLACK and Fort Smelling, in the north the
A l.
ger, Chickamauga and Jacksonville The
epidemic was not due to the southern eli
mate, nor was 1t due to the massing of a
large number Of regiments in one encamp-
ment. There can be no doubt, therefore.
that the typhoid epidemic was brought
about by camp pollution. In our inspec-
ton, as we picked our way through a num-
Der of camps. our feet would be soiled with
foetal matter. This is how the disease was
carried.
The only means of preventing a spread
OF typhoid Is the complete sterilization of
fever matter in camps which are to be oc-
cupied for a period of three weeks or
longer"
DR.. Vaughan explained briefly the appa-
ratus that might be employed in the work
of disinfection.
Prevention of Disease,
prevention of disease" he resumed,
must be regarded as more important than
the cure. There is nothing SO demoralizing
In body of soldiers as an epidemic, Alb
sence OF general sickness gives them re-
newed courage and energy. The success Of
a campaign depends as largely upon the
hygienic methods and precautions emploved
as military skill and daring
ut Is hard to tell the axtant % tp,,o,s