Evening star., 1918-07-28

uRGEON GENERAL GoRGAS.
through the division Of general
surgery. has been organizing
counter attack against any cpl
d ,mic of pneumonia which may be ex-
pccted in the camps or cantonments
pom the assembling there of large bodies
o. recruits to take the places Of the units
e,ready dispatched abroad. The death
lie which prevailed in some OF the
amps last winter and spring were due
- the virulent germs, streptococcus.
which Invariably appear where there
:re many cases of measles. They pro-
,;uce unpleasant complications-sore
,hroats. erysipelas. possibly menin-
tits and certainly the extremely
,-,ugerous form of pneumonia called
r.nDyaemia, known by the presence OF
hscesses on the lungs.
This is the form OF disease which
as responsible for the high NOR
taIity in many of the camps during
he early months Of the present year.
The surgeon general was certain that
with the incoming recruits he would
,-ain have to meet the presence OF
these germs in all the camps, ana
accordingly made preparation IN gooo
season to combat them. He directed
:, special board composed OF Lieut.:
,..ol. Knatve1. Majs. Durham. Mitcheil
;.nd Graham and Capt Moschocowitz,
II of the Medical Reserve Corps, for
the purpose of special study and IN
estigation. He also organized spe-'
cal teams Of surgeons and pathoto-
lists in every one Of the camps, can
comments and stations where new
troops were gathered to investigate
vuyif
another to report on every case at
jbuted to these germs to the spe-
..'aI commission. AS a result OF this
,o-operatfve work the commission
.dopted certain courses of treatment
hich, at least during the present
-,vorable weather. have cut the NOR
-ality of this disease to insignificant
-oportions.
The first thought is to prevent the
g-ceptiop and then the spread Of the
.,ease, for which purpose quarantine
md isolation, together with prophy-
-ctic treatment. have proven TO pe
successful, If, in spite of these pre-
entive measures. the disease ap-
ears, the surgeons treat it by nom
perative means or, II necessary, oy
n operation for the drainage OF the
hscesses.
The division of surgery has perfect
- it's plans for fighting pneumonia
and the kindred evils caused by these
erms, and it Is believed to be :m3oS-
s;ble that pneumonia can again cause
my such mortality in camps or can
.onments as it did in some OF them
curing the early part of 1918. An i'm
nortant part of the isolation treat
ment consists in the erection OF de-
tention camps now authorized by the
general staff, where the incoming re-
. ruits are kept for observation until
all suspected cases arc detected and
isolated so as to prevent the sl," cad
of the disease into the main body Of
the camp.
+ \ -. So.
rrHE organization formerly known
as the gas defense service has
been reorganized as the chemical war
service under Mai. Gen. William L.
SIbert, U. S. A. with an organization
Of 1854 commissioned officers and TO-
344 enlisted men. The fact Of this or
,.anization. with half as many officers
as there are In the whole ordnance
department of the Army, indicates
" the size of the undertaking assigned
- it. In effect 1t has become practi-
cally an independent organization
like the Army Engineer Corps and
carrAan0n6fn0 nauara