Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-12-06
A HEALTHY REGIMENT.

The First Illinois cavalry returned
recently from Brownsville, TEX, where
it mad been encamped since early in
July. Including the time spent in camp
~ springfield before going to Browns
Nllle the men We're under military con
lfol Tor almost five months. The sick
ness and death rates among the men
We're much lower than those rates
among male civilians of the same age.
we are interested in knowing how they
did it.
They had no SMALLPOX. This was be-
cause every man y 5 successfully vac
clhated against smallpox. The exposure
due to contact With MeNicanS, among
whom smallpox is always rife. did not
cause and member of this regiment to
become infected.
There was no typhoid fever. The men
We're all Naccinated against typhoid.
There Was a very low ickness rate
from diarrheal diseases. One reason
Tor this was the general cleanliness
Note The following taken from Il letter
from Their major surgeon:
We left a clean camp for our sue
cessors. All tent floors had been
on two successive days. Kitch-
ems We're scrubbed. cleaned. and swept.
Latrines lprivies), which have always
been the cleancst place in camp. were
ave an extra burning out and a dou-
BILE ~Scrubbing. Every piece of paper.
'VNN' 'NitAt aii tiiS DIV
from incinerators and stoves were
nauled to the city dump or destroyed
by burning. Picket lines were given a
last burning out and then swept clean.
THE sanitary detail oiled ponds and
pools until two hours before our depar-
ture and we LETT a barrel of crude oil
for the next fellow to begin with. In
spite of all precautions we have had a
few cases of malaria. but. of course,
these fellows could have been bitten in
brownsville. where malaria is present
all the time.
Immediately IA suspect reported we
sent MIN to the camp hospital for an
examination of his blood. No diagnosis
of malaria was made except upon n
positive blood examination. We con
tinued the use of quinine for four
weeks. 20 grains a day for two weeks,
followed by 10 grains a day for two
weeks.
w are conducting our bi-monthly
venereal inspection now. So far we
have had no new cases of venereal dis
ease develop since we left Chicago. A
few old cases relapsed while we were
at Springfield. The prophYlactic tent
has been maintained and has been used.
Prom the standpoint of health and
physical benefit i hin that these four
months have been of incalculable ben
eft to the fellows. l wish that you
could See this husky and robust band
of athletes. Their experience shoul
prove a source of energy for years to
come. The physical development and
the good that has been derived from
his short training ought to constitute
an unanswerable argument i'm favor of
universal military training"
The general sanitary inspector. re-
porting to the adjutant general of the
United States army. used such express
sion as the4.. THE standard of per
sonai cleanliness of the men was high
The general police of the camp was
uniformly excellent" "Mosquito bars
were adequate in number; their use
was checked frequently" Few flies
were seem" The high standards of
cleanliness and order maintained in and
about the kitchens of the regiment are
deserving of especial Communications"