The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-09-15
ARMY HEAL TIL RATE
IS BEST IN HISTORY
L ESS THAN THREE PER
THOUSAND ON AVERAGE
DIE FROM DISEASE.

DIE FROM DISEASE.
Washington, Sept. H. - The
American army has practically erad-
icated the scourge of disease, which
in previous wars caused more deaths
than shrapnel and sword
The credit side OF the army's
health ledger carries a table of lower
percentages. An American soldier
OF today takes his chance on the
firing line rather than in hospital
or mess hall where impure food
Is served. Our armies at home and
absoad are not menaced by en-
balmed beef scandales, such as oc-
cured during the Spanish-American
war. Typhoid is almost unknown
on battle field and training camp.
Mortality from pneumonia is re-
markably low. Social diseases no
longer seriously menace the effect
iveness of American armies.
A recent report from the office
OF the Surgeon General of the army
discloses that for the past two
months the average death rate on
account of disease was only 2.8 per
thousand. This report covers both
the American EXpeditionary Forces
and the training camps at home.
This means that out Of each thou
sand men under arms during that
period less than three men died of
disease. The man in civil life would
hardly ask a greater odds against
death.
Comparative figures covering the
past wars of the United States show
that in these conflicts disease killed
more men-and many more men
than bulletN The chances were
against the seriously wounded SOL
dier, as they were against the man
stricken with fever of other diseases
incident to camp life or congested
surroundings.
Constant Watchfulness.
Sanitation, food inspection, stud
les in. nutrition, sterilization, watch
fulness from the moment a selected
man enters training camp until. he
goes into the front-line trenches,
and then more watchfulness and@ at
tention, are responsible for the
creditable record OF the Army Med
ical Department.
If the gods of the battle spare
their son, the American mother and
father today need have but little
anxiety about disease. The army
guards the health of its men first
because it is its duty to them; again
because battles can be won only by
well men.
With the disease records of the
SpanishAmerican war comparative
~ fresh in mind there was nation
wide concern regarding disease pro-
lection when this war came. 1t has
disappeared, for here the record
speaks:
In the Mexican war 46-4S) the
disease rate was 10 men died of !
disease to IS killed in battle--more
than seven to one.
In the armies of the North dur
ing the Civil War GS6l-65) 65 died
OF disease to 80 killed i'll battle-a
disease mortality subs tantially
double the battle mortality.
In the Spanish-American war
(lS9S) 26 died of disease to killed /
in battle, ratio of more than five
to one. Typhoid fever reduced to
almost zero in the American armies
OF today, claimed most of those who
died of illness instead of in conflict
During the first ten months of
American participation in the pre-
sent world war there has been a
parity between the low death rate
from battle and the death rate from
disease.
Where eight men have died of
disease eight men have been killed
in battle, with a combined morta
lity which, if projected throughout
the year, would be only little more
than half of the battle mortality
and less than third of the disease
of the Civil War.
Unprecedented Health Rate.
Approaching the statistics from
different angle, health rate so far
has been established by
the American armies overseas and
at home. With approximately three
million men under arms, military
funerals because of disease are fewer
day by day than the funerals in an
American city of three million pop
ulation.
For the last week in July, for
instance, the combined reports of
he American Expeditionary Forces
and of troops stationed in the United
States, showed an annual death rate
ioB disease of 1.9 per thousand
less than two men per thousand
Der year.
The annual death rate for disease
1f men of military age in civil life
IS o. per thousand.
Thus a man in the army appears
o have three times the better chance
o stay we'll in the army than when
bout civil pursuits.
This new army rate. at that time
,ased on an approximate strength
ii 2,500,000 men was established