The Washington times., 1911-03-10
HEAL TIL OF ARMY
WILL BE GUARDED
Troops to Be Vaccinated Against Typhoid and Every
Regiment Is Equipped With Field ..
Hospitals. ~.
BY JOHN SNURE.


| By no means the least important fact
in connection with the mobilization of
10000 troops along the Mexican border
is that this force will concentrate with
excellent medical and hospital equip
ment.
While it would not do to describe the
medical corps arrangements In connec-
ton with this movement as perfect,
| they are wonderfully improved over the
arrangements under which troops were
mobilized for the Spanish war.
1t is safe to say there will be no dis
graceful breaking down of the Medi-
cal Corps arrangements In this instance
as there was in 1898, when men died
by the hundred in the fever-strickent
camps of Chickamauga, Tampa and
| elsewhere.
The troops that will concentrate at
San Antonio, Galveston, and other
points accessible to the border, for one
| thing, will all be inoculated against
, typhoid fever, that curse of the army
camp. For some time, the medical de-
partment of the army has been edvis-
ing vaccination against typhoid. And
! many of the men who are now moving
10 the southwest have been so vacci-
mated.
Vaccination Orders Issued.
Orders have gone out now that every
man taking part in the movement shall
be vaccinated. This is the first time
any such order has been issued on a
great scale in the American army. The
| troops are going into active service,
| and their stay in the Southwest, 1t is
recognized, will be indefinite. Every pre-
caution will be taken to protect them
against typhoid.
II typhoid could be kept out of the
army 1t would mean much for reduc-
tion of the death rate and increase io
efficiency. The vaccine used is pre-
pared at the army medical school from
organisms of typhoid, killed by the
heat. 1t is injected beneath the skin
three times, at intervals Of ten days.
This results in practical immunity
against typhoid, although 1t is by no
means absolute protection against it.
In respect to sanitation of camps, ed
uca ton of the officers and men against
preventible diseases. and facilities for
taking care of the sick. there is no COM
parison between now and 1895
Attention to Sanitation.
Especial attention has been given by
ton of camps The line officers have
been carefully educated in this matter
and have come to see the Importance
cooperating with the medical officers.
A great deal, of the success of the ef-
forts OF the medical officers Of the army
to preserve It's health depends on the
education of the line officers and their
Willingness to further the endeavors
of the medical corps.
The medical officers cannot be given
absolute authority to enforce their COM
mands to make the men take proper
care Of themselves to prevent drinking
Of bad water, and the like. But they
have found a great deal can be accom-
plished II line officers and men are edu-
Gated to the importance of carrying out
the medical corps wishes.
The division of troops at san ANTONIO
and each separate brigade VIII be 1ullE
equipped in every respect as to meolcal
and hospital arrangements. When the
regiments set out for the spanish "df.
there was one officer and three men OF
the medical corps to each regiment.
Now, there are four officers ana twenty
four men to each regiment
Field Hospitals.
In addition to this; the facilities for
taking care Of the sick are wonder
fully improved. Every regiment Is
equipped with regimental field hospital
with twelve beds. Every three regi-
ments have one field hospital Of 1os beds.
Every division will have, two evacuation
hospitals of S24>beds each.
These hospitals are now IN READINESS
and are on the way to the southwest.
The Medical Department had the equip
ment accumulated and stored here In
Washington, at Jefferson Barracks ana
San Francisco. No time has oeen losI
In hurrying It forward
such nerfection of medical arrange
ments as this suggests the notion, OF
course, that the troops are not spelns
sent to Texas on any mere war game;
No more perfect arrangements would
be made If II were known that war
would be declared against foreign
power tomorrow.
One Of the important practices which
the medical corps will lay stress on
in the present mobilization will be the
immediate segregation of men who are
sick. With adequate hospital facilities
and with enough medical officers and
skilled men in the medical corps of
each organization, 1t will be possible
to do this. If a man in a company
Is aiiing. II will be the policy at once
to have him examined, and II It ap-
pears there is any question as to wheth-
er he has a malady that may be con-.
taeious or Infectious, he will be care
fully segregated for the protectlon OF
the rest of the command.
Segregation Important.
This practice of segregation, though it
has been given almost no attention In
the American army heretofore, is looked
on1by medical officers as of the utmost
Importance. otherwise, men having a
contaT Tious disease may associate with
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