The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1918-01-16
EPIDEMIC OF
MINOR DISEASES
Camp Dodge is Visited BY Diseases Of
Minor Nature-Measles and
Mumps Predomin ating
Severe Colds and LaGrippe Have Put
Number Of the Soldier Boys
on the Sick Roll.


Dodge. Jan. 15-Lack of sufficient hos
pital facilities may again delay the
calling of the final increment OF the
eighty.eighth division to Camp Dodge.
The call was to have been made Feb
. ruary 18th by Provost Marshal Gener-
al Crowder.
But with hospital space and equip
ment for 500 patients now taking care
of more than $50 and less than 10000
men in the cantOnment, medical Ott-
GERS have expressed the opinion that
additional hospital space must be pro-
vided before $4,000 additional men are
brought here. Two buildings former
ly used by artillerymen have been
converted into branch hospitals.
An epidemic of minor diseases has
come with the severe weather. Cases
of measles are numerous and there
are some mumps. Severe colds and la
grippe have put a number of soldiers
on the sick roll Although pneumonia
is the most serious illness, but few
soldiers have died-far less than in
many of the southern cantOnments.
Two deaths from spinal menengitls
have been reported among the Ala
4 bama negro soldiers but an isolation
camp has been established and the
threatened epidemic seems to have
been checked. i!
Dodge soldiers braved the sub-Zero
weather well. There were numerous
frozen ears and toes, but no serious
suffering has been reported thus far.
Drill schedules were practically aban-
.d0ned when the mercury jumped down
to twenty below zero.
The men are ready to make short
work of rumor peddlers, sensational
lists, meddlers and over Jealous work
ers in their behalf First the Rev. Nc
Dade, Des Moines minister. comes
out with an attack upon vice in Des
Moines, declaring that social diseases
were spreading at an alarming rate
and that the selling OF liquor was un-
restrained About the same time State
Secretary Parsons Of the Y. M. {. A.
i assailed the social evenings and the
he slIrAs
Volunteer Aid OF Des MOfnes and the
soldiers.
First the girls entertain the sol
diers at dance at the Army club in
Shrine temple Then the soldiers re-
ciprocate. The parties are well chap
eroned, the Rev. DR.. j. Edward kirbye,
pastor of Plymouth church. being one
OF the chief patrons of these social
events Mr.. Parsons declared they
were not only destructive of soldier
morale but menaced the future welfare
OF the girls who attended them. Sol
diers made bitter protest. declaring
they did not surrender character when
they came to the army and that they
can be gentlemen here as well as at
home.
Then came their eXoneration. 1t
was from Secretary of War Baker
linscifo Through Adj. General Me-
Cain, the first man OF the American
fighting forces conveyed his compll-
mcnts to Colonel Hawkins of the 352d
infantry, Camp Dodge, congratulating
him upon the wonderful record Of his
rCgiment--not Il single court martial
case since the unit was organized.
e, And if Secretary Baker had known,
he would have included the 313th ell
gincers of Camp Dodge, for they too
have not had single court martial
case. The soldiers point out to the
Rev. Mr.. McDade and Mr. Parsons this
record as the best evidence OF their
a conduct Other Des Mones' ministers
huve come to the aid of the soldiers.
I'VE don't want the parents Of these
Rev, DR.. j. Edward kirbye. because
q they're not true. Des Moines is clean
There is a minimum of bootlegging.
We cannot keep it spotiessly clean.
but we can keep vice to minimum
and we have"
Army heads too are indignant. They
say the accusa tions are insults to the
soldiers Medical department rec
Ords show that more cases of social
diseases were brought into the canton
ment by the soldiers than exist there
today
Pride in their organizations, in their
life as Wilson'S men, even hndS It's
way into the guard houses at Dodge.
Men go to the guard house for slight
infractions of rules and discipline.
There have been established in some
of the regimental guard houses, pris-
oners courts where the affairs OF the
prisoners are conducted in ship shape.
The soldiers therein organize their
own court. elect their own judge and
inspectors, and backed by the major
ity. these officers proceed to run the
inside of the guard house. The SOL
dicrs realize the necessity for COM
plete sanitation. Therefor they have
sanitary inspector They realize
that discipline is the mark OF sol
dier and that, while they are in the
guard house for violating 1t, they
should learn to observe discipline rig
idly. So they enforce discipline among
themselves. The man who does not
tidy up his bunk and section is given
extra work that keeps him busy all
day. If he refuses to obey he is pun
ished by being denied conversation
with all other prisoners.
The second commissioned officer to
die at Camp Dodge was First Lieut..
S. 3. Ryboldt. of Cedar Rapids, medi-
cal reserve corps. His death was
caused by heart trouble of two months
duration.
1t has Just been announced that the
339th field artillery will be equipped