The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-06-19
SWEzEY WRITES
OF LIFE AT CAMP

From the military camp at Fort
Riley. Kansas, DR. C. r. Swezy writes
to a Winnemucca friend as follows:
The life here is about as far differ
ent from any idea, one could imagine,
on any circumstance in human events.
We are not physicians. but merely
soldiers who are being drilled. condi-
toned and taught, to handle the ma
chinery of the medical department of
the U.S.A. | have already grasped
the idea that while our knowledge of
the professional work is essential, the
real medicine and surgery, as such.
amounts to about one per cent. or
even less, of the line personnel. !
mean by this that out of every thou
sand army surgeons. so-called, over
999 seldom see the inside of a sick
room or hospital The work is more
along lines of sanitation, and execu-
tive or office work, handling reports
and making inspections. etc. 'Preven-
tion" is the slogan in the army. We
were all vaccinated on the left arm
and given the first dose of typhoid
prophlytic a week ago Sunday. Ny
vaccination had a slight mixed infec-
tion and did not take. 1t was marked
positive on my report, however, as
must of the others were-a good joke
on the doctors. The following Satur-
day we received the second typhoid
in the same (righ) arm. | have not
experienced any pronounced reaction,
as some did. but my arm was pretty
sore for three days. We get the last
dose next Saturday.
Our training is being given in mas
sive doses-intensive, so-called. We
are called out for roll-call at Sis
am: breakfast at $50. At we have
twenty minutes physical exercise
Then two and one-half hours of hard
drilling We have already covered
the school of the soldier, the school
of the detachment and the drill with
the unloaded litter These would take
three months ordinarily, but we have
been slammed through in less than
two weeks. | am now detailed with
nineteen others and we use this pc
riod drilling 500 hospital corps re-
cruits, each morning. After this pc
riod we have two hours of lecture
and recitation. Dinner at noon. All
grub plain, good and wholesome. In
the afternoon we have two more hours
of lectures and quizzes and two and
one-half hours trying to become joe
keys.
Monday and Tuesday we could not
get our horses, so we took long hike
over the hills This almost knocked
me out. Yesterday was hot as --
and several boys had to drop out
One went to the hospital with an
acute dilatation of the heart. We took
an extra ride Sunday morning of
about ten miles In one of the gal
Looping periods three of the horses ran
away and dashed along for about two
miles. The riders held on, but were
glad to get off when their mounts
stopped. I am doing pretty well at
riding. much better than I figured.
We have supper at 6 pm. From Z
to Q pm. are two compulsory study
periods and at 10 pm. all lights are
out So you see how we have to fig
ure for our individual necessities
such as shaves, baths. etc. Pretty
fast work!
We are quartered in a long build
ing and sleep on canvas cots, about
two feet apart. Our building will ac-
commodate $50. We all mess in an
adjoining building. on long tables,
with benches for seats. a la Busch
hotel. There is great activity all
about us; buildings for soldiers going
up in every direction. as far as the
eye can see. This place has been
chosen for the grand mobilization
camp of the draft army besides the
major portion of the regular recruits.
Men are arriving at the rate of 600
per day. which will be greatly in
creased soon.
We are all in for one big effort, and
| am afraid it will be a long, hard
job to attain the results we all desire.