El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-05-23

, this limits its use TO such columns as
1 are provided with transportation TO
carry 1t about The practical use Of
calcium chloride as disinfectlns
agency is extensively used in cities.
Its use in portable plants in suitable
form for armies has not been salts
I factorily worked out but promises a
I possible solution for this vexing ques-
I ton
Camp Wastes.
Only less important than a supply OF
potable water in camp is an efficient
method Of the disposal Of human
wastes EXcreta in camp become
most dangerous focus for the dissem-
inatiOn of such diseases as are spread
] through this means b. direct contain
! nation or pollution OF water and milk
and by flies In the last large camps
maintained by the army in Texas IN
Z 1871 and 1913 most efficient system
was used on still larger scale, but
I Tor a shorter time, the same system
! was used at the Gettysburg reunion In
Briefly, this consists for each com
/ pany organization Of a trench is to 20
feet long, to 10 feet wide. and six
feet deep over this is placed box
: cover. which forms a seat with tight
covers The whole box tits Lne
ground 50 closely and is so tightly
| made that flies are excluded Each
morning gallon Of oil and 10 POUNDS
Of straw are burned in this trench.
I This has the effect Of destroying the
fly larvae, incineratinE the surface OF
the contents OF the trench and its solid
walls and deodoriZ,nS- or year IN
the Texas camps this system has given
complete satisfaction.
The use Of the deep trenches in camp
, is somewhat limited By the character
of the ground. High ground water and
rocky OutcrOps forbid their use. We
can then use very satisfactory inciner-
ators IN semi permanent camps These
are more expensive. as fuel Is re-
qulred- When a large camp is In the
euvirOns Of city with a sewerage
system and is TO be occupied IOr
considerable time connection may be
made with the established city system
This was actually done during the past
few months at Texas City.
The system devised by the vaughn
Reed-Shakespe1re board. which inyes-
{ tiEated the typhoid epidemics in the
Z camps during the war with Spain, is
| known as the Reed trough system, and
] is merely q galvanized iron trough and
uriual that contains mixture Of lime
and water As the eNcremeut and
urine are deposited into this they are
not disturbed by flies. The contents
! Of the trough are removed at intervals
by an odorless eNcaVatOr and deposited
at a distance on fields as a fertilizer
/ 1t has been an axiom in past wars
that moving armies were healthy
/ This is merely an expression Of the
| fact that moving troops get away from
/ their own camp pollution
] Flies
Flies. the spreader OF typhoid, dys-
! EMERY and perhaps other diseases by
] mechanically carrying the organisms
/ on their feet. breed in the drOpplngs Of
] the horses and mules. and also in
/ kitchen wastes under ordinary cOndI-
tons It is necessary. then, 10 devise
I method OF gathering and destroying
/ both stable sweeping and kitchen
: wastes In camp the army has dis
I nj POI
! after they are gathered at a dump and
: by burning right at the kitchen door
/ the wastes theretrom- Moving troops
: In the field. as a rule, have no trouble
. with the disposal of these wastes. as
! they are so scattered that the amount
/ constitutes 10 menace
| In such an army rs might be moboi-
! lied FOR service abroad we would eN-
/ poet some 10000 regulars and twice
I as many volunteers OF the regulars
/ all but the recruits viii average one
/ TO three years experience that has
: taught them how 70 take care or them
! selves In the field and camp Among
! the volunteers some considerable eN-
/ perience exists as a result OF maneuver
I camps and the Spanish war-many vet
! Grams Of that war being in the militia
1 The proportion Of recruits viii. how
] ever, be 80 to Is percent Of the total
/ strength, as far as experience in the
} field is concerned There will be,
! therefore. a considerable proportion OF
I green men TO be taught sanitation, as
! well as military instruction Much OF
! this viii be given in concentration
] camps
There exists then. a yeast 10 leaven
Z the whole that was absent in 1895.
: Since that eventul year the officers of
I the medical department of the army
| have been studying and practising
I military hygiene and sanitation with
I brilliant results. as demonstrated in
] the two large camps In Texas. Here
] 10000 men lived for a year at a time
Q q efaE rat b. AT
! average cost Better yet the officers
! Of the line impressed with the value
I OF the lessons in camp sanitation, have
I been enthusiastic supporters Of these
! advances and are hardly second 10
/ medical officers in their knowledge
J and experience IN such r-atters- The
| army. then. is IN an entirely different
! position than at the outbreak OF the
Z phoid that then puzzled and distressed
! the people Of this country viii not re-
! appear as spectres in our camps as
/ sign OF sanitary incompetence.
Anticipated InocuIation.
| Au4i-typhold incubation. which has
/ been in vogue in the army since 1893,
ana which so efficiently protected it IN
| 1913 that there was but one case among
I the inoculated in the army OF 10000.
| Is 10 be trusted TO keep our camps free
| OF this disease so fatal 70 armies Of the
The dysenteries will be held in
/ allegiance by many Of the precautions
/ that prevent typhoid, particularly the
{ Safeguarding OF water and the early
I exclusion Of such cases from the camps.
Yellow fever Is robbed Of much OF
| its terror by the fact learned IN 1888
I by Reed and his devoted band, which
I taught us the means OF transmission
and consequently. the manner OF
avoiding it, The soldier carries IN the
field a mosquito bar Weighing -
| ounces that enables him TO sleep IN
! comfort and safety. The sentry on
l duty is provided with head net that
/ serves the same purpose These are
| the diseases that, II avoided, viii make
[ any campaign in the tropics unique IN
I history.
I One other disease there Is that may
I be a possible cause OF alarnl-thaJ IN
1 til recently might have been qlIIlcuIL
| TO prevent 1t is a disease that mas
| played a tremendous part IN all great
( European wars in the past and mas
/ even determined the fate Of campaigns
since the pelopennesian war-typhus
. fever Fortunately, and thanks 10 OF
I ficers Of the public health service rs
we'll as 20 q brilliant Frenchman. We
] have learned that IL is spread oy the
I bite OF a louise. and, in consequence
| We are enabled to limit its rayages-
I have not mentioned smallpox. as