Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-11-12
MEDICAL WOkk mn IHE ARMY
Surgeon General U'Heiuy Compares
Death and sick Rates Among
Soldiers of DInerent Nations.

WASHINGTON, Nov. 1.-THE report on
the work Of the medical department OF
the army by Surgeon General r. NJ.
oReily. which has just been made public
at tho War department, goes with great
detail into that service during the calendar
year 1906 and also compares the health of
the different armies of the world as Ear
as possible, in view Of the differc V condl-
tions in each army. The United states and
Great Britain are the only countries whose
statistics include that part Of the army
serving outside Of the home country. Many
Of the countries have low death rate be-
cause their sick are promptly discharged or
retired and die out Of the service instead
OF on the sick report
The highest rate of admission to the sick
report is held by the Dutch army, whose
rate Is 1871 per thousand men, with the
American army ranking second with ls.9j
and the Russian army holding the lowest
rate of 3.4s per thousand men.
The British army ranks FIRST in the death
rate with L13 per thousand men. the Amer
lean army having the next highest, 6.2s.
The Prussian army has the lowest rate,
two per thousand men.
An important factor in judging the rela-
tive healthfulness Of the different armies
is the average duration OF each case Of
sickness, the American army, according to
their standard, excelilng all others except
the Dutch and Bavarian
The surgeon general states that the total
number of admissions to the sick report
during the year was 73,742, equal to an ad-
mission rate Of 1857 per thousand men
compared with 1,S54.S9 for the previous year
and 1,9O3.3t for the sexennial period from
1898 to 1903.
The death rate was also much better than
for the previous year. there being S6S
deaths from all causes, equivalent to 6.2S
per thousand, az compared with SO for the
previous year.
As cause of death tuberculosis led with
rate Of IS. a slight increase as compared
with the previous year. Pneumonia was
second. rate .32.
J In a chapter devoted to recruiting. the
report shows that the proportion of for
! eign born white recruits was slightly larger
than last year. 1872 per one thousand as
against 1902 for 1904 As the result Of the
/ reduction of the minimum age for enlist
ment from p years to Is there resulted ar
enlistment Of 1,H0 men under % years OF
age
A comparison of the health Of the col
ored troops with that OF the white troops
is given in the report and with the excep-
ton Of the death rate, all the other rates
were lower for the colored troops than fol
the white troops.
! In speaking of the health Of the troops
in the Philippines, the report says that al
! the rates, except the death rate from dis
ease were lower than in 1904 tuberculosis
alone caused nearly so per cent of the dis
charges and more than 20 per cent of thu
deaths from disease.
Surgeon General oReilly states that tn
medical department is badly in need o
officers and that unless congress comes L
its assistance it will he impossible for thu
department to reach high degree of ef
aciency or to escape ? laT,entable break
down on the occurrence Of war.