Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-05-04
REGIMEN AT
Fl. STANTON
1t is Comparatively Simple and
Can Be Followed Easily by
Patients Elsewhere.
DIET AND EXERCISE
These Next to Tent and Open Air Life
Are the Essential Points That
Must Be Watched.

In an article last week, the Ne,
Mexican called attention to the fac
that tent life is one of the main fee
lures OF the treatment of consumptio
at Fort Stanton, the sanitarium of tn
Marine Hospital service at Fort Star
ton, Lincoln County. DR.. Paul M. Cal
rington in his paper on Further OF
servations on the Treatment of Tubel
culosis, after emphasizing that featur
OF life at the sanitarium, gives furthe
data upon the regimen that has beel
found most beneficial in the treatmen
of consumption. AS there are hun
dreds OF consumptives in New Mexico
having come here for their health ant
as their number is recruited by ever,
incoming train, these observations are
of general interest. DR.. Carringtor
says:
"We receive cases in all stages anG
in all periods of development, as wei
as with many if not all the various
complications to which consumptfves
are subject During the year ended
April 30, 1903, we treated 2S2 cases
of whom only 50 or fifteen per cent
were of the first stage. These facts
must be borne in mind in any consider
alton OF our statistics and results. The
classification followed is the division OF
cases into the first stage, in which the
disease has not progressed to cOnsoli-
dation, which may be detected by ply
sical signs, and second and third stage
cases, in which the physical signs re-
veal consolidation with or without ex-
cavation I have grouped these two
latter stages together because of the
easy transition from the second to the
third stage, and the difficulty, and fire.
quently the impossibility of detecting
by physical signs just when excavation
begins
THE buildings at this sanatorium
are those usually found at an army
post and are constructed of stone and
adobe and arranged on four sides of a
square known as the Parade Ground ,
We have converted the parade ground
into a blue grass lawn, which affords
quite a pleasing contrast to the brown
&c The surrounding hills. All of the old
buildings have either been altered and
repaired, or are in process of renOva-
tion. The old barracks have been con-
verted into dormitories and the single
officers quarters are used as sleeping
apartments for the convalescent
cases.
"After describing the special bene-
fits Of tent life, DR.. Darlington con-
tinues: 1t is naturally matter of ex-
treme Importance to prevent the sana-
torium from becoming infected and
thus becoming focus for the dissent
nation of tuberculosis among the ma
tives. or healthy employees, or by the
reinfection of cured patients. With
this object in view strong anti-spitting
regulations are enforced, all sputum
being deposited in pocket and bedside
CUBS provided for the purpose. All
metal cups with their contents are dis
infected daily by superheated steam IN
a sterilizer specially constructed for
that purpose. Paper bedside cups are
used very largely and these are de-
stroyed by fire. We continue to use
metal pocket spit cups, as the most
satisfactory cup thus far devised.
Periodical disinfection of all apart
ments occupied by consumptives is
practiced and recent experiments of
Past Assistant Surgeon e. K. Sprague
in charge of the laboratory, by the in
lection of dust and scrapings taken
from various rooms in the hospital
where our worst cases are quartered,
into guinea pigs, shows this building to
he free from infection. These expert
ments prove conclusively that if the
building is infected by spraying the
method of disinfection by bi-chloride
sponging is efficient. Experiments are
now in progress to determine whether
or not formaldehyde gas will destroy
bacilli in masses of sputa in an ordi-
nary living room.
"The medical staff consists, when
the complement is full, of one surgeon,
as commanding officer, two other COM
,nissioned officers and two acting as
sistant surgeons. The Junior officers
serve successively as Officers of the
day' their tour of duty being "a hours.
It is the duty of the officer OF the day
to make daily inspection OF all dormi-
tories, toilet rooms, etc., and report
their condition to the commanding Of
ficer: he answers emergency calls and
receives and gives attention to the new
1v arrived patients. Two officers are
assigned in charge of the physical ex-
animation room, and all patients are
not only examined upon arrival, but
the examination is repeated every two
months. One officer has charge OF the
meteorological laboratory, and one OF
the nose and throat clinic, a portion OF
our work which offers varied and in
teresting field.
Il usually make the morning sick cal