Waterbury Democrat., 1900-12-07
ARIHY SICKNESS,
Report on Origin and Spread of
 Typhoid Fever.
10000 CASES OF THE FEVER.

states From May to September - Every Regiment in Six Army CorDs Developed Typhoid During the Span ish War.
 Washington, Dec :. - Surgeon len ef;lI Sternberg made public to-tIaI- 1 report upon the origin and spread of typhoid fever in United States mili- tary camps during the Spanish war of IH9S' prepared Ut his instance by q board consisting of Major Walter Reed surgeon, |. $. A., Major Victor c. vaughan. division surgeon. L. S. N ana Major Edward o. Shakespeare hf'&adler surgeon. |. $. Y. The sur SSGh-%enci'al prefaceS the report by ealing attention to the vast amount ol work 1lle medical corps was called upon to perform during the war, in order to cope with the trnlnend0us in crease of the army in the field. and comments upon tine widespread preva- lcnce of typhoid ill 1898. 2G.OOO cases ct this disease appearing among the troops Cncanlnod within the limits of the United States, from May until September of that year.
 \ general summary of the co1,clI1- siCns reached hy the board indicates that during the Spanish war every regiment constituting the First Second Third, Fourth. Fifth and Seventh army corps developed typhoid fever, this be ing true of both the volunteer and reg ula" commands. More than 90 per cent Of the volunteer regiments arc shown to have developed typhoid with in eight weeks after going into camp and the fever developed also in certain of the rogula" regiments within three to five weeks after the tents went Tp Typhoid became epidemic in all camps large and small. north and south. and was found to be so widely distributed in this country that onc or more cases are likely to appear in any regiment within eight weeks after assembly, whether on the march or stationary. ii is also stated that. with typhoid fey CT as widely disseminated as it is in this country. th" chances are that if regiment of 1900 men should be as sembled in any section and kept in 9 camp having inc most perfect sanitary conditions one or more cases of the fever would develop. Nevertheless. it was found that many commands dur ing the war were unWiscly located, that the space allotted to regiments was. in some instances. entirely inadequate, and that many regiments were al
 
 There were regiments at Chickamau- ga which did not move a tent from the time of their arrival in May to their departure late in August. Requests for changes in location made by medi- cal OtticerS. on account of the unfit con- tlition of the camps in question, were not always granted.
 In some instances. camps were set up in the face of earnest protests from medical officers against the sanitary rnfitupSS of the sites selected. The camps became very filthy in general, it is stated. and line officers are thus held responsible to some extent for the uuSanitary conditions that developed. In this connection the board suggests that @reHter authority be given medi- cal officers iii questions relating to the hygiene of camps.
 Tilp board condemns in general the methods cf dsposing of the eXcretions of the human body and fecal matter. holding that lack of proper facilities in this respect was in large measure responsible for the prevalence of the fever in the camps.
 Where water carriage cannot be se- cured in permanent camps. it is sug- oested that all fecal matter be dis infected. anT tEen carted away from
 
 special recommendation that galvan- ized iron trouGhS containing milk of lime he utilized for this purpose.
 Infected water was found to be an uninlDortant factor in the spread of typhcid in the national encampments of 1898. To guard against the contain ination of the water supply. however, facilities for the sterilization of wa ter for troops in the field are recom- mended.
 Flies which Swarmed over infected fecal matter in the camp pits. are be- leyed to have been tranSmitterS of ty- phoid bacillus. It has been conclusive ly settled that company badly infect ed with typhoid cannot rid itself of the infection by simply changing it's loca- tion. as it carries with it. the speclhc agents of the disease in the bodies of it's men and in their clothing, bedding and tentage Indeed. it has been found that an extended ocean voyage does not avail but that a complete disln- lection Of men and effects is absolute ly necessary.
 E.cept where urgent emergency makes it necessary. the board urges that one command should not be lo cated upon a site recently occupied and vacated by another.
 Malaria was not a prevalent disease among the camps during the war. al though many short attacks of typhoid were generally diagnosed as some form of maIarial fever. Altogether about one-fifth of the soldiers in the nation al encampments during the Spanish war developed typhoid. about half oi the cases being correctly diagnosed by the army surgeons. The death rate was 761 per cent. and the average per fod of incubation was found to bt about ten and one-half days.