Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1901-10-14
ARMY SURGEON REPORTS.
Health Of United States Soldiers Bet
ter For Past Twelve Months.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 11.-Surgeon Gen
eral Sternberg's annual report to the sec
rotary of war says the health in the
army was unusually good during the cal
endar year 1900. The admission rate to
hospitals for all causes in the army, vol
unteers and regulars. with mean
strength Of 100,3S9 in 1900 was 2,311s1 per
thousand OF strength compared with
2,17S.06 in the previous year; but during
the year 1899 only 39.2S0 men out Of a to-
tai Of 1O5,546 were serving in the Philip
pines while in the past year $685. of a
total OF 1O0, 3S9 were thus serving In the
Philippine islands with mean strength
of sc, SS2 the admission rate was 2,621. Sc
as compared with 2,395.52 in the previous
year. this increase being mainly due to
disease among the volunteers, the ratio
for which rose from 1891 to 2761.79.
The regulars on the other hand showed a
marked decrease in the ratio Of admis-
to 2,197.73. Two-thirds of the admissions
for disease were caused by malarial fe-
vers and diarrhoeal diseases. The
deaths from all causes amounted to 2S.75
per thousand of strength as compared
with 3O5S in the previous year. Disease
caused 20.26 deaths the principal cause
being dysentery which with other intes-
final diseases gave rate of 9.0S. The
rate from injury amounted to $40.
The death rate in China was 47.76 per
thousand of strength, 1852 from disease,
and 24.14 from injury.
|. From the close of the calendar year 1900
to the latest reports, the health of the
troops in the philippines has been stead
lily improved. F1f
The health of the troops in Cuba during
the year was excellent AS a result of
American occupation nearly every city
and town has had its sanitary conditions
improved.
Speaking of special diseases General
Sternberg says: 1881 ~
"The steady decrease of late years in
the admissions for alcoholism among the
men of the regular army is a matter for
congratulation. Military officers may be
said to be unanimous in their opinion that
this may be the result of the establish
ment of the post exchange of canteen at
military posts. There is less drunken
ness among the troops in active service
than in a command being on garrison du-
ty in times of peace. n
Reporting on the study Of yellow fever
by a board in Cuba, Genera Sternberg
says: r. ssr sar+ ~-F Hstat a.s..r
1.-THE results obtained were especially
valuable showing that the bacillus icte-
roides bears no casual relation to yellow
fever and that the mosquito serves as an
intermediate host for the parasite of this
disease. Further experiments Of a closer
character demonstrated that yellow fever
is transmitted to non-immunes by the bite
OF a mosquito that has previously fed on
the blood of those sick with this disease
that yellow fever can also be produced
by the simultaneous injection of blood
taken from the general circulation during
the first and second days of teh disease;
that an attack of yellow fever produced
by the bite of the mosquito coNfers inn
nunity against the subsequent injection
Of infected blood; that yellow fever is
not conveyed by clothing, bedding or mer-
chandise soiled by contact with those sick
with the disease; that house may be
said to be infected with yellow fever only
when there are present in it mosquitoes
capable of conveying the parasite of the
disease, and that the spread Of yellow
fever can most effectually be controlled
by measures directed to the destruction of
mosquitoes and the protection OF sick
against the bites of these insects"
General Sternberg says the results of
the investigation are of far reaching i'm
portance, as the surgeons are now in pos
session of knowledge which enables them
to stamp out yellow fever.