The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1911-05-05
President Guest of Honor at a
Reception in City of
BrOtherly Love.
PRAISES THE DOCTORS
OF UNITED STATES ARMY
Lesson Learned From MObillza-
ton of the Troops Along the
Texas Border.

PHILADELPHIA. May h-Presldent
Taft was the guest NJ honor al a recep-
ton given here tonight by the Med
cal Club of Philadelphia. The president
was hailed as the one executive VINO
had done most Of the advancement OF
medical science and his two recommehda-
tons that national department Of heaith
hc created was dwelt upon approvinsly by
DR., w. l.. Rodman. who presided
President Taft referred in his address
To the efficiency OF the medical corps oi
the army and pointed out that In the
camp at San Antonio, where $4,000 troops
are quartereG only one case of typhoid
fever had appeared.
The president said much money had
been expended and many lives sacrificed
In the Spanish American war. but mat
they are as nothing compared name w,,n an sne
Crued from the discoveries made during
that period.
Surgeon General George o. Torney OF
the army spoke on Sanitary Progress IN
the Fort and Field" and Surgeon Cen
eral Charles F.. Stokes OF tho navy told
of THE Hospital Ship and It's Mission Of
Mercy"
Presidents Address,
The president praised the doctors of
the United States army and doctors in
general for the efficiency they have dis
played in conquerng disease In cuba IN
| the Philippines and in the Panama canal
zone. He found justification for the war
with Spain In the stamping out OF yellow
fever in Cuba that threatened death to
our southern cities
! He reviewed the work OF the army
| surgeons in combating yellow Jack In
Cuba and Panama and in lowering the
death rate from cholera. bubonic plague
| berl-beri and other scourges in the Phil
ipplnes.
In concluding the president spoke Of
the lesson to be learned from the mob
| iizaton Of troops In Texas and OF the
| fact that in the camp of $4,000 men In
San Antonio only one case OF typhoid
fever has appeared in two months.
And now" the president said. we
! have a division Of $4,000 men In Texas.
They have been there for two months.
| living under canvas and In country
soaked with rain and deep with profan-
| ity-pr9vokins mud, But so effective have
DDS adapted to reduce sickness that the
percentage OF sick men is less than II was
in the posts from which these men were
mobIliZed.
Sickness at Chickamauga.
~ need not recall the dreadful record
| OF sickness from typhoid fever In the
camps in ChickamauSa and other camps
established during the Spanish American
war: The percentage of typhoid cases was
so high that It is hard 70 believe. or
100 900 men there were 10000 cases. with
q mortality OF Z per cent OF the vol
unteer regiments mobiized during the
Spanish American war 80 per cent be
came infected with typhoid fever within
eight weeks from the date OF mobiliZa
ton.
To-day. two months after mobilization.
with modern health regulations and by
the use of vaccination against typhoid. no
cases OF typhoid fever have appeared In
the entire force. except that OF one team
ster who was not vaccinated.
| 1T Is hard TO credit the accuracy in
such record. But as / have II directly
from the war office. can assert it. and
give It as one more instance OF the
marvellous efficiency of recent medical
discoveries and practice.
Importance of Medical Corps
when we consider how in times past
! the efficiency OF an army has been re-
duced by large percentages through dis
ease, we can realize what an important
become. But without reference to war.
when we consider the enormous advances
made In the discovery OF the present
methods Of preventing disease in the
troDics, by members of the medical corps
under government auspices. and all with :
In the last thirteen years, think we may
take pardonable pride in the record
/ I'VE expended many lives and much
money in the Spanish war. and in the dis
charge of the responsibilities that have
followed that war But they are as moth
ing compared with the benefits TO the
human race that have already accrued
and Will continue 10 accrue from the dis
coveries made under the conditions and
necessities which the exigencies of that
war and the governmental burdens follow
ing It presented"
On his way from Washington the pres
ident talked reciprocity with Chairman
Penrose of the senate finance committee
Senator Penrose told the president that
hearings will be held by his committee
until May IL. In order that the constitu-
cnts of western senators might be heard.
The bill the senator thought. would pass
the senate without amendment.