Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-26
DEATHS IN THE ARMY
tuberculosis Leading Cause,
Typhoid Next.
RATE LOWEST YET REACHED
Increase in Alcoholism Ascribed to
Abolition of Canteen.
VIEW OF THE SURGEON GENERAL
Colored Troops Seem to Stand Service
in the Tropics Better Than
the White.
RATE LOWEST YET REACHED
JEW OF THE SURGEON GENERAL

| Interesting information regarding the
health of the army last year is contained
in the annual report Of Surgeon General
| O'Reilly.
| The total number of admissions to sick
report was 72,071, equal to an admission
rate of 1,276ss, compared with 1,2959 81 for
| the previous year and 1 ,S33. IL for the sep
| tennial period 1898 to 1904.
There were 1853 deaths from all causes
equivalent to a rate of GIL per 1000 Of
| strength, compared with 62S and 14.62 per
| LOCO. the corresponding rates for the pre-
| vious year and the period from 1898 to
! 1904. respectively The death rate for dis
| ease. 32S, is the lowest attained since the
| occupation of tropical countries. and COM
| pares favorably with the rates prior to 1898.
| For disability there were 1,523 men dis
| charged. equal to a rate of % per 1000 of
strength, compared with % per 1000 for
| the preceding year and 22S1 for the sep
| tepnial period 1895 to 1904
| The constantly non-effectve rate of 40 70
| fol- the year was a slight increase COM
pared with 1883. the non-effective rate for
| the preceding year.
| tuberculosis Chief Fatal Disease.
| AS a cause of death tuberculosis again
led. with rate of OFT per 1000, compared
| with 0.6S the corresponding rate for 1905.
| q. a,
with death rate Of O.24, showed decided
| Improvement. The mortality rate for
diarrheal diseases was not quite half as
| great as for 1905
There were 229 admissions for gunshot
| wounds, with IS deaths, and 1858 admls-
| sionS for wounds other than gunshot, with
! u deaths. Twenty-one enlisted men were
| killed in action and IS wounded. of whom
| died as result of their wounds, and COM
| mitted suicide. OF the killed Ii were by
| gunshot and by bolo. There were 80 deaths
from drowning, 1915 per cent of the total
| deaths from all causes, a slight increase
| compared with the proportion Of last year.
| Thirty-nine suicides and homicdes were
| recorded during the year, compared with 81
| and 20, respectively. the corresponding fig
ures for 1905. There were ) admissions for
! snake bite in the year 1906, with fatal
| result.
| Alaska as usual had the lowest admission
! and constantly non effective rates, and, next
| to Cuba, the lowest discharge and total
/ loss rates.
| The discharge. death. total loss. and. next
| to Alaska. the constant non-effective rates,
| We're lower in Cuba than any other country
| where American troops were serving.
The United States proper had the highest
! discharge rate, but, next to Cuba, the ow-
est death rate and the lowest death rate
for disease which has been heretofore re-
| corded.
| The Philippine Islands had usual the
| highest admission, death and constantly
| non-effective rates. and all the rates were
| little higher than for 1905.
| The rates for Hawai- were not as good
as for last year.
The admission rate was highest. in the
| field artillery and lowest in the hospital
corps, while the death rate was highest in
| the infantry and lowest In the engineers.
Effect of Abolition of Canteen.
The high admission rate of 1922 per 1000
| men recorded in 1905 for alcoholism was
| increased to 1921 in 1906. Gen. OReilly
| says that his office concurs in the opinion
| expressed by most medical officers of the
| army that the abolition of the sale of beer
| IN post exchanges has had much to do with
| the increase of disreputable diseases and al
| coholsm in the army by driving the soldiers
| to disreputable resorts outside of the post
| and beyond the control Of the post author-
! ties.
| AS usual, all rates for colored troops, ex-
| cept the death rate, were considerably lower
| than those for white soldiers. All the rates
| for colored troops, except the non-effective
| figure, were much lower than those for the
| previous year.
| and constant non effective rates were better
! for colored than for white soldiers but the
| death rate of the former class was nearly
| two and half times as great as for the
| latter The death rate among the cOored
| troops was greater than among the white in
| nearly all classes Of disease. especially SO
| in the diseases Of the respiratory, digestive
| and circulatory systems. The rate for tu-
| berculosis was more than four times as
| great, and for pneumonia more than ten
| fold. 1t is noticeable that while there were
| twenty-five deaths from drowning among
| the white troop there was none among the
| colored.
| Service in the Tropics.
The rates for white troops serving in the
| Philippine Islands exceeded those for COL
| ored troops under similar conditions in all
cases except in the point of admission to
| sick report. Figures seem to sustain the
| view that colored troops are more resistant
| than white soldiers to the Injurious eff
| fects of tropical service.
| Comparison With Other Armies.
Tables are given to show the compare
tive health of United States and foreign
armies, from which 1t appears that the
| highest admission rate. 1921, was attained
in the Dutch army; the next highest in the
American army, 1.179.a3, and the lowest,
| 34S In the Russian army
The highest death rate SCI. was recorded
in the British army. the American army
having the next highest rate, 528, and
| the Prussian army the lowest, 1885,
| The figures for total loss the combined
| rates for deaths and discharges, form one
| Of the best bases for comparison; accord
ing to this standard American troops rank
| fourth, after those Of Belgium, Russia and
| Great Britain, but far ahead Of all others.