The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-08-12
INTERVIEWS MAJOR MELVILLE
Health of Vermont Soldiers Well
uarded-NearIy Ready to Move

Health of Vermont Soldiers Well
Guarded-NearIy Ready to Move
Burlington, Aug. 1.-THE Free
Press publishes the following:
When asked by Free Press re-
porter as to when the 400 men com
prsing the detachment now at Camp
Governor Gates were going to the bor-
der, Maj. f. j. Melville, recruiting Of
fcer and surgeon Of the mobilization
camp, shrugged his shoulders as
though to intimate. "Ask the United
States government
The order is to move when every
soldier is fully equipped and nothing
is lacking at present from the equip
ment but mosquito bars, which are
screened canopies to place over every
cot to keep out all sorts Of insects and
reptiles, bed sacks. which are straw
ticks, and ponchos. The major then
took the reporter through the camp
infirmary where the soldier is strip
ped photographed, finger-printed, his
scars noted, and all his qualifications
put down in black and white, so that
he finds II is easier to serve than
desert. II he is found qualified, he is
yaccinated against smallpox on one
arm and against typhoid on the other,
If the smallpox vaccination does not
take, 1t is repeated in eight days, but
he is given his typhoid prophylaxis
every ten days until he has had three
doses. which absolutely protects him
If given properly, against typhoid fe-
yer for two years and in most cases
fof life.
Major Melville lectures three times
week to the detachment on camp
diseases and how to prevent them. He
shows the soldier how to protect him
self, and incidentally his neighbor,
against contagious. infectious, and
| communicable diseases. and in case
| he is exposed to venereal contagion
| and fails TO report at the hospital
| within three hours for prophylactle
| treatment and contracts any yenereal
| disease as a consequence, he Is iSola-
ted, and until cured loses both his
| time and his pay, becoming for the
| time a social parish.
The camp. said the major. is a model
OF cleanliness, flies are scare. and all
debris from the kitchen Is incner-
ated. The food is good. we'll cooked
and plentiful. and the boys are hap
py. From five to ten recruits are com.
ing in daily. and the time is passed
in making regulars out OF rockies.
| 4 mother who fears that her hoy
will be allowed too much freedom
may cease TO worry. because II he
fails to come In nights at the proper
time he first is dipped In the water
ing trough by his fellows the next
morning for discipline. II he errs
again. he has the honor OF donning n
sui, of fatigue oyeralls, and accom-
panied by guard with a rifle over
his shoulder. is made to help do the
dirty work of the camp for i've days
This usually has the desired effect
and bad boys, finding that badness Is
about the hardest thing to get away
with about camp, proceed to hehav,
themselves. There are five shower
baths ON the grounds, ana II th,
rockies fails to avail himself of th,
privilege he and his fellows are linet
mp after. reyeille Mt o'clock In III,
morning aud escorted to the shower
hy the entire company and there pro
pcily bathed.
General camp inspection takes place
once n week. when man must no
only he clean. but must have all his
belongings, neat and clean. displayc,
on his cot. and his tent clean as we'll
"ln word" said the major. as hi
assistants started the sterlizor TO pre-
pare the necessary paranhcrnalia to
vaccination aud prOphylaXig "thl
United States government hns'at las
discovered that it Ia cheaper to kcol
n healthy man we'll than Il Is to doe
tor a sick man. and to give him
pension later for disability" AR
there any sore arms IN the camp
"a fcw." said the major. cynically
az he exposed the arm OF the mex
victim. "ls the work hard7" "NC
Il Is the way every doctor In IN
country should be doing his work
keeping the we'll from being sick. Tn
boys will 70 to the border absolutcl
protected from typhoid, typhus. ma
laria. smallpox. aud honkworm"
Major Melville is the author of So,
cral wcllknown medical books an
papers. among them Looking bach
wards" and "Tho Doctor OF To.mui
row" lie Is wellknown throughou
the state, by reason of lectures whic
he has given in towns aud cities a
various times.