Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-02-04
SUCCESS AT
FORT BAYARD
Treatment of tuberculosis at That
Military Sanitarium---Outdoor
Life, Diet, Exercise Insisted
Upon.

Dr. E. d. Fink, formerly stationed at
Fort Bayard, where he performed the
surgical operations, conducted the ply
sical examinations and treated many
cases of consumption, has given out
the following interesting account of
the life and successful treatment of
patients at this military sanitarium for
the cure of tuberculosis.
Fort Bayard was originally mill
tary post, but about five years ago it
was abandoned as a military station
and was then turned into a hospital for
the sole treatment of tuberculosis and
is at the present time attracting a
great deal of attention in that direc-
tion
There are at present about 270 pa
tients who are soldiers, sailors and
members of the United States Marine
Corps AS soon as it is found that
any one has tuberculosis in one Of
the above branches of the service, he
is sent to Fort Bayard to be treated
for the disease.
Every patient on the day on which
he is admitted is given thorough
physical examination and diagram
is drawn of the diseased portion of his
lungs. He is then sent to the hospi
tai for few days to determine wheth-
er or not he is able to live in quarters
and not directly under the care of
surgeon. Such cases are called "am-
bulant" and are given the freedom of
the post but are not allowed to go in
to the quarters during the day if the
weather is pleasant.
"The life that is led by the patients
is one of great regularity. They go to
bed at 9 p. m. and get up at $3.50 in
the morning, taking breakfast at 6
o'clock. From 6 until 12 they are re-
quired to be on the porches or in the
sun. Being sent to bed at 1 p. m. in
tents they are obliged to leave the
flaps up and remain perfectly quiet for
three hours. They then put on their
clothes and wander about on the res
ervation.
"They take dinner at p. m. and un-
til bed time they are in the reading
and billiard rooms The diet is Of a
wholesome and nutritious character;
milk and eggs forming the major por-
tion To prevent any bolting of food
the patients are required to stay in the
mess hall at least twenty minutes.
"The temperature of all 'ambulant'
patients is taken twice day and if
found to be above 80 degrees they are
required to remain there for several
days or until the temperature becomes
normal 1t is found that those in the
first stages of the disease will run a
temperature if allowed too much ex
ercise. Perfect rest and quiet in bed
is the surest means of reducing it.
Horseback riding is forbidden as a
great number have had hemorrhages
while so indulging Each patient has
a thorough examination every two
months and chart made so that it is
possible to tell the exact degree of i'm
provement in each individual case.
Weights are taken once week and If
the patient is found to be losing he is
put to bed or confined to the porch of
the hospital; during this time he is on
a special diet.
''The number of cases treated dur
ing the year ending July 1, 1908, were
5O6 The number of cases improved
were 2S1. Those improved showed a
decrease in the lung tissues involved;
those in which the disease had simply
become arrested were classed as un-
improved.
'"The secret of the great success
achieved at Fort Bayard lies in New
Mexico's unexcelled climate, the fact
that the fort is military institution,
that the patients are compelled to
obey all instructions and in the fact
that repeated examinations are made
in each case renders it easy to deter
mine what is necessary in each in
stance.
"The hospital is at present being re-
built, cold storage and electric light
plants are being installed and labor
atory costing $4,000 is being added and
equipped with everything known to
science Solariums are being erected
where patients will be required to
take sun baths and in fact everything
now used in the treatment of tubercu-
losis will be added for the cure and
comfort of all of those entitled to be
admitted to this. institution"