Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-19
CAMP CONDITIONS
BAD, SAYS GORGAS
Surgeon-General Reports on His
Visit to Sewer. Bowie, Fun
ston and Doniphan.
URGENT RECOMMENDATIONS
Finds Insufficient Clothing,
Overcrowding and Bad Sani-
tary Arrangements.
URGENT RECOMMENDATIONS
~ Associated rressl

BY Associated Pressl
WASHlNGTON. December lS.-In-
sufficient clothing, ovcrcrowding and
bad sanitary conditions are held large
~ responsible for disease epidemics at
Camp Sewer, :. e.: Camp Bowie. Texas:
Camp Funston, Kans.. and Camp Don:-
phan. Okla. by Surecon-General Cor
gas. in reports TO Secretary Baker
made public to-day on the result Of
his personal inspection o, the camps
With the exception of Funston. none
OF the camp base hospitals has bee
Completed. General GorEas saws and
his is handicapp:ns the medical Off
GERS in treating patients. He recon-
nends tho rushing of this work. par
'icularly the installation OF the neccs-
Sary plumbing.
Conditions a. Camp Sewer. Gr.o
vilic, 5. c., where the Thirticth Diyl-
sion. composed chiefly OF former Ma
:ional Guard organizations of South
Carolina, North Carolina and Tennessee
g. are shown in a letter from General
GorGas TO the chief of staff of the
army. The letter. dated "a, Camp Sc
vier. November 80 last, follows:
Sanitary conditions here are scri-
Gus. Sixty mcn have died of pncu-
:nonia in the past month. The camp
has been exposed TO a general epidem
OF measles, about 1000 cases having
occurred within the last month. Dur
ing the same period they have had I.5
cases of pneumonia aud fifteen cases
OF meningitis. The new conscriptg of
this command arc men who are non
immune to measles. They come from
the ne!shboring Southern States. where
population is sea &C. and. therefore,
have not had measles in childhood
Always, with measles. A certain num-
bcr OF cases OF pneumonia occur. The
mortality of pneumonia from any :,
is always high
WOULD HAVE ONLY FIVE
MEN IN EACH TENT
The basic insani,ary condition,
however. in my opinion. is ovcrcrowd-
ing. In the past. in this camp, tho
division commander had had to put
eleven to twelve men in tent, due to
the shortage OF tentasc. This would
give about twenty square feet OF space
TO each man. At present. he has to
put nine men in tent. which gives
about tucnty-eiSht square :cct to the
man. ] argc tndt the division COM
nifty sQuai. feet for floor space to the
man. which would give five men to
the tent.
II 2isc recommend that an observa.
tion camp be established where fresh
men can bc isolated and kept under
observation for al least tuo weeks, or
until the camp itself shows evidence
of being free from infection.
The division commander tells me
that he expects a large increase in the
force Al an early date. urge that no
fresh men rc sent to this camp until
the division commander says that he
is able 10 care for them along the lines
of this rccomm >nda.ion.
There has been a good deal OF dis.
comfort and exposure on account OF
the men having nothing but their sum
mer clothing. This has been, in great
part. corrected in the last ten DAYS
by the arrival of wooden clothing and
ovcrcoats. The q. 4. wool has not vet
been issued, but the authorities arc in
formed that ii is OH the way The
whole command is still in khaki.
HEAT AND PLUMBING
ARE BADLY NEEDED
IN the hospital. Both were authorized
two weeks ago recommend that the
matter be pressed and the hospital be
equipped in this respect at just as
early Il date as possible. The hospital
needs badly more transportation.
recommend that they be furnished one
motor car. one thrcc-ton truck, one
cne-and-o ne-half-ton truck and one
three -Quarter-ton truck. The hospital
at present has 80 patients"
Al Camp Bowie. where the Thirty
sixth Guard Division is in training.
General Gorgas reported during tho
past month forty-onc deaths from
pneumonia out of 400 cases admitted
10 the hospital. About 1900 cases OF
measles have developed in the same
length of time.
There is a great deal of uncasines,