Arizona republican., 1917-12-19
CAUSE OR DISEASE
 IN CAMPS
TRepublioan A. p. Leased wirel


 WASHINGTON, Dec. 1S-lnsufficient clothing, over crowding and bad sani- tary conditions are held largely respon- sible for disease epidemics at Camp Bowie, Texas, Camp Funston, Kas.; Camp Doniphan, okla, and Camp Se- vier. South Carolina, py Surgeon Gen eral Gorgas, in reports to Secretary Baker today on his personal inspection of the camps.
 Except at Camp Funston none of the camp base hospitals has peen complet- ed General Gorgas says, and this is ha1dicapping the medical officers in treating patients. He recommends the rushing of this work particularly the installation of the necessary plumbing. General Gorgas points out that Vlr- tually all the disease is brought to the camps by incoming men and recom- mends the establishment of observation camps for all newcomers so that they may be observed for such time as the division surgeon shall deem necessary. fn aid sanitary condition he recom- mends that 50 square feet of floor space be furnished for each man at all camps. In some cases now only 20 feet is provided.
 Steps to remedy existing unfaVorable conditions have been taken by division commanders as far as possible, the re- ports say, while winter clothing is be- ing supplied as rapidly as received. Lack of warm garments during the cold weather of the late fall is believed by General Gorgas to have contributed largely to the spread of pneumonia.
 At Camp Bowie, where the 36th guard division is training, General Cor ha taa st month from pneumonia. out of 409 cases admitted to the hospital About 2,0OO cases of measles have developed in tho same length of time.
 There is a great deaI or uneasiness and criticism among the people with regard to conditions here which are worse from the sanitary point of view than in any of the camps I nave visit cd" General Gorgas says.
 "The base hospital is unfinished, without water. plumbing or sewerage connections. 1 recommend that teie- graphic instruction be sent to the di- vision commander at once to put in plumbing. water and sewer connec- tions and electric cookers in all the wards.
 "t think the recommendations l have made will tend to correct the existing sanitary errors, but I cannot urge too strongly that they be put into effect at once. The camp sites and surround ings are all that can De desired. The troops and general conditions are good with the exception of such conditions as relate to the epidemic diseases al present prevailing
 At Camp Funston, in the S9th na- tional army division there have beer 43 deaths from pneumonia with 1S9 cas- es and 22 from meningitis with 70 cases
 This indicates the most serious con. dtion as far as infection from menin- gitis and pneumonia is concerned, General Gorgas said.
 As emphasizing the situation, I cal attention to the fact that they had S' deaths from all causes when the norma death rate of such a command should be about 12."
 The general report that among tn, S6,000 drafted men injected into thu cantonment in October were man, meningitis carriers. this part of thu country being known, he says, to al health officers as having been for sev eral years the principal endemic cen ters in the civil population for menin Agitis.
 General Gorgas recommends dbser vation camps, the relieving of over crowded conditions the oiling of near by roads to keep down the dust and tn erection and heating of ambulanc sheds to obviate the present difficul ties found in getting the motor ambu lances started during the cold weather because of the freezing of the water i the radiators
 Sanitary conditions at Camp Seviel in the thirtieth guard division are de scribed by General Gorgas as seriou! Sixty men have died of pneumonia i the last month and the camp has bee exposed to a general epidemic c measles. about 1000 cases have oc cured during the month. During tn month there have been 175 cases c pneumonia and 15 cases of meningitis
 The basic cause of unsanitary condi tions. the report continues, is over crowding as the result of the shortag of tentage. From II to F men had { be put in each tent with about twent
 Continued on Page Two).
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