The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-07-07

gas and his small stan occupied only three rooms in the state, war and navy building. Within a few days he moved to aD annex across the street. Recently he moved into the long, low building constructed for the medical department
 This reveals part of the story of ad- ministrative expansion. Next one will turn naturally to the field.
 Before the war there were approxi- mately 4S6 officers of the medical corps in regular service The enlisted per and death rate in the army was low and the small staff was sufficient.
 The force of the medical department today is larger than the entire standing array of the United States prior to the outbreak of the war. There are more than 2O,Oo0 medical officers in active service. There are 10000 enlisted men and 12,o0o nurses, and SoOoo nurses are eventually to be enrolled.
 And here should be brought put one point not generally understood The Red Cross nurse in this war is an army nurse, She is directed and controlled by the medical department. She wears a Red Cross the emblem of the mission ary to men who lie in pain, but when she goes upon the battlefield or the hospital she represents essentially the medical department ana llit SbfSNOil SSiASAe@''
 In France today the surgeon general is providing hospital accommodations for 25 per cent of the American men on the field. One hospital is under com struction that will have 27,000 beds, and there are numerous smaller hos- pitals.
 When the United States entered this war the army hospital capacity in this country, outside of the limited facil- ities at army posts was for 384S men. Including army posts, accommodations were available for 5000 sick men.
 Tn this country today there is bed ca pacity for SS, 900 men, and provision for 100000 is in sight.
 There were seven army hospitals when war was declared. Today there are 63 hospitals in this country, and of this number 29 are capable Of talk ing care of more than 1000 patients each There are three great embarka- ton hospitals and two permanent base hospitals At the. 32 army camps and cantonm menrs, q fully equipped hospital is in operation, and at each train ing camp there has been q stead dimi- mutton in the rate of sickness and nor tality. A recent war department state ment announced that S25, 100000 is be- ing spent on army hospitals now near ing completion.
 There was a great deal of sickness in the training camps soon after the first draft call last autumn. The var department, under the pressure of de- mands from abroad, was not fully pre- pared for the influx of recruits at the training camps. The tents and canton ments were crowded Measles came, and following that came pneumonia. There was a temporary shortage of Tha nnaIstarmA 9tpr corps vas slow in it's deliveries of uniforms, blankets and stoves. This added to the problem of the surgeon general Tn some eases there was medical neg ligence-followed by court-martial and dismissal from the service. Sensational charges were made in Congress and elsewhere that disease had gripped the American army in training.
 These are not heard today. Gorgas and his staff have a grip on disease in- stead, and the mortality rate in the American army, according to recent statement, is eight in 10o0-the lowest any country has ever been able to re- cord.
 At one time there was presented to General Gorgas m unfavorable report on health conditions of one of the southern camps, and the question of publicity came up. A subordinate hinted that the report might be toned down. or withheld until conditions were more favorable.
 .'Why?" asked Gorgas "Its the truth, isn't it? We'll then, let it be made public and we'll correct the conditions"
 Instances of this sort inspire the confidence of American mothers and fathers who have intrusted the health of their sons to Gorgas and the men about him.