Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-05

n the great fight against the white
plague-one of the most interesting
in tie annals of medicine-the War
~ Department of the United States is
in the vanguard, with the largest
hospital in the world devoted entirely to
the treatment of tuberculosis. The Govern
ment General Hospital at Fort Bayard.
New Mexico, a humanitarian project for
the benefit of the officers and men
Of the United States Army who con-
tract tuberculosis, is a departure such
no other nation in the history
OF the world has ever undertaken.
1t has cost immense amounts. but in
justification of the outlay are the large
number of soldiers returned to duty, and
the prclonging of the lives of hundreds
owing to the treatment received there. A
case in point is that of Gen. Clarence Ed
wards. who owes his cure from consump-
ton to the treatment received at Fort
Bayard.
Situation of Hospital.
Situated in an ideal climate. where 1t is
dry three hundred and sixty days in the
year. with its nineteen square miles of
territory. shady paths. empowered ave-
nues and flower gardens, Fort Bayard.
often called the garden spot of New
Mexico is at the first view more like
a town than like what the public gener-
ally associates, with the idea OF d hospital
The hospital has it's library of twenty-five
hundred volumes, reading rooms, pool and
Billiard halls, a large electric light and
power plant. Ice plant, dairy, livery sta
bles telegraph Office and telephone eX-
change. jewelry shop, barber shops. stu
do, tailor shop and many other features
not connected with the majority Of hospi-
tails.
The growth of the institution and its
work has evidently only begun: a large
Number OF improvements are now either
assured in prospect. One of these Will
be a new administration building, one or
the finest owned by the department n the
west. This building. which will be ready
for occupancy by the end of the year.
will have a frontage of one hundred and
sixty-eiSht feet; on the lower moor VIII
be the offices of the medical and quarter
master department, the court rooms and
the post Office The second floor will be
occu, pied by the telegraph office, the teie-
phone exchange. and the ,omces OF the
posts large staff of doctors. VINO nave
through years of treating tuberculosis
affection become specialists on that dls,
ease On this floor will also be statloneo
the hospitals clerical STAFF. There IS also
to be erected here shortly. at an expense
of S21i.OU0, a commanding ofncers quar-
ters six sets of additional commissioned
officers quarters and set OF nurses
quarters.
A reservoir 116 feet in height. which
will hold 10000 gallons, is now IN course
or erection and will be used to supplement
the present water system IheSe recent
appropriations and the purchase OF So9'-
600 worth of land-the deal for Whlch was
recently closed-show that the government
Of the United States appreciates the Dene-
fit TO the thousands of patients Ihat nave
been treated at the big sanltarlum Ill the
over ten years of it's eX Stence.
Making Medical Observations.
As soon as any Of Uncle Sans soldiers
wherever stationed-show indications OF
tuberculosis they are Immediately placed
under observation. They are given rig q
physical examination. and the pathologist
puts their sputum through d careful ex-
animation under the microscope. If they
are tien found 10 have the disease they
are at once sent TO Fort Bayard- the gov
eminent paying all transportation and
subsistence expenses. This transportation
in cases from the Philippines or Central
Alaska amounts TO vast sums yearly. as
the sick are paid their salaries as II on
duty. both going to and returning from
Fort Baya-d. The transportation the
United States gives her sick soldier IS the
very best Il travelling by rail he is
given a first-class Pullman ticket.
AT Bayard station the patient-more
often 4 is patientS-iS met by the ambu-
lance and driven to the annex. which is
the receiving ward for the enlisted pa
tients and the beneticiaries of Soldiers