Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-11-29
CAMP DODGE MEN
DECLARED TO Be
PHYSICALLY FIT
Medical Reports Show All Soldiers
Able 10 Withstand Winter Rigor
Now Az CaBtOnment-
ONLY VERY FEW IN HOSPITAL
Reports of Large Numbers Of Cases OF
Pneumonia Are Officially Stamp
I'd Untrue.

Camp Dodge, Iowa, Nov. 29.~-What
is the physical standard Of the SOL
diers Of the Eaghty-eighth division Of
the national army at Camp Dodge.
How many OF them have been sick?
How many have died?
These are a few of the questions
which relatives and friends Of the
men and officers at Camp Dodge are
asking daily.
The physical STANDARD OF the men
who reported for Service from Iowa,
Minnesota, North Dakota and a part
of Illinois, is weH above the average
in spite OF the fact that physicians on
local boards were none too careful
IN Judging fit men with physical dis
qualifications These have been weed
ed out and sent back home.
Only those deemed fit to Withstand
the rigors OF a hard winter in the
trenches have ben retained. The num-
her Of reflections for physical disquali-
fcations and the number Of exemp-
tions OF men following their induction
into the service has ben less than one
thousand.
The places OF these men are being
filed by men from the districts from
which the exempted or rejected men
came.
Few nj Hospital.
The big 500-bed base hospital at
Camp Dodge under Major A. T. Cooper
ia the center where soldiers injured
or sick are taken.
Of the $4,000 men and officers who
have been on duty at the camp but
few more than $500 or slighte more
than one per cent have been taken To
the hospital. This includes all pa
tents admitted.
or these but seven cases have
proved fatal.
Contagious diseases have beer
greatly in the majority with the ex
y. ceplion Of yenereal diseases The lat
ter have exceeded all others by wide
margin.
Since the establishment Of the hos
pital in temporary quarters about
Sept / there have been 67 cases OF
measles. 81 cases Of pneumonia, 4;
cases of humps, 70 cases Of scarlet
fever, five of smallpox, two Of dysen
terry, two of typhoid, one Of malaria
riers Of this disease.
Truth As To Pneumonia.
Special attention is called to tht
number of pneumonia cases. Re
ports have been current in Des Nome!
and at the camp that from 100 to 40t
casses OF pneumonia were being treat
ed at the hospital, and the fact with
held by medical officers or division
staff officers.
This Is absolutely untrue.
There never have been but Ga cases
of pneumonia since the establishment
Of the camp, and the number nov
stands at 49,
OF the other diseases the number o
cases to date stands as follows: Small
pox, five; typhoid fever, one; scarle
fever, 10; spinal menengitis, one, (un
der observatory measles, %; ma
laria, none; mumps, IS; dysentery
one.
The number of patients In the hos
pital suffering from black plague a
the present time is 100.
The rayages Of these disease
termed by war department and medi
cal stan officers as the worst ene1
Of the entire military organization
has not been above the average a
Camp Dodge.
Considering that there have bee
$4,000 men and officers in training a
Camp Dodge the amount Of sickness
shows less than that of many othe
army environments and is far abov
the average OF military organization
of like size In previous wars.