The Washington herald., 1908-05-27
The Armv Sick List.

Maj L. L. Seaman. who has taken as
his speciality the work OF the medical de-
partments Of various armies, and who
made most thorough investigation Of
the hospital conditions Of the japanese
forces during the Russo-Japanese war,
has an article In the current North Ameri-
can Review on "a crisis In the history OF
the American army" which Is well worth
considering by tax-paying laymen. Maj.
Seaman thinks that the American people
will hardly agree TO the maintenance Of
a largo standing army and that there
fore 1t is OF the highest Importance that
such army as we do maintain should be
the best and NOSE efficient military sys-
TEN in existence.
We are very far from having that now,
but Baj. Seaman declares that the most
vulnerable point in our army is its medi-
cal department. The same thing. we
believe. may be said Of every exist
ing army and 1t has always been sc:
for, as Maj. Seaman says: 'Trhe rec
ords of wars for the last two centuries
show the mortality from disease TO be
FIVE times greater than from casualties
IN battle: and that disease has decided
the issue of more campaigns than have
bullets" Statistics show. indeed. that
Of every 100 men who die during a war,
twenty are the victims of the enemy
and eighty the victims Of disease. In
the South African war the British losses
by disease were ten times as great as
those due TO Boer bullets. In the Russo
Turkish war $1,000 men died from disease
and only 5000 from bullets. In the
Crimean war the allies lost 5000 men
by disease and only 1900 from bullets
Instances OF this sort might be multiplied
not forgetting the deaths from disease
during our own civil war, especially dur
ing the fateful period Of waiting for the
final battles in the Valley OF the ChiclSa-
hOminy.
Bills have been drafted and presented
providing for an increase In the medical
staff Of the army. but Mai. Seaman be-
lieves that there rs no project on foot
that viii inject life into the department
and force 1t to become up to date, ready
and willing to take advantage OF the
late discoveries in sanitary science. He
says very truly:
Tho fundamental basis Of any effective reform
must contain a provision oouceding to the medical
officer authority in his own department: authority
not 70 command troops. but 10 compel obedience TO
sanitary laws In barracks or camps, on the march
or biycuac, 50 that they shall be able TO respond
20 tho command of others Until this Is done tho
medical department will remain what it Is to-day
a lameptable and deplorsble failure. and an petty
measures passed By Congress 70 increase its Ell
cheney VIII avail nothing"
II proper sanitary regulations had been
enforced by the medical department Of
the army during the Spanish war. we
should not now be carrying on our pen
sion rolls 1900 pensioners. with some
1900 claims still pending Last year we
paid out for pensions Sl46,OOOOOo and
this year the appropriation for the same
purpose is Sl5O.OOOOOO
Even from the most selfish standpoint.
therefore, the statements Of Mai. Sea-
man are entitled TO full and careful con-
sideration. Prevention is better than
cure; and surely it Is only plain economy
in these days. when it is hard TO get men
to enlist, to take care Of the material
we have. and by the aid Of modern re-
search and science so to safeguard the
soldier that he shall be an effective
fighting man. as strongly armed against
disease as he is against foreign enemy.