The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-11-12
American Army Ranks Second
With the British First
RUSSIA HAS LOWEST RATE
The United States Army Has Lowest
Rate in Point of Duration of
Sickness, Being Two to
Each Thousand.

Washington. November 1.-THE report
upon the work of the medical department
of the army by Surgeon General r. NJ.
. Reilly. which has Just been made public
at the war department. goes into great
detail concerning the service during the
calendar year 1868. and also compares the
health OF the different armies of the world
far possible in view of the different
kinds of each army. Tho United States
and Great Britain are the only countries
whose statistics include the part of the
army serving outside of the home country.
Many of the countries have To- death
rate because their sick are promptly dis
charged 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 Is 81 per lousand men, with
the American army ranking second, with
.95. and the Russian army holding the
lowest rate of S.is per thoas3nd men.
The British army ranks first in the
death rate. with 7.13 deaths per thousand
men, the American army having the next
highest .2S. The Prussian army has the
lowest rate, per thousand men.
An important factor in judging the rel
ative healthfuness of the different armies
in the average duration of each case of
sickness the American army. according
to this standard. eXcelling all others ex-
cept the Dutch and Bavarian.
Duration of Sickness.
The average durati3n of each case
in the United States army Is less than
one-half of that Of the British. and a
little more than one-half of the Spanish
army. With regard TO special diseases,
the administration rates in the army
We're better than in most other arniies
| in the following instance:
Bronchitis, pleurisy, pneumonia, tuber-
cuosis, erysipelas. sunstroSe. reapsing
! fever scarletina and trachima. The Amer
lean army however exceeded all other
armies in alcoholism and dysentary.
The surgeon general states that the
total number of admissions TO the sick
report during the year was 73,1i2 equal TO
an administration rate of 1295.97 per thou
sand men. compared with 1851 50 for the
previous year and l903.31 for the seXenninl
period from 1898 to 1903.
The death rate was also much better
than for the previous year, there being
36S deaths from all causes. equivalent 10
6.2S per thousand as compared with 675
for the previous year and 116 for the six
year period,
There was an increase in the discharges
for disability. which numbered 1lGi or at
the rate of % per thousand men, COM
pared with 22.9 for the preceding year
This increase is accounted for by the
new system of recruiting. many men now
being discharged after enlistment who
would formerly lave been rejected before
enlistment.
Cause of Death.
As "A cause of death, tuberculosis led
with rate of .GS, a slight Increase as
compared with the previous year.
In Il chapter devoted to recruiting, the
report shows that the proportion of for
elgn born white recruits was slightly lar
ger than last year, 146.l2 per thousand,
against i0.32 for 1904. As the result Of re-
duction of the minimum age for enlist
ment from q years to Is. there are sud
to be enlistment of 12l0 men under %
years old
A comparison of the health of the col
ored troops with that of white troops is
given in the report. and with the excep-
ton of the death rate, all the other rates
We're lower for the colored troops than
for the white troops.
In speaking of the health of the troops
in the Philippines, the report says all tue
rates except the death rate for disease
were lower than in 1901. Again this year
all the rates except the death rate were
considerably lower for Filipino than for
American troops. The death rate total
and disease only was. however, much
higher among the Filipinos. Undue pre-
valence among the Filipinos of tubercu-
losis and beri-beri is given the ex-
planation for this. Surgeon General
Reilly states that the medical Depart
ment is badly in need of officers. aud
that unless Congress comes to its assist
ance 1t will be impossible for the depart
ment to reach a high degree of efficiency
or to escape lamentable breakdown on
the occurrence of war.