Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-04-29
FORT eAvARp.
What is Being Done at the Sanitarium
for the Lungs Of Uncle Sans
Soldiers.


From the Rocky Mountain News OF
Sunday the following extracts from an
article on Fort Bayard are taken:
.Tha United States general hospital
for consumptives at Fort Bayard, is
coming in for a measure of Uncle
| Sans special attention just at present.
| The big sanitarium has had such phe-
| nominal success in the treatment of
tuDercular cases that the government
has decided to greatly enlarge its ca
pacity, improve its equipment and, in
| short, make it the greatest tuberculo-
| sis hospital in the country. The plan
is TO expend the sum Of $100.000 in en-
larging and improving the sanitarium.
and the appropriation for thai purpose
has already been made by congress.
Another important change has been
made. Heretofore only enlisted men
of the regular army have been admit
ted to Fort Bayard. under the new
arrangement the institution lis to be
thrown open to soldiers and sailors
alike. and made a regular army and
navy hospital. Already about % men
of the navy and marine corps have
entered the hospital, special authority
however, being given IN each OF these
cases.
Fort Bayard lies in q beautiful lit
tie valley in the foothills of the noun
tains OF southwestern New Mexico, al
altitude of nearly 1000 feet. 1t is
nine miles from the flourishins tow
of Silver City. one of New Mexico's
best little cities. Here there is per
petual golden sunshine, u~nclouded az
ure sky, fine scenery and pure, dry
bracing air all the year round. These
splendid natural conditions. in con
junction with the most skillful. scien
tific and thoroughly systenatizes
treatment, have produced cures which
are a little shoc Of remarkable.
: There are now at the sanitariun
nearly $50 patients, and the number T.
: increasing daily. Larger facilities ar
lalready q necessity. When all the pre-
iected improvements matersaiize 1t
: probable that the sanitarium will b
: able to.accommodate between 100 an
500 men.
"A recent substantial increase !
: equipment is the new solarium, or sh
parlor, which has been in use Sine
: February. 1t is a large structure, bun
entirely of steel and glass, and give
? delicate consumptives a chance to e1
10y comfortably the germ-killinS sur
shine regardless if the outside ten
perature.
THE hospital owes much OF its SUI
cess and efficiency to the masterl
+ management of Major ID. M. Appel
\ who for several years was in con
mand OF the post and III brough
y the work of the sanitarium prom
0 nently before the public eye. Ma]o
n Appell has been transferred TO tn
Philippines, for which point he sale
q in His successor is Lieute'
9 ant Colonel Comegys, deputy surgeo
" general of the United States arn.
who is an officer of great ability an
energy. and who will ~undoubtedl
g keep the work of h institution up I
E. the highest standard.
IAN important arrangement ma
= been made lately which does ava
e with much of the red tape heretofol
y connected with admission to the no
n pital. The consumptive is o a.
mitted by direct negotiation betwec
. the ~commandant and the ofilcef
! charge of the post from which tn
4 patient comes. Formerly it was nece
sary to make a trip TO WashinSto
y and to go through other lie pr
liminaries before one could be &iml
ted. Under the new arrangement u
applicant gets into the hospltai
month sooner than formerly--sorl
C times a month Of precious time 10 u
man who is suffering from the ravagt
e of the dread disease.