The sun., 1903-09-13
Why WEST POINT Is HEALTHY
NO ARGUMENT FOR OR AGAINST
SMOKING IN TIE FACT.
The Cadet Has Always Smoked ON the Sly
Some Chew-But the Hard Work. ,he
strict Routine. Count In His Case-And
what Q Transformation These Make!

The Cadet Has Always Smoked ON the Sly
Some Chew-But the Hard Work, ,:,e
strict Rsutine. Count In His Case-And
what Q Transformation These Make!
That the recent order permitting the
West Point cadets to smoke Under certain
prescribed conditions will make any par
ticular difference in the young mems habits
with respect to the actual Use OF tobacco
that lis, as to the quantity used-is not be-
lieved by the old stagers who have known
the cadet for many years.
The cadets have always smoked regu-
lations to the contrary withstanding.
The only difference now is that they will
smoke openly instead OF sneakingly, and
by that much the moral toxic Of the Mill
tary Academy atmosphere will be in
vigorated.
Not only have tho cadets always smoked.
bit melancholy rs is the admission. some
Of them have even chewed tobacco, though
the cadet corps Of the United States Mill
tary Academy at West Point is the health
lest body Of young men in any educational
institution in the country, il not in the
world.
This is not advanced by experts In vital
at atistics as an argument in favor OF the use
OF tobacco by young men. Anti-tobacco
people, il they chose. are at liberty to say
that the breath Of the cadet corps is aston
ishingly good in spite Of the use of tobacco
But the good breath ia there. 1t cannot
be explained away. 1t is shown in tho
steel muscles under the gray cadet uniform.
the bronzed healthy color in the cadet
cheeks, the clear snappy CLINT in the cadet
eye and the buoyant elasticity in the cadet
bearing and movements.
One OF the most surprising features
of this superb physical condition OF the
cadets is the rapid way in which it is brought
about One of the curioeitiea Of the Military
Academy's life is the trans formation, after
a few weeks of the wloles ONE life in the
school, which young men fresh from home
undergo To appreciate this. one should
see the fabby, shambling, languid and
generally unpromising mate which
nearly always comes with each fresh batch
of candidates, and then see it after even
fortnight's grind in the Academy routine.
Parents would hardly recognize their own
sons after a month or six weeks OF it. 1t
is very impressive object lesson in what
may be done for young men physically If
you have the machinery Of discipline to
do it with. and the knowledge Of how to
eet about the job as the medical and other
officers at West Point have.
The young man who only manages to
stay no more than a year at the Academy
goes out into the world with the all but
indelible stamp Of West Point upon him
and with foundation Of health and habits
of orderliness of living which are likely
to last him through life.
In the last ten years there has been only
one death from sickness in the Military
Academy, record which it Is safe to say
cannot be matched by any other school
in the country. The mortality rate among
the students in other words, is practically
nil. Aside from such incidents as colds,
contusions and other trifes, the hospital
authorities have comparatively little call
for their services. They devote their
time. and most successfully, to carrying
on a warfare OF prevention instead Of q
warfare of cure All that the latest re-
searches Of science have discovered in
the way Of sanitation are applied with
the iron inhexibilty of military methods.
The menu of the cadets mess hall is
inspected every day by the chief surgeon
of the post. All complaints as to quality
Of food served are rigidly investigated by
him. If by chance the food gets to running
too much toward this or that article Of
diet, the surgeon directs a change of the
character which to him seems advisable.
II physical symptoms in the corps are de-
yeloped he adapts the food to meet tho Q
symptoms.
Point which make the post far from iCeal
as an all-the-year- round place Of residence.
There is often intense cold in the winter
and intense heat in the summer. The
transitions in winter from ica, snow and
cold to mildness, slush and thawing weather
are abrupt and trying. One might say that
practically all the ailments from which the
corps suffer are due to these climatic ort.ea ls
combined with individual carelessEess after
the sharp exercise which makes up so large
a part Of the cadet 3 daily routine Of life.
Influenza, now and then case of bron-
chitis, catarrhal troubles, and plain -colc,s
about cover he list of cadet afflc ions in the
way Of illness And when they have even
a cold the cadets go to the hospita and stay
in bed for couple Of days until they are
over it. instead of going about their duties
until someth hing worse is developed, as is
so often the case in the rough and
tumble Of life.
The cadet when he is "fit" has plenty to
do. He never has an opportunity to forget
that he is at West Point. Every hour, nearly
every minute, Of his time has its allotted
purpose and generally its allt ted, and by
no means trfing, task 1t is work YORK,
work. and yet again work, when he is in
working condition. but few mothers take
more tender care OF their children and no
mCthar cares for them so wis ly when
hey are i'll as does the West Pointers alma
mater. 1t is pert Of his discipline There
is no 90 ldling Curing is the hospital
scheme curing and preventing.
If there is any doubt as to the cadet
ha wing enough to do to keep him busy, a
glance at the everyday routine will con-
vince anybody that at least he does not
lead quite n sybaritic existence. In sum
mer, revele sounds at $50 in the morning
ia the winter at . Reveile means peremp-
tory command to get move on From
8 to go. at this season, the cadet il occu-
pied in policing" his room--sweeping
putting up his bed with everything folded
to nicety in just such prescribed way.
All save the emptying Of slops, which falls
/ N he lot of ot hers