The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1918-11-08

Douglas y. Duvnl. In command Of the hospital.
Colonel Duval has M membcr OF his stan many
physicians from private life who have given up
their practices 20 take service with the army.
In round numbers the hospital Is now able 70
AFFORD l.lOO beds for patients. II Il II enlarged
AZ Ia contemplated. there will be provision Tor
caring for 5000 men. These men come from all
the camps from Long Island TO Norfolk, Va. a.
well AZ from overseas.
They suffer from a great variety OF illnesses
which are discovered during a last examination In
camp before they are sent 10 the other side.
Then they are transferred TO the Gun Hi Road
hospital either for treatment or for examination
for discharge, The hospital Is fully equipped and
can give dennitive treatment OF every sort N
necessary. But as Il stands at the point Of EN-
barkhtion, and at the point Of debarkaton as
well, as the war progresses Il Ia supposed that II
will more and more be used as a clearing house.
There ara ~ wards In the hospital altogether.
The number devoted TO surgical uses IL usually
so far nine or ten, including nose and throat
cases. The wounded men from the other side are
still too few 20 constitute an important feature
OF the surgical work. More than half OF the
surgical cases up 10 the present are due 10 nose
and throat troubles, many OF which have existed
for a long time and have been exaggerated by life
In camp during the very cold winter. There is
a psychopathle ward and a neurologie ward. some
times more than one OF each OF these. The rest
OF the wards are for medical cases. The variety
OF these IL as great MS In civil life. There are
many heart cases." These include men who
have OF course had some heart affection before
entering the army. This has been augmented I'm.
der the strain Of army training.
'They have slipped In through a dozen differ.
ent channels" explained the officer Of the day
who accompanied me upon the rounds OF the
hospital. Sometimes, for instance, a boy has got
ln through the good Offices Of the village doctor
whom he has known all his life. The physician
wanted 10 do the boy a good turn and has been
oyersanguine about his holding up under the In.
creased strain OF army life. A boy who really
wants 10 20 10 war is sometimes able 90 over.
persuade a physician who really doesn't mean 10
fail In conBcientiousness. Then. too, there are
many cases which would get along well enough
In civil life, and a physician may be honestly CON
WINGED that the trouble IL unimportant. But some
where along the line the boy breaks down. IL
may not be until he gets TO Camp Merritt and is
about 10 be shipped out In a day or two. Per.
haps II will not be until he gets over on the other
side. There IL a great EFFORT on the part OF the
army 20 weed them out before they get across
but Il hasn't always been accomplished"
When we stepped into a typical ward and
looked around US l wished that It might be posi-
BILE for the army to give a public demonstration
OF a United States military hospital. One usual.
ly thinks OF such a place as rather dolorous. but
United States Army Hospital No. l Is one OF The
most cheerful places In New York city. Perhaps
II II because ~ buildings are new wooden ones.
40 much less p0nderous than those OF other hos
pitfalls, that Hospital No. l seems TO bid one 10
life. Only youth and hope have been sheltered