Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1901-12-06
The FORT STANTON SANITARIUM.
What Is Being Done for the Relief of Con
sumptive Sailors.

Surgeon D.. nj. CafrlnStOn is now III
charge of the marine hospital for con-
sumptives at Fort Stanton in Lincoln
county. Temperate young men who
are strong enough to work, even though
consumptive, can obtain positions at
the sanitarium as walters, assistant
nurses, gardeners and mechanics or IN
other occupations thus affording a
comfortable home to consumptive
workmen who desire occupation at a
higher altitude. The wages paid range
from 81 to 50 a day. While the sanitar-
ium is a most perfect home for the
afflicted sailors, quite a number of the
patients become homesick and long to
see the sea. Some insist upon leaving
before entirely recovered, but some
times return with the disease broken
out again.
The marine hospital is not technical
ly a government institution although 1t
is under the Jurisdiction of the assist
ant treasurer of the United States. Inc
marine service originated many years
ago from fund raised by the sailors
on merchant ships who contributed
small sums out of their monthly wages.
Later merchant ships were taxed ac-
cording to their tonnage and now the
fund is so large that many marine
hospitals are maintained out of 1t
throughout the United States, Fort
Stanton being exclusively for consump-
tive sailors.
Fort Stanton is about six miles from
the railroad station at Captain. 1t is
picturesque little settlement in the fer
tile Bonito valley, surrounded by pine
covered mountains. The fort is sup
piled with a steam laundry, electric
light works, ice plant, dairy, butcher
shop, pasture, gardens and comes near
being communistic settlement, self
sufficient and supplying nearly all it's
own wants.
There are a few over one hundred
patients at the sanitarium. There are
six surgeons and thirty attendants.
Each patient is examined upon enter
ing the sanitarium and an accurate
daily clinical record is kept of his con-
dition. The more advanced cases are
sent to the hospital and the incipient
cases are assigned to the neat rooms in
different wards. Those who are able to
leave their rooms go to their meals
three times day and are given milk
and cracker lunch in the forenoon. The
food consists of meat and plenty of it,
eggs, butter, milk, bread and vegeta-
bles and desert In the sick wards
physicians and nurses are in constant
attendance. All the accommodations
Of the fort, including board, room,
laundrying, medicine and attendance
are furnished free to the patients.
Cleanliness is enjoined upon the pa
tients. They must be temperate and
regular in their habits. They are COM
PEELED to be in the open air, to exercise
if their condition permits and to eat as
heartily as possible. In fact, upon the
observance Of those three conditions
depends the promise of cure. Intoxi-
cants are not allowed on the reserva-
ton. Every precaution is taken to
kill all germs and patients must use
a pocket cuspidor, which is burned ev-
cry evening. Outdoor games and par
aphernalia for the inmates are sup
piled. A good library is also main
tanned
Quite number of cures already
stand to the credit of the institution,
and some of them are nothing short of
the miraculous. outdoor life in the
peerless New Mexico climate, moderate
exercise, regularity of habits and the
stuf11ng process as far as diet Is con-
cerned, are the factors that produce
the cures or in hopeless cases bring
about an amelioration of symptoms
and prolonk ..tion Of life, although no
case can be pronounced hopeless until
death has knocked at the door.