The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1905-10-20
ARMY DEATH RATE
AMERICA HAS THE MOST AND
PRUSSIA THE LEAST.
System Of Caring for Sick Soldiers
Without Discharging Them May
Bring Up United States Statistics

WASHINGTON n O'RefIly,
surgeon general Of the army, has re-
Gently submitted to Secretary Taft an
exhaustive report upon the health
condition OF the army The report
says that the enlisted strength OF the
army, as shown upon the monthly re-
ports Of sick. was 5S.74O, and on the
returns OF the military secretary, So
139. Calculations are made on the
latter figures There were 1885
admissions TO the sick report dur
causes and 1877 discharges for dis
ability The figures. he says, show a
steady and progressive improvement
in the health Of the army.
TVFenty-One Killed in Action
As TO causes OF death, pneumonia
advanced to first place and tubercu-
IOsis second
There were 2O6 admissions for gun
shot wounds. with fOrty-fOur deaths,
and 1850 admissions for wounds 9TH
er than gunshOt, with fifteen killed
Twenty-One men were killed in action
and fOrty-twO wounded Of the kill
wounded. twenty-eight were by gun
shot There were forty-fve soldiers
drowned, II per cent Of the total
deaths from all causes. indicating how
important il is that all soldiers should
have systematic instruction in swim
ming Twenty-seven soldiers commit
ted suicide. Ten deaths were due TO
homicide
The strength Of officers was 5,42I
from the medical department reports
and 3.s15 from the military secretary.
There were 2,276 admissions and
twenty-seven deaths Comparisons
with foreign armies show that the
highest rate OF admissions is in the
American army and the lowest in the
Russian. The highest death rate was
/ in the American army and the lowest
/ in the Prussian. The highest monet
/ feCtive rate was in the American army
and the lowest in the Prussian- Re
/ gaTding these facts General O'Reilly
! says:
Difference in Systems.
The very high proportion for alcO-
/ hOliSm in the American army as com
I pared with that OF the British IS part
| y due to the fact that in the latter
| service only admissions to hospitals
| are counted. It is notable that while
i the British have less than half the
American admission rate for dysen-
| terry their death rate is practically the
same, and that while their ratio OF
u
| same their death rate IS nearly three
/ times as great. The American admis-
/ sion rate for malaria is nearly eighty
/ times that Of the French, while the
| death rate is only five times as great
! These facts point to difference in the
method OF computing admissions. The
| figures for measles and mUmps COM
pare very unfavorably with other
armies, except the French.
| The comparatively high American
/ death rate for tuberculosis is explain
| ed by the fact that in the United
! States army tuberculosis patients are
/ sent to q sanitarium and retained in
service for long periods, while in 9TH
/ er armies they are promptly dis
| charged The high admission rate is
no doubt due to the present defective
/ system Of medical examination Of re-
| CrUits- The undue prevalence Of ty-
phOid fever in the army is partly ex.
: plainable by its undue prevalence il
the civil communities where the troop.
are stationed, as a result Of genera
failure to purify water and sewage II
/ American municipalities"