Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1905-10-07
HEALTH OF SOLDIERS.
Surgeon General O'Reilly Furnishes
Interesting iures.
NONE BIT BY SNAKES.
Diseases Caused by Immoral Habits
Head the List Of Admissions,
and Most Deaths Are the
Result Of Pneumonia.

Washington. Oct. 6.-Surgeon Cen
erai X. 81. O'Reiily Of the army has
submitted an exhaustive report on
health conditions OF the army 20 Sec
retary Taft. The report says the en-
listed strength OF the army as shown
upon the monthly sick reports was 5s.-
7i0 and OF the returns Of the military
secretary 60.i39. and calculations are
made up on the latter figures. There
were 1850 admissions TO the sick re-
port" during the year. the 400 deaths
from all causes and 1877 discharges
from disability. Figures. he says. show
a steady and progressive improvement
Of the health OF the army.
The report says that by far the most
important diseases affecting the effi-
cheney Of the army during the year
have been those resulting from immor-
al habits. which caused is per cent OF
n admissions This class Of disease
advanced from third 10 first place In
the number OF admissions 10 the sick
report There are constantly on the
rick report frr this class OF diseases
us men. equal 10 the loss for the en-
tire year OF services Of eleven full COM
panies of infantry.
The control OF these diseases" says
General O'Reilly. 'll-s largely in the
hands Of civil authorities and one OF
the most important steps 10 that end
would appear 20 be chasing them with
other infectious diseases. and the re-
quirement that they shall be reported
as such and controlled by health de-
partnents. In the military service a
similar course should be followed.
"As to the cause OF death. pneumo-
MIA has advanced TO first place and
tuberculosis second.
"There were 2O6 admissions for gun
shot wounds. with forty-four deaths.
and $50 admissions FOR wounds other
than gunshot. with nft zen deaths.
Twenty-one men were killed IN action
ans forty-two wounded. OF the killed
two were bv gunshot. OF the wound
ed twenty eight were by gunshot.
There were forty-hye soldiers
drowned. II per cent % the total deaths
from all causes. indicating how i'm
portaut q Is that an soldiers should
have systematic instruction IN swim
ming Twenty-seven soldiers commit
ted suicide. Ten deaths were due to
homicide.
Notwithstanding that the large part
OF the army was serving IN the tropics
there was no admission Tor snake bite.
The strength OF the officers from
9g2I from medical department reports
and ISIS from military secretary.
There were 2276 admissions and twen-
ty-seyen deaths.
Comparisons with foreign armies
show that the highest rate OF admis-
sions was In the American army and
the lowest in the Russian. The highest
death rate was IN the American army
and the lowest IN the Prusslan. The
highest non-efective rate was In the
American army and the lowest in the
Prussian.
THE very high proportion for alco-
Lollsm In the American army as COM
pared with that of the British IL partly
due to the fact that in the latter SER
vice only admissions 10 hospitals are
counted.
1T f. notable that while the British
have less than half the American ad-
mission rate for dysentery their death
rate Is practically the same and that
while their ratio admission for malaria
is about the same their death rate II
nearly three times as great. The
American admission rate for malaria
Is nearly eighty times that OF the
French. while the death rate Is only
five times as great. These facts point
out the difference in the method OF
admissions. The figures for
measles and mumps compare very un-
favorably with the other armies except
the French.
The strength of the army In the
Philippines was 1895 and there were
2246 admissions 10 the sick report and
i05 deaths. The strength OF the FIJI
pno troops was 1910 and there were
b2t2 admissions and i03 deaths"