The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-08-13
DISEASE AS WAR PERIL
No Longer the Chief Cause of Nor
tally, Says Capt. Duncan


| United States for 1914. The author
of the article is Capt. Louis c. Dun
can, Medical Corps, U. S. Army.
THE relation of the number OF
deaths caused by the enemy in war
to the number caused by disease,
says Capt Duncan, SIS so striking as
to have claimed attention since sta
tistics came into use"
In his article Capt. Duncan shows
how death by disease during wars
has decreased with the introduction
of modern sanitary methods and
greater medical knowledge on the
part OF minIary surgeons, showing by
comparative tables how a century ago
disease was the greatest curse OF ar
mics, the number of deaths from that
cause far outnumbering those due to
battle casualties, whereas in the wars
of modern times the deaths due TO
bullets far outnumber those caused
by disease
Capt. Duncan takes up the wars OF
modern times one by one and shows
by comparisons the deaths per thouS
and of troops due to disease on the
one hand and battle casualties on the
other. He refers to the Russo-T urk-
ish war of 1S2S-S9 as one OF the strik
ing examples OF the horrors of war
in the early part of the last century,
when out of $4,000 Russians who
crossed the Pruth not more than To-
900 ever returned to Russia. In one
year the Russians lost more than COL
900 men by disease alone.
During the Mexican war 100,454
men were sent to Mexico, serving on
an average thirteen months. The to-
tai losses we're: 1919 killed or died
of wounds; 1896 died of disease; to-
tai, 1885. In addition, 1882 were
discharged for disability. The sick
averaged from II to q per cent. oil
the army. In December, 1S47, Gen.
Scott wrote: The force at Chapulte-
pee fit for duty is only 5000 rank and
file: the number OF sick, exclusive oil
others, being 2,04l.' The waste OF
life in this war was about as great as
during the Napoleonic campaigns.
The mortality from disease was llO
per 1000 per annum; the battle loss
es, Is. Seven times as many died OF
disease as at tho hands Of the en-
envy"
OF the American civil war he says:
During this war, lasting from
April Is. 1861, to June 80. 1865, the
average strength OF the Union armies
was S06,755 officers and men. The
total number OF deaths was 359.52S:
1858 were killed in battle and 43,0l2
died OF wounds. giving a total of ITO,
O70 deaths from battle casualties,
equivalent TO q rate of 80 per 1000
per annum. The number dying of dis
case is estimated at 224 $50, or 90 per
1000 per annum. The death rate
from sickness, while it appears high,
was actually very creditable as com
pared with the rates of previous wars
usually waged by regular troops.
in addition to the deaths namedI
there were 24,S77 from accidents, in.
juries, and unknown causes. More
than 25O,000 were discharged for dis
ability, and 200, 900 deserted.
in the navy, out Of an average
strength OF about 10000. 1904 were
killed or died of wounds, and 1921
died OF disease. The rates are rs
and IL, as compared with 30 and 60
in tho army. The death rate from
disease was no greater than in time
OF peace
AS to losses in the Confederate
service. nothing but estimates can be
given. Complete records never exist
ed, and many of those made were de-
stroyed near the end of the war. DR..
Joseph Jones OF that army estimated
some 100000 deaths, of which he be-
lieved one-fourth were caused by
wounds and three-fourths by disease.
Ii is probable that one.third and two
thirds would be more nearly correct.
The Provost Marshall in 1866 estinat
ed the battle losses at 1850. Since
then Fox has made very careful
compilation of all reported losses and
has fixed the battle loss at $4,000, a
number that may be accepted.
"In the Franco Prussian war. last
ing from Aug. /, 1870. until March /
1871. the average strength of the Ger
man Army was 723.556 men; 1852
were killed and l1,O2S died of wounds
total 2S,595. equivalent to a rate Of 55
per 1000 year. But 12,174 died OF
disease, or 24.61 out of each 1000. !
One hundred years earlier as many
died of disease in garrison.
Estimating the average strength
OF the French Army at 100000 men
the deaths from battle casualties
amount to about 675 per 1000 per an
mum; from disease. TO l40.S. The lat.
tie. rate may be compared with the
rate Of 24.5 in the German Army. or
with the rate of 65 in the American
Army during the civil war The to-
tai number Of deaths in the French
armies was 13S.S71. but all French
writer's studiously avoid statistical de
tails. The present writer estimates
that $4,000 died in battle. $1,000 OF
wounds. and q3.S7I ~ disease and 9th
or causes Of the wounded about IL