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

there should be a call for volun-
,.ars To serve in Mexico, a general
L ,,,5arsranding of the fundamentals
,f ,.7,n sanitation and military n.y.
e-iene would be OF lncatc ~ H. ~ a7,i.
in preventing a repelii1l -e,-i-,' az, ANAL
-5s-115,s which collected Such al. app
H. roI in human lives GURUS. ny
var with Spain IL was Win 49, %
mind that the Engineering LseCC S ~
Ouested from Col W imam - s-S7+--s
sr-~r-eon General of the United $500 -.
80 s-4-emeut outlining the ploil7
which have been formulated 70 - ~
-,1@~i me health of our sollleIS ia
+ro-ical camps. His timely article 4Oi-
lows NJ the event Of an invasion Of sub
+roDfral country by our army lAe So
itsrv precautions TO be ooseIEeu 49,! 1s -
troops would be Of supreme ~ h.,
raT-ce The neglect of them might ~
deed he fatal to the success OF 10
,.1,S1sfp-n inst as the British IN 80
we're r.uDelled by disease 10 W lt--'-5 g "
from Cuba after they had taken -
--aDa Our precautions must, now -
begin at home IN our s-sS-D no
concentration camps tA-- -
question but that this VIII o@ uoile-
IN the war with Spain IN 1913 VIC
we're Handicapped by lack u '.-'...--.'
9-.d experience in camp se.-..,,.'- ~
We had practically no experience IN
+be fropics. While we had gone 70
Mexico in 1916 there was niue OF lhe
knowledge then existing o. ttOlI-'I
diseases that has been since atcuIllu
lated in India, Africa, eastern ASA ana
r-CDi~aI America Nor did the memory
Of what we may have learned IN Mex
leo come down to US 81 years later.
The great development OF pc eIl-lH
medicine was not then in stage con
venient for practical appHCatloH, lt=
ueoDIe were not educated up 10 us
ideas This is now all cl1ll5eu
Avoiding Camp DIseases.
The first sanitary precautiOn Is to
secure healthy soldiers-phSSlct ny
sound men. Then II is necessary 10
safeguard their health Whlle IN ualh-
ing by giving them pure 1000, water
and healthy camp surroundings ana by
preventing the entrance 10 such camps
Of infectious diseases. our camps IN
this country would naturally be Sc
Iected with a view TO SalubrlIE-
The supply Of water must be given
the same care and safeguarding that
the supply Of one OF our clCieS re
ceives The selection OF site for lal &c
camps Of concentration is influenced
70 greater extent by this one matter
than bv any other consideration but
military necessity In successfully
taking all precautions relating 70
water We assist in avoiding ryRhOld
fever and the dysenteries-rhe camp
diseases OF all former wars These
diseases are also communicated oy
foods Of some kinds. particularly the
uucOOked ones, and milk. Consequent
~ the sanitary officers must inspect
and examine the water and FOOD IN
GLIDING milk. with the special purpose
OF keeping out the diseases thus trans
mitted.
OF course. as these diseases are
spread by contact as well as mechan-
ically by flies and possibly other in
sects. such methods Of transmission
must be watched for and prevented.
principally by the early exclusion OF
all cases Of these diseases The means
available TO protect the camp water
supply in semi permanent camps in the
home country are those employed by
intelligent civil communities
In large. semi permanent camps,
when troops are assembled for the
purpose Of instruction and equipment
awaiting transportation 20 the scene
Of campaign. il IS usual TO bring the
water into camp and distribute il to
the kitchens and shower baths by a
fairly elaborate system Of pipes IF the
source Of supply IS good we have no
more danger under the circumstances
than we have in a small city.
Potable Water in Enemy's Country.
When we have 10 deal with the
question Of potable water in the
enemy's country. and especially in the
field, We deal with a more difficult
problem. but by no means a hopeless
one. Efforts are made to ascertain
tions and by its reputation when that
is practicable. When deemed neces-
sary-aud this IS the case with all
surface waters in the tropics unless
we except some mountain streamE-We
try TO render the water safe for drink
ing purposes by such measures as may
be possible in the field. However. It
will often occur that under military
stress, lack Of time and transportation
troops for short periods must use the
water that the natives depend upon
Under these circumstances we may
look for the appearance OF such dis
eases as are water borne and are pre-
valent in the communities using the
water.
The methods 10 render the water
potable are naturally those used in
temporary emergencies as a rule
boiling. filtering and the use OF chem
icals. Potable appliances are used in
the army to render the water safe
When this is not practicable We NAV
always fall back upon boiling. for
this may be actually done by the in
dividual soldier with his metal cup as
the receptacle 1t has been found
however, that this is an impracticable
and almost impossible procedure.
The field filter weighs so lbs and