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

twice every day. and IL any Of the
patients run a temperature of 80. hve
or more, or has a hemorrhage he Is
sent to the infirmary, where the worst
class Of patients are teated. Here the
patient has to stay in bed almost con-
tinuously. and four or 1--WE times a day
he is given nourishment consisting OF
milk and egg drinks, cocoa or plain
milk. outside of his regular three meals.
Soldier patients who have largely re-
gained their health and who have not
for a long time had any temperature
are. at the end Of their fifth month OF
treatment sent up before a board Of
medical officers, who put in a recon-
mendation for return to duty, more
treatment or a disability discharge.
Those recommended for duty by the
commanding officer. on the recommen-
dalton of this board. are tried out In
the garden. which supplies the ssni-
tarium with the greater part OF the
vegetables used.
Soldiers are either returned to duty or
discharged for disa bility in from six to
eight months after their admission. Sol
diers thus discharged from the service
may at any time obtain admission to the
Soldiers Home. District of Columbia,
provided the disability is sin the line OF
the privileges of the hospital here, their
expenses being betrayed by the SOLDIERS
Home.
Patients belonging to the home draw
month on their disability, and while here
they are thus enabled to gave consider
able amounts out of their pensions. to DO
spent In taking yearly absence OF four
or five months while others stay away
from the home for two three or more
years at a time. A Soldiers Home man
is. while here. treated the same as the
soldier: they live together. with the ex-
ception of a few of the older ex-soldiers.
who are housed by themselves.
Treatment of Officers.
The writer has described the treatment
received by the enlisted men and ex-
soldiers. as this class patient is far in
the majority. The treatment given the
officers is practically the same. only that
they pay one dollar day for their mess.
The outdoor treatment is used in the Of
ficers' dormitory and infirmary, as else
where in the post.
For the nursing and attendance on the
patients the hospital has a force of nine
teen female trained nurses and one hum
bred members of the United States Med
ical Corps. Besides these, who. wait di-
rectiy upon the patient there are in the
post large number of laborers and me-
chanics employed by the quartermaster
and medical department
Worthy of especial mention is the
FORT Bayard dairy. which supplies the
post with almost all the milk used here.
This dairy Is as cleanly as any part OF
the post The concrete floors are cleaned
daily with antiseptic and water and
scrubbed out with a broom. There are
lao head of cattle owned by the United
states here. and they are gone over
periodically and tested for tuberculosis.
The temperature of the cow to be ex-
amined is taken for some time before
she is tested. If the temperature is
round normal she is then given an in
lection of tuberculine. and If there is a
rise of two degrees as the result. she IL
Immediately killed. If the rise of tenn
perature is somewhat lower than two
degrees, the cow is isolated and subse-
quently tested. The dairy is under the
charge of DIR. Leeper. who is also the
officer In charge Of the post garden.
Some of Those Cured.
AS an index to the ties that bind"
the soldiers to their homes all over the
United States is the large amount o.
mail daily distributed at the Fort Bayard
post Office. which is under the charge Of
Robert S. Fisher. a veteran of the Span
ish-American war. and the architect who
designed some of the best buildings in
Silver City. The business done last year
amounted to over $4,000. There were
1850 money orders issued and 1870
registered letters and parcels sent. Post
master Fisher, who came here in bad
shape. says that he thinks he would not
today be living were 1t not for the fact
that the United States has here. for the
benefit of those who have given much
of their lives to the service of their
country, great institution for the
treatment of tuberculosis. Another for
mer soldier, one of the many who in
their own persons refute the Anticipated
idea that tuberculosis is never durable.
is F. A McClerron. proprietor of the
Fort Bayard livery stable. for the rum
ming of which he has a permit from the
War Department These cases are two
of many who now show no indication
of tuberculosis.
Not all cases of the disease are cur
a BILE. nor the majority of the cases. Yet
could there be a. nobler aspiration. or a
more altrusic. than that of making the
disease that is destroying much OF
the gifted manhood and winsome wom-
anhood Of the nation Ito disappear from
the world" This. the greatest possi-
bility of modern medicine, is the goal
toward which the medical staff of Fort
Bayard in laboratory experiments as
pires. Optimistic for the future, ana
using the most modern methods known
to science the Government General Hos
pital carries on its work, and the results
are more than satisfactory.