Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-11-12
DEATHS IN THE ARMY
American Rate Higher Than
for Any Other Country.
GEN. O'REILLY REPORTS
Alaska the Healthiest Place for the
Troops.
MOST ILLNESS IN PHILIPPINES
Improvement in Medical Equipment
Since the Spanish War and Amel-
ioration of Conditions.
MOST ILLNESS IN PHILIPPINE

| The death and non-effective rates ar
| higher in the United States Army than ii
any other, according to the surgeon gen
eral of the army, Gen. r. NJ. O'Reilly, IL
his annual report, and the hospital admis
sion rate is higher than in any other ex
| cept the Dutch army, while the discharg'
| for disability and total loss rates arr
| much lower than for any other army eN
! cept the British and Belgian.
The rate for malaria is higher than TO
any other army except the British ant
Spanish; the rate for tuberculosis is lowe
| than that of number of armies, bu
more than twice as great as the rates o
Great Britain and Prussia. Typhoid
| fever gives a lower admission rate thar
| in the British and French armies, but {
considerably higher rate than that OF
Prussia.
Alaska Healthiest for Troops.
Disease only being considered. Alaska
had, as usual, the lowest admission and
constantly non-effective rates. Hawai-
had no deaths. and admission and con-
stantly non-effective rates second only 10
those of Alaska. Cuba was third, with
admission, death and non-effective rates
all better than those of the United States,
The Philippine Islands had, as usual.
higher rates than any other country
where United States troops are serving.
Improvement in Philippines.
All the rates for American troops in the
Philippines for 1907 are much better than
for 19O6-indeed, better than for any
year since the occupation of these islands.
The principal factor in the improved rates
of sickness and mortality was the marked
fail in the rates for malaria, dengue, the
eruptive fevers, diarrheal diseases and
diseases of the skin. The principal causes
of death in the order of relative i'm
portance were tuberculosis. which alone
caused 20 per cent of all deaths from
disease; organic heart disease, typhoid
fever, dysentery, pneumonia, Venereal dis
ease and liver assesses, these seven
diseases having caused nearly three-hfths
Of all deaths.
tuberculosis was the cause of one-third
of all the discharges for disease. and in
sanity accounts for another one-eighth.
Amelioration in Conditions.
Gen. OReilly reviews in his report the
inadequate equipment of the medical de-
partment of the army during the Spanish
American war and shows that many i'm
provements have been made to bring it
UP to the highest possible efficiency. A
great improvement in the sickness and
mortality rates has been made since
1S9SS9. principally in the group of
preventable diseases. The admission
rate for typhoid fever in 1907 was the
lowest of which there is any record in
this office. The admission rate for ma
laria also was the lowest of which there
Is record.
Gen. O'Reilly says that the marked fall
in the admission rate for typhoid is par
ticularly gratifying, as this is the disease
which in time of war most seriously
threatens the efficiency of the army. The
great improvement in the rates for ma
laria is also very satisfactory and, he
says, fully justifies the expense which
has been incurred in screening and anti
mosquito methods; the reduction in the
sickness from malaria in the last year
alone amounted to $3.50 admissions.
On the other hand. the conditions in
regard to tuberculosis are unsatisfactory.
Although there has been a slight reduc-
ton in the rates since 1905, yet this
disease in 1907 caused Is per cent of all
discharges for disability, 10 per cent of all
deaths. and IL per cent of the total
non-effective rate for disease.
The rates for tuberculosis are consid-
erably higher for colored than for white
troops, and for troops serving in the
Philippines than for those serving in the
United States.
War on the Insects.
Protection of the command against in
sect-borne diseases has been carefully
sought for a number of years past. The
rected chiefly against mosquitoes and
flies, particularly the former.
The total number of admissions to sick
report was 65.546. equal to an admission
rate of 1.21S.26. compared with 1.276sS
for the previous year and 1.773S6 for the
period from 1893 to 1905. There were 319
deaths from all causes. equivalent to a
rate of ISL per 1000 of strength, COM
pared with Gil and 1891 per 1000, the
corresponding rates for the previous year
and the period from 1898 to 1905, re-
spectively. The death rate for disease,
3.44, is slightly higher than for 1905, 3.28,
but is lower than for any other year
since 1897. The constantly non-effective
rate, 46.17, was considerably better than
The most important causes of deaths
from disease were tuberculosis, pneu-
monia, cerebro-spinal fever, typhoid fever
and heart disease
tuberculosis led as a cause of discharge
for disability; venereal disease was sec
ond and insanity third. There were 154
admissions for gunshot wounds, with "a
deaths, and 1882 admissions for wounds
other than gunShot, with d deaths. No
enlisted men were killed in action during
the year; one was wounded, but recovered.
Thirty-nine men were drowned. II per
cent of the deaths from all causes. There
were 26 suicides, as compared with 80 in
1906 but the number of homicides In the
same period increased from 8 to II.
The New Army Hospital.
Regarding the United States general
hospital at Washington barracks Gen.
O'Reily says that the buildings now oc-
cupied are badly situated and are In need
of extensive repairs but as they are to
be abandoned at an early date no ex-
penditures have been recommended. He
says that the work on the new hospital
beyond Brightwood is progressing salts
factorily. The main building is practical
ly completed, but certain accessory build
ings will have to be put I'D before the