The herald., 1917-11-08
Guardi41n3FIeal}I1}
ofMen inNavy/
Government has most careful provision for
sailors i'll or euounded:: Service afoat Very
desirable for youth of country from STANDPOINT
of physical eveN being-no cause for qvor,y
BY William G. BREASTED, Surgeon Gen.
eraI, United States Navy, In New
York Herald Magazine Of
the War.


the War.
II is perhaps somewhat strange, ant
yet 1t is Il fuCt, that friends. and cSpe
chilly parents, of boys who enlist n
the navy are more gravely concerned
for the health OF the men than with
the prospect of battle casualties.
This state Of mind Is evidenced In
hundreds of letters which come to tn,
office OF the surgeon general and IN
the personal calls OF scores Of fathers
and mothers who nre apprehensive that
their sons may become III and not re-
ceive proper medical care.
As one mother put IL, "If the boys
are going 10 be wounded or Killed IL
is only what we must expect. It's
part OF the war sacrifice aud II can't
be helped. We must give our lives
and the lives OF those dearer TO us
than our own without question, but II
is terrible thing to think OF their
being i'll or exposed To disease need
lesSly with no one to take cure Of
Them"
The answer TO this woman was to
show her through the medical depart
ment'S headquarters in the navy an
mex building and to explain TO her just
what Is being done, not only 10 care
for those who are i'll hut To prevent
men of the navy from becoming ILL.,.
She went away contcntcd-her mind
at rest. A mothers care can, Of
course. not be replaced by Anything in
the world, but she Was satisfied that
should her boy contract any ailmcnt
he would have everything il is hui
manly possible TO give him except her
care.
Obviously, il ia impossible to ex-
plain personally TO all callers Just how
the medical department of the navy il
conducted and how it works, but
through the Magazine of the War
Will be able TO reach thousands of
mothers and fathers who perhaps have
been concerned about the same thing.
In the first place, an Ill or delicate
man cannot perform the duties re-
Quired In the navy. He Is q burden.
He not only is useless himself while
Ill but ii requires other men to care
for him, and he often becomes u men
ace TO his shipmates.
From the standpoint of efficiency,
then. the navy must do everything in
its power to keep the men well and
strong. II for no other reason this
should reassure those interested in en-
listed men In the navy.
Then take the medical officers. Ii
Is their duty TO cure the III and pre-
vent the we'll from becoming Ill. II
they do not perform this duty salts
factOrily they come TO be known as
inefficient officers II is q matter of
pride with them To discharge their
duty well and faithfully. Moreover,
II 10 the spirit and tradition of the
corps TO feel q human interest In oil
the men and boys who come under
their care. They are specialists In
their line and yet they regard the men
with the same personal feeling that a
family physician has toward his pa
tents.
That Is a feeling which cannot be
bought and paid for 1t is the out
growth Of their training, q part Of the
esprit de corps Of the medical depart
ment.
At the heads of the branches and
bureaus Of the navy department are
men actuated by the same principles
men who feel that II Is the enlisted
sailor who is making the greatest sac
rifices for the flag and that he Is en-
titled TO the very best in comfort and
care.
No man who is not physically sound
and In good health can enlist. There
fore the recruit Is supposedly well
when he enters the navy. The first
weeks OF his service are passed at q
training station, where he is made
stronger physically, and here the reg
ular life and exercise make him even
more healthy, as everybody can testify
who has watched the recruits arrive
at station and has seen them leave q
few months later, standing straighter,
weighing more and often an inch
taller.
He Is then assigned to some unit
In the regular navy. There he is I'M
der the constant supervision OF physi.
clans who have made a study Of the
conditions under which he L. living
md tho ailments and diSoaco 70 ,rbIoh
he Is liable. This Is more than could |
be said Of him at home.
In the Office Of the surgeon general
Of the navy hangs a map Of the United