The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1916-08-31

sleep and if possible eat under mos
| quito nettings. 1t is a serious offense
to sleep on post no good soldier would
do it. 1t is better to shoot a man for
disobedience Of health orders than to
have an outbreak of yellow fever in a
camp, and if men and officers alike
will realize such things there will be
no fear of yellow jack. Fortunately
there is no yellow fever anywhere
near the army camps on the southern
border.
Danger in Flies.
1.-THE greatest danger in camp is
from those diseases which are carried
by flies. The preventive remedy of
course is to have no flies or to kill
any that come.
| like mosquitoes, flies must have q
| place to breed and their favOrite place
| Is horse refuse. This should be re-
moved daily to place well beyond the
camp precincts and burned. Since it
| takes eight days for the larvae to
mature from the egg and they are
| found where the ground is moist to a
depth of eight or ten inches, the safe
| treatment is once week to cover the
place where the horses stand-first re-
moving the horses-with hay moist
| ened with crude oil and to set fire to
| it. The heat will destroy the larvae
about to break forth into a wicked
| generation of pestilence carriers.
"Fire is the great purifier and
should be applied to all other places
in the camp where any impurities
exist as often as the conditions call
| for it.
Camp stoves should be set up over
| pits lined with stones, the pits extend
| ing well beyond the stove at the one
end. The fire should never go out
during the day. Small scraps, rem
nants, garbage and the like may be
| incinerated there and the cooks may
get rid of dirty water by pouring it
| slowly over the hot stones, where it
will be evaporated; but If in their
haste they slop it around or pour it
on so quickly that it runs over the
side, soaking into the ground so that
|
moisture, they have created nuisance
| spot, a breeding place for flies.
zone of the most dangerous diseases,
| especially in the tropics, is typhus.
| This too is carried by insects-lice this
time-just as yellow fever is trans
ferred by mosquitoes. Cleanliness of
person, keeping the clothes and body
| free from dirt and yermin, is the pre-
ventive of this contagion, and if the
| troops do their part there will be no
danger from this source.
"It is unnecessary here to speak of
| the Importance of an abundant supply
of pure water. When in permanent
camp this is not so difficult of attain
| ment, but when on the march the ut
| most pains must be taken to avoid the
use of water for any purpose, espe-
cially for drinking, until its sources
have been examined and it is deter
| mined to be safe. Formerly only wa
ter which had been boiled was con-
| sidered safe; but now the men on
march get their drinking water with
slight delay and without heating it.
They have a canvas bag which will
hold about 800 pounds Of water with
five spring faucets with necks which
will enter canteens.
SterIized Water.
Unto a bag filled from well, spring
| or pool is thrown a chemical (hypo-
chloride of calcium) which sterilizes
for in five mir
an hour. This is a protection against
| typhoid, dysenteries and other trOu-
bles and is one of the best preventives
of sickness and contagious that can
| be employed. Discipline, which limits
| the soldier to the use of only water
that has been sterilized, is indispen-
sable to the protection Of the men.
'The general direction of sanitary
| measures for the army at the South
| will be under medical officers of ex-
perience, not only in military SANTA
ton in general, but especially familiar
with conditions on the border.
"The secret Of success in making a
camp healthy is follow up No per-
| functory inspection will be permitted,
and every officer will be held respon-
sible for the enforcement Of these
orders, which mean health for the
camp.
mo amount Of sanitation, supervi-
sion or discipline can ward off sick
| ness, collapse or breakdown and conse-
quent exposure to contagion from
men who are physically unfit for mill
| tary duty. Intelligence and tempera-
ment help, but these qualities alone
are not enough. A man must be con-
stitutionally sound to stand the strain
of military life, and that is why physi-
| cal requirements are set so high for
the good Of the individual and the
good Of the service. Reflections do
not indicate that man is a physical
| failure.
"Those men as citizens have a right
to the best protection the military au-
| thorities can give; their families have
| personal interest in them; and the
whole nation has a selfish interest in
maintaining this, its last organized
land military force, in such condition
that those who stay at home may
have the best service from the few who
have gone to the front or to the con-
| centration camps"