The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1916-11-29
MEDICAL CARE
OF u. s. TROOPS
Most Complete Medical Organization
Has Been Developed on Mexican
Border.
(By Associated Press)


San Antonio, Tex, Nov. 29.-With-
in the last five months the most COM
plete medical organization known to
the United States army has been de.
veloped to care for the 100000 state
and regular troops stationed at bor-
der points and in Mexico. u
The system includes five base hos
pitfalls, located at strategic points in
the long stretch of border territory;
eight camp hospitals at other points
where troops are stationed, a canton
ment hospital at Columbus, N. M, to
serve the force on duty in Mexico, and
26 ambulance companies and Al field
hospitals distributed among troops in
the field.
The base and camp hospitals af-
ford accommodation for a total Of
1900 patients and have medical and
surgical facilities equal to the finest
hospitals. Not more than half the
beds have been occupied at any one
time since the nations militia strength
was called into the federal service
but tile room is available in case of
need.
Back of this array is the p~otentia'
organization. A hospital train of te'
Pullman cars, with a capacity Of 25f
patients, has been placed in use tc
transport patients from the camp to
the base hospitals and from base hos
pitfalls to general military hospitals
in various parts Of the country, should
a campaign in Mexico be undertaken.
These larger institutions are the Wal
ter Reed hospital at Washington, D..
c., the General Army and Navy hospi-
tai at Hot Springs, Ark, and the Let
timann hospital at San Francisco.
About 1900 beds are vacant in the
three hospitals at the present time.
In addition, a number of army
posts have been selected for trans
formation into general hospitals in
case ofemergency. This list includes
Fort Mcpherson, at Atlanta; Fort
Oglethorpe, also in Georgia; Fort Ben
jamen Harrison, indianapolis, and
other army stations where barracks
are available for hospital purposes.
The medical corps has complete
equipment in storage for twenty evac-
uation hospitals and two base hospi-
tails. An evacuation hospital takes
care of 300 patients and a base hos
p;tal accommodates 500, so the total
reserve equipment ready for use at
a moments notice is sufficient for
5000 men. Evacuation hospitals are
entirely under canvas and r intend
ed for use along an extended line
Of communication. =
The base hospitals now in service
are located at Fort Sam Houston,
Fort Bliss, Brownsville, Eagle Pass
and Nogales. Serving as feeders for
these institutions are the camp hos
pitfalls located at the following points:
Laredo, 120 beds; Del Rio, rs beds;
Maria, $50 beds; Deming, 1870 beds;
Douglas, 300 beds; Llano Grande, 200
beds; McAllen, $50 beds, and Fort
Clark, $50 beds.
Last July when state troops began
arriving at the border the only army
establishments for the care of sick
were the post hospitals at Fort Sam
Houston, and Fort Bliss and much
smaller places at Laredo and a few
other border points. Practically the
entire system Of base and camp hos
pitfalls has been built since the call on
the National Guard was made.
As a result of the scientific methods
adopted by the medical corps and the
steps taken to insure, absolute sani-
tation in border camps, the big COM
pany Of regulars and militia has set
a new health record. From May 1,
to October |, there were only rs
deaths from disease in the force Of
more than 100000 and Of this small
number only 81 death were due to
infectious maladies.
Typhoid fever was formerly the
worst scourge Of camp but it has no
place among the troops along the
Mexican border. From May ! to Octo.
Der 10 only q cases Of typhoid de-
veloped and no deaths resulted from
the disease. All Of these cases
were among tho National ouayd ".