Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1907-09-28

ventabie sfckness for every one dying
as q result Of battie-they died ike
Sheppard IS out OF every 100 were
inmates Of the military hospitals from
the same class Of diseases. With med
zeal officers having co-equal authority
and rank OF those of the line, except
in the presence of the enemy, japan,
which we had considered a semi-bar.
barous country, lest but one 0 her
soldiers from preyentable sickness for
every four dying from wounds, and
but Is Of every 100 Of them ever saw
the inside Of the hospital during the
much more severe and protracted
struggle in Manchuria. And the report
Of orr rgeon-general, recently pub
lished, shows that even in the time of
peace, with one exception, we have the
sickliest army in the world. We have
known for years that this danger hung
over our army in the event of a war,
and Instant, patriotic, unselfish eff
forts were made for its removal but,
even with the contrastive object-les-
soas Furnished by Cuba and Manchur-
la before the congress and the country
no legislation has been secured, and
should a foreign war occur under ex-
sting conditions our armies would
again face pest!lence, and the nation
possible danger and disgrace because
a large part of our defenders would be
in the hospital and cemeteries who
should be on the firing line. From the
same cause mainly we have been de-
layed month after mon in the dig
ging Of the Panama Canal. Lay men
were given sole cotrol over work
which at the outset was almost purely
sanitary, and, while most of them re
NAMED at a safe distance and drew
their large salaries Dr. Gargus,
great trained expert, was sent down
to do the real work but with his hands
as effectually tied as were those of
Surgeon-General Sternberg during the
war with Spain. His authority was
gradually extended, and Mr.. Roosevelt
cut all the red tape and put DR..
Gargus on the commission as soon as
he took in the situation for himself,
but the failure to appreciate the neces.
sity for this at the outset has caused
much of the delay, cost hundred of
lives and millions of dollars. Two
years ago last month I was in Cuba
with represent atives from most of the
other states because we feared that
yellow fever was about to break into
this country and we wanted TO make
a close study of the methods which
had proven so effectual there. We de
cd.f that New Orleans was the weak
point in our line of defenses and, as
result of our deliberations, DR.. Konke,
the great health officer of that city, re
turned home with crdinaces already
drawn and backed by the profession
of mis- city and state, went before his
council and begged for the authority
to drain the cutters, to screen the
cisterns, and to make II impossible
for the disease to gain loot hold
They laughed him out of the council
chamber and pestilence came four
months later these same people insist
ed upon disgacing this devoted man
and had the national government take
charge of an epidemic which would
never have occurred but for them.
Thus in all of the affairs of this great
nation. civil and military, about which
our profession alone has acknowledged
now and always, those who have our
special training have no authority, and
those who have the authority have no
training, and today except in the
emergency of an epidemic, the health
service of this country lis as idle as
a painted ship upon painted ocean"
NOW this is a bad record for us as
nation. but that for West Virginia is
even worse. One-third OF the people
sick in this state last year. and every
year, and one-third of those you took
10 your cemeteries, were sick and died
of diseases which your medical pro
fession could and would have prevent
ed If they could have had the intelli-
gent cooperation of your people. You
had in that year 1909 deaths from con.
sumption. which means that YOU have
about 5000 cases of this disease in
your state constantly The common
impression is that this is an inherited
malady. but this is an error. No mat
ter what your mother and father died
of you can no more have consumption
except by getting into your body the
germs from a previous case than you
can raise corn or wheat ON one of