The Washington times., 1918-07-21
'COOTIES" BLAMED
FOR ARMY PLAGUE
BY YBOCHE DOCTOR

The "Berliner Tageblatt" carries an
interesting article by DR.. His. the
well-known German physician. on the
diseases most prevalent in
the German army and preventive
measures taken against them in Ger
many. Among these diseases he men
tions typhoid fever. dysentery and
malaria Cholera. he says. entered
Germany only at the time of the
breaking through at Gorlice, where
the land was covered with unburied
victims Of the pestilence, with which
the German soldiers minglinE with
the civilians became infected. He
writes:
"It has been the object OF the
boards of health OF all countries to
apply the teachings OF hygiene to the
army. In this connection the German
empire has accomplished great things
and the experiences OF the war have
new measures. Thanks to
these efforts, the cases OF death from
diseases. which in former
wars many times exceeded those due
to wounds received in battle, at pres
ent have been reduced to a fraction.
and II has been possible almost COM
pletely to prevent the entering OF
these war pestilences into the Father
land.
Diseases Spread In Army.
Nevertheless, IL has not always
been possible, in spite OF the marvel
Gus accomplishments. to prevent the
temporary spreading OF infectious dis
eases among our armies. The cause
OF this lies in the special conditions
OF the war. And 50 II happened that
already in the fall OF 1914 typhoid
fever was generally spreading every
where, in spite OF the efforts to check
IL.
Then we used a method which be-
fore the war had been employed in
few countries and the usefulness of
which had not been placed above all
E.. protective inoculation.
of the injection OF dead
typhoid baciIli. The result was ex-
celIent Already in the spring OF 1915,
at the congress OF Warsaw, Chief Sur
geon General Hunermann was able to
show in figures that the number OF
cases OF typhoid fever had decreased
considerably and that cases OF NOR
tality. compared to the number Of
vaccinations. were low. At present II
may be said that the army has been
almost completely freed OF typhoid
fever. Nevertheless, there are bacilli
allied to those OF typhoid fever. the
so-called paratyphoids. and producing
similar diseases. against which there
is no protection. The latter now form
the majority OF diseases resembling
typhoid fever. and only very recently
il has been possible TO inoculate
against these bacilli.
Victims Are Segregated.
zone great danger TO the troops
and to the Fatherland is found in
those who secTete tho bacilli. II has
been necessary TO segregate them and
unite :hem IN special camps, where
they are being employed on all sorts
Of tasks. At the QansiNon from war
to peace special attention will have
to be paid TO them But in spite Of
all precautions II will be impossible
to avoid that this or that man es-
cape examination and become al
home the source or infection to many.
But under domestic conditions The
disease viii never spread as IL did
years ago.
Another disease which has caused
great 'roublc m the army is dysen-
terry. IN our section il is produced
by a group or related baccilli, in the
south by amoebas More :han in the
case OF typhoid fever its development
Is favored by unfavoTable conditions
OF living Under such conditions the
disease may spread even in the win
ter. as IL happened. -or example. af-
ter the battle at the Mazurian AXES.
in Russia. Usually, however. the uIs-
ease breaks out in July and 5isap-
pears in October. II begins with the
appearance OF flies, and II Is very
probable that the latter supply the
material for infection. Thus The
combating OF this disease comedies
with the combating Of the Fly
plague. In war times this is possible
only to very limited aNtent oy-
sentfry. like typhoid fever, appears
in all forms. from the most horrible
form that leads 10 death 70 the light