The Lubbock avalanche. (Lubbock, Tex.) 1909-1922, 1914-05-14
MEXICAN INVASION AND DISEASE
Danger Of Heavy Loss In American
Army is Not Expected by Doctors
Who Have Studied Question

mas Deeh DeIOre our people Tor some
time; II a general war occurs Il viii.
mean the invasion or Mexican terri
tory.
The question naturally arises. What
are the disease dangers which viii
confront American soldiers in MeN
COZ II has long since passed into a
truism that In war. disease kills more
than bullets. WIN this prove true IN
a Mexican war? The increased knowl.
edge OF preventive medicine since
the Spani b war has encouraged the
belief that the mortality from dts
ease will be materially lessened To
what extent is this belief justified
and what are the diseases from
which our troops may suffer in
tropical country and from which they
should be- projected These questions
which probably have been in the
minds Of cur people during the last
few week. aye answered in a recent
issue of The Journal Of the Ameri
can Medical Association
Aside from the ordinary diseases
which might prevail among any b rdy
Of two or three hundred thousand
men. there are certain diseases 20
which soldiers IN camp and in the
acid are par Icumly expos d These
are especially smallpox. typhoid fe-
YER and dysen,rry smallpox may
he dir gardod as any trops sent into
Mexico wiz te immune from this dis
ease through vaccination Typhoid .
fever. In the past has been the ave
mi scourgs of military camps The
experience Of tho Spanish.
American war has rot been forGatte1
hy our peop'e. the record OF 20 001'
sases 81 yrhoid in the army in six
months produced an impression
which con never boz obiterated But
since then progress in preventive
medicine has made and vaccination
against typhoid is result Nntitv
,hold inocllation has been subject
% rigorous tests on n large scale In
he army during the past two wears
With the result thar IN 1918 out ~
0.ooo men a. home ard abroad there
vas only one single -ps, cf typhoid
ever among the inoculaied a rec
'rd that Will be- regarded as a tri-
imph Ter preventive medicine II is
'e'iaved that the army surgeon now
.as Teapon aealust typhoid that
gil make the next war unique In
his regard Every officer aud man
ow In tho United states army and
aty h pracr cally safe against this
i. &c. ard each recruit win he In
ur'afed af tho time hr is sworn .
lta tfe ser co Tho neyt camnalm
wheh the United sf1tes army wni
Anticipate wiz be- o practical trst ,
vuhoid pronhyla,s on aree
raie That b. vil prove he value
ncculauon ind wiiI relieve war
ira of us most horrible accompani
joints There s ifla doubt
Tle dssenteries can he divided
rio those due TO bacterial Invasion =
ld those caused by pfomalncs in
,ods while the water and food
the soldiers win be- more carefully I
iarded than ever before. certain
mount of Intestinal disorder viii Dc :,
eyltahie IL can be predicted. how
.cr. that the nation viii be spared !,
repetition OF the "embalmed beef"
audals Of lSaS. The work Of the :,
neral stan OF the army. the deyel-
iment OF departmental officers ~
gh efficiency and the enormous 4,
Mount OF publicity on pure food a,
at has taken place in the last De- =
de. ought to insure the American
ldiers of wholesome food supply -.
ter the experience and warning Of =,
q past the American people will =,
ID 10 strict accountability anyone
sponsible for supplying the army m
IN food materials which are not in -
cry way up to the standard.
Of the diseases peculiar TO tropical ~
d semicivilized countries, yellow n.
yer. malaria. bnbonic plague. chole- =.
and tyDhus must be considered. n,
Ie brilliant work OF the last 10 -
ars in demonstrating the transmits -.
m Of malaria and yellow fever by -,
, mosquito. has put our army and -,
Wy surgeons and saniiarians In pos -
'sion of an the knowledge needed
control these diseases. The con
icing demonstration OF the practi. 49,
Dlllty Of their control given by Gen.
rEas In the Panama Canal rome
\ proved that malaria and yellow
Icr can he controlled completely
settled communities. Where men
} living In hxed habiIations. which ~
, he scrrened aud where MI posni' wv