Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-04
HEALTH OF THE ARMY
SURGEON GENERAL o'REILLY RE-
PORTS AN IMPROVEMENT.
Successful Treatment of Malarial Fever
in the Philippines-Cure
of Leprosy.

In his annual report Surgeon General R.
M. O'Reilly shows that the general health
of the army has improved during the past
| year, the hospital admission rate per thou
| sand having been 13 as against I, 49,
| 81 in the preceding year. That marks a
| gradual improvement in the condition OF
| the troops, which has been noted since san
| itary matters have been given the atten-
| ton due them, Notwithstanding large pro-
| portion of the troops have teen on practical
| ly war service in the Philippines since 1898.
| The mean strength of the whole army for
the year 1908 of 67,643 men consisted OF
| 59,671 white troops, 1888 colored and 4,7S9
! native Filipinos.
Rate Of Disease and Injury.
The admission rate of the army for dis
ease and injury during the year was
i,451.13 per thousand of strength with
rates of discharge for disability and death
of 1888 and $50, respectively. OF the total
number of admissions those of white troops
constituted a rate of 1,4S0.15 per thousand
of strength, of which 25.O2 per thousand
were discharged for disability and S.21 per
thousand died. The negro troops show an
admission rate per thousand of 1,025 ~,
with 1851 discharged and lib deaths per
thousand, compared with 1,312.32 1913 and
21.51, the corresponding rates LOT Inc Ia
tive Filipnos.
The negroes show the lowest figures in
sickness. while the white troops had much
| the lowest mortality and the most sickness.
The Filipinos had the highest MORTALITY
rate almost double that of the negroes, ana
an admission rate which closely approached
the high rate of admission of the white
troops. ooo
In admissions for injuries: as IN 1902
the Filipino soldiers were singularly FOR,
tunate having a rate in 1903 of only 81 ~
per thousand men. On the other hand the
rate of mortality of 3.34 per thousand is
almost as large as the combined oealn la.es
of the white and colored troops from ex-
teranl causes For these causes the ne
groes led with an admission rate OF 200 -
per thousand, compared with 25l.eO per
thousand for the white o. troops; t,ovs a,,d
| and colored to that OF l,s9 per thousaho
died of injuries during the year
The Filipinos show the highest rate OF ao-
mission for disease during the year, When
,2s5.O3 men per thousand were entered on
sick report. White troops very nearly Ieach
that rate with admissions OF l,lto.54 per
thousand, while colored troops mad me 10"
admission rate of 7IO.34 per Thousand.
Deaths in the Philippines.
From an average strength of 1909 Amer
,can troops in the Philippines. 1,074 were in
vaIided home during the past year. a rate
of 5644 per thousand. There were III
| deaths among the troops in the Phlnp-
| pines during the year, so that the losses
by death and INVADING amounted to 'o6'
per thousand. Contrary to what might De
| expected, in view of the general belief IN
reference To the prevalence and severity of
malarial fever in the Philippines, 1t was
found necessary to send but ifty-nine such
cases home nearly all of such subsequently
went to duty none dying.
Malarial fevers again caused considerably
1t of eli
Filipinos than among the white and colored
Americans. The negro troops We're entirely
free from dengue. For Asiatic cholera lO5
cases, a rate of 1.76 per thousand, with 6S
deaths or a rate of LA per thousand, were
recorded among the white troops ana "A
admissions and % deaths, with rates equiv
alent to 0.19 and 5.S5, respectively, were
recorded among the Filipinos while the col
ored troops were entirely free from that
malady Beri-beri was almost entirely con-
fined to Philippine soldiers These soldiers
again demonstrated their freedom from
drunkenness, as only three admissions from
that cause were recorded, compared with
81 n admissions per 1000 for white troops
and 1855 for colored.
The surgeon general believes that 1t is
possible to cure leprosy. At any rate, de-
cidedly favorable results have followed the
treatment of the leper soldier now held IN
isolation at one Of the southern army posts.
The nodules and swellings on the BODY
have either become greatly reduced OF us
appeared entirely.
Providence Hospital Treatments.
The surgeon general says that 1,167 desti-
tute patients in the city of Washington
were treated at Providence Hospital during
the past year out of the appropriation OF
SO 600 contained in the act of March 8,
1903 The number of these patients rem aim
ing in the hospital June 80 last was 9S,
four of whom had been under treatment the
entire year.
RHODE ISLAND AVENUE.
Appeal for Its Improvement Between
AL. e.d Oath CfraafS NnrfhrueSf