The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1914-05-18

Is believed that the army surgeon now
has a weapon against typhoid that VIII
make the next war unique IN TINS
regard. Every officer and man now
in the United States army and navy
is practically safe against this disease
and each recruit will be inoculated ~
the time he is sworn into the service
The next campaign in which the
United States army Will participate
will be. a practical test of typhoid
prophy1axis on a large scale. That It
will prove the value Of incubation and
will relieve warfare of one OF its most
horrible aCCOmpanimentS there Is little
doubt.
| The dysenteries can be divided into
those due to bacterial invasion and
| those caused by ptOmaines in foods.
| While the water and food Of the sol
diers will be moro carefully guarded
| than ever before, a certain amount Ct
! intestinal disorder Will he inevitable.
1t can safely be predicted, however.
| that the nation will be spared a rep
etition of the s'embalmed-beef" scan
| daIs of 1898. The work of the gem
| eraI staff of the army. the develop
ment OF departmental officers Of high
| efficiency and the enormous amount
| of publicity on pure food that has
| taken place in the last decade. ought
| to insure the American soldiers
| wholesome fOOd-surply. After the e&-
| perence and warning of the past. the
!
| accountability any one responsible for
| supplying the army with food mate
rails which are not in every way up
| to the standard.
| OF the diseases peculiar to tropical
| and semi civilized countries. yellow
fever, malaria, bubOnic plague, chol-
era and typhus must he considered.
| The brilliant work Of the last fifteen
years In demonstrating the transmits
sion Of malaria and yellow fever for
| the mosquito has put our army ana
navy surgeons and sanitarianS in pos
session Of all the knowledge needed
| to control these diseases. The con-
VinCing demonstration of the practical
| bility of their control given by Gen
| eral Gorgas in the canal zone has
proved that malaria and yellow fever
| can he controlled completely IN set
| tied Communities. Where men are
living in fixed habitatons, which can
! be screened and where all possible
| breeding places Of mosquitoes for a
necessary distance can be destroyed,
| the complete eradication of these TWO
! diseases is possible 1t remains to
/ be seen, however, what methods can
! be developed for preventing MOSQUITO
infection among soldiers in the field.
Mosquito nets can Of course, be car
red. and patients in the field and
hospitals can be protected as Wei as
troops in barracks or permanent quar-
ters But how about troops in the
/ field, scouting parties, ptCkets and out
r0stso T-ndoubtevlIv American in
renuitv win devise methods to meet
! The needs. ana the dangers Of these
Itwo diseases will be greatly dimin-
/ isbd although occasional cases may
/ he unavoidable. EptdemicS. however.
will he practically impossible.
| ChoIera. being borne through water,
milk a.es or human carriers. can he
/ nra,,snfed only rhroueh cleanliness and
! ~, n,airtairing- the nuritv of water
/ s,rrIias n - nor To53x = partic3I-
1a,JJt. d,,ear.,,,s noesiI,iIi1y as II can
l.'iS 9IaI;l,,> l,,7, ~, w. of The Sea