The West Virginian. [volume] (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1914-1974, 1917-10-01

Especial Dispatch from Edward A. Ev-
ans, Staff Correspondent Of the West
Virainlan.)
FORT RILEY, Kas., Sept %
There must not be, and there will not
be, any needless sacrifice of American
lives in this war"
That is the message which Colonel
w. N. Bispham, commander of the
country's largest training camp for
army medical officers, has asked me
+. to convey to the mothers and fathers
and wives OF our soldiers.
At the medical officers camp here
HOO doctors, gathered from all parts
of the country are learning to protect
fighting men from disease. Similar
camps are in operation at Fort Ogle.
thorpe, Ca, and Fort Benjamin Harri.
son, Ind.
In past wars, for each man killed by
the enemy, five more have been killed
by disease, army statistics show. For
each man disabled by wounds, four
have been disabled by sickness.
Memory OF the sCandalous rate at
which American soldiers were wiped
out by disease in the Spanish war is
still fresh
Is disease to be a more dangerous
enemy than the kaiser's army in this
war? That's what | came to Fort
Riley to find out.
am convinced that, thanks to mod
ern methods of incubation and to the
sanitary precautions which the physi.
clans here are being taught to take
Americas army viii be the most heal.
thful-therefore. the most efficient :
that the world has ever known.
Most of the doctors here had risen
high in civil practice. Their average
age Is 40 years. Not few are gray.
haired. They have left their homes.
their oqices and their automobiles and
come here to live as ordinary sol
diers In order that they may learn how
to keep the army in good health.
Among them are such men as Major
Charles S. Williamson. professor OF
medicine at the University of Illinois;
Major Ralph Webster, professor of
medicine at Rush Medical College and
Captain Frederick r. Green of Chica-
go, secretary OF the council on health
and public instruction of the American
Medical Association. Colonel Bispham
and others in charge of the camp are
officers of the regular army.
These dignified doctors learn to cook
their own meals. pitch their own tents
and make their own beds. They learn
to march long distances and to rice
longer distances on horseback. They
live the same routine and go through
"a nj. hot Ot6
er soldiers 81 through.
They do all these things to gain a
perfect understanding of the life of
the mer for whom they are to care. AS
an incidental result many doctors arc
finding second youth.
When ! came here" one prominent
Chicago physician told me, 81 weignec
24O pounds, and never walked any
where. Now I'm trained down to 100,
and l think nothing of ten mile
march"
But the process is hahd. | was con.
WINGED of that when ! saw stout, mid
die aged men struggling to go through
exercises that arc difficult for younger
men.
Each day means series OF lectures
by medical instructors. At these lec.I
lures, held in outdoor classrooms, the
physicians sky.lark and chatter like
youthful students. But great and SCI
rious purpose is evident behind their
fun.making.
They will scatter from this camp
to the many training camps for sol
diers. Later, most OF them may serve
In Europe.
Great stress, found, is put upon
incubation against disease. Enlisted
men of the army medical service also
train at Fort Riley and the medical
officers take care of the 1000 men now
in camp.
When a new soldier is received he
is Immediately vcacinated against ty.
phoid fever, para-typhoid and small
pox, the three diseases which used to
be most feared by the army.
As result OF this vaccination there
is now literally no typhoid in the army
was told. Smallpox Is exceedingly
rare. l was given the following figures
rs an illustrator of the fight against
typhoid:
In the Spanish war when no men
we're inoculated against typhoid. there
we're 1929 cases and 2S4 deaths in one
uNAetOn Vi aoSut SV'VNV A.SH' AN''
on the Mexican border, there was on
ly one case and not one death among
10000 men, all of whom had been in
oculated.
Much credit for this wonderful rec
ord also is given to better methods Of
camp sanitation. This, being medi-
cal officers camp is regarded as san
itary model, and so found it. / was
particularly interested in the fight
against the fly.
Kelley's kitchen-so called because
Il is in charge Of Sergeant Kelly
Is. in the center Of the camp. From