The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-08-22

National Defense Problems
lV--Lessons of the War--Sanitation
BY Frederic j. Haskin.

ny 3A0ASA'
S9ssrsusueansssoe:ss1nea1a
Just now when the nation Us
turning its attention to the problem
OF increasing the size Of it's army
and navy are the lessons that have
been learned on European battle
fields in lighting disease-that en-
envy against which barbed wire en-
Judgements and aeroplane scouts
avail noJ-of particular Importance.
Determined not to overlook any
thing in the science of war making
which would strengthen the mill
tary arm of the United States in
time OF national conflict, Uncle Sam
gave particular instructions to the
military experts whom he sent to
take lessons In the school of the
great war, to pay special attention
to sanitation. For. it is realized.
the most formidable enemy faced by
the soldier may not be the man crea-
ture with whom he fights. nor his
guns that hurl death dozen miles.
but the deadly disease germs that
Turk bv the way.
II girnents Extern mated.
Even "A mouern times cases are
recorded where regiments have been
externlinated before they could reach
the seat of war. This is said to have
happened in the Crimean war. when
In one campaign OF six months. it
was estimated that. in loss of So
600 men. only 1000 died from
wounds. Even more shocking than
this record was that of the French
in the Madagascar campaign in 1894
where, out of $4,000 men in the
field, 1000 died of disease. while
only Twenty-Five were killed In
battle
During the first six weeks of the
Spanish-American war some 800
men were killed by the enemy, whlse
about 1000 died of disease pro-
portion of about fourteen to one.
With the exception OF the Franco
German war, where the Germans
lost two men by disease to every FIVE
war was the first conflict in modern
history where the average of those
who died from sickness was less than
those killed in actual fighting. Here
the Japanese achieved the remark
able record of having only one man
die from disease to every four killed
in battle, result attained by put
ting into practice the lessons of san
itation taught by the western wars.
The two great causes of sickness
in an army. aside from injuries re-
diet and infection by disease germs.
Inasmuch as it is known that the
man who is improperly nourished
will succumb to disease much soon
er than he who is strong and healthy
the first care of the modern army
surgeon is to see that the food sup
ply of the troops is sufficient in
quantity. clean and nutritious. Not
alone to the medical corps. there
fore, is credit due for the superb
condition of the majority OF the
troops battling in the theater OF the
present war. but also to the excel
lent work of the commfssary depart
NJ ent. which bears the burden OF
supplying the right kind of food to
the men who serve the guns.
Beri Berf Conquered.
The inf fence which the medical
corps may WELD upon the life of a
nation has. perhaps, never been bet
ter illustrated than when Japan in
war ships were useless because OF
the ravages of beri-ber. Doctor
Takakf. close student of beri-beri,
induced his government to allow him
to undertake the study of the dis
ease and it was discovered that it re-
suited from the absence of sub
stance now known as vitamine. which
Is found in the husk Of rice and
which is removed with the husk
when the rice is polished. The abo-
lition of the Use OF polished rice
of the disease and. in 1887. beri-I
beri had entirely disappeared from
the navy. despite the increase in the
of fighting men.
The Japanese army. however.
failed to profit by the lesson of the
navy and. during the Russo-Japan-I
csc war, polished rice was served tol
the mikado's soldiers. with the re-
suit that beri-beri was comnarative-
ly prevalent among the land forces.
while the navy was kept practically
immune from that disease.
Cholera, dysentery and typhoid are
to the western armies what beri-beri
is to the Orienta1s. The first Of these
has been practically eliminated
through the most scrupulous medical
care and, while one hears rumors
that cholera is gaining foothold in
the Austrian army, there is little
of this report. Modern
sanitation and up to date methods
of fighting disease have held cholera
in check, even If they have not en-
tirely banished it and military medi-I
cal experts have turned the major
portion of their attraction to typhoid,
the menace that hides in milk and
contaminated drinking water.
The greatest care is being exer-
cised abroad to see that each of the
millions of fighting men now in the
field is supplied with pure drinking
water. The Germans have radio
active process for purifying water
that has proved of immense value
in dealing with rivers and open
wells, particularly when these occur
near battle fields where the dead
have lain for weeks unburied.
Strict Inst1uctions.
All the nations engaged in the
war have issued the strictest instruc-