The Washington times., 1918-03-15

man and has improved the standards
OF those who required only actual eX-
perience to make them as good as
the enlisted personnel in other armies.
In fact, the surgeon general pointed
out that by comparison with the
health of other armies, the American
army in its present stage Is further
advanced than the military organiza-
, tions of other nations. Certainly the
sick rate is much lower than II was
for similar bodies of troops In the
civil war, and every day, according
to the records in the surgeon generaIs
office, shows an Improvement IN every
branch OF the service.
General Gorgas by no means gives
the impression that the medical corps
has reached perfection-indeed, he de-
clares that there is much room for
betterment. Yet conditions are such
that the parents OF young men who
are to be taken in the next draft can
feel assured tha' the very best at
tention will be given their sons In
case OF illness. AS the spring and
summer months come on, and sufh-
cient space has been provided for all
men, the surgeon general believes that
1 the rate of sickness will be much
lower than 1t was at the outset
Additional hospital facilities are
| being constantly built, though there
are already enough beds and physi-
clans and attendants to care for what
ever sickness prevails. Indeed, 1t Is
probable that until the end OF the
war, there will be constant construc-
| tion and reconstruction of hospitals.
Within two months, for example,
| there will be bed space in the various
! camps and -cantonment hospitals for
more than so 900 men, and this space
VIII be augmented by at least 1000
| capacity In the months succeeding.
This provides accommodation for
many more men than any one ex-
poets will require medical attention.
France Well Supplied.
| In France, too, the surgeon general has
provided bed space for at least 25 per
cent OF the men in the field. This per-
centage, It is estimated, will be more
than enough to care for sick and wound
ed men who can be returned 10 the base
hospitals. OF course. the large number
Of beds are required in the army not
merely for those who are seriously Ill.
but those who have such slight ailments
as a cold or indigestion or bruises Of
| the most Insignificant character.
The rule in the army Is that whenever
any one Is indisposed, he must go to the
hospital In civilian life. a man might
20 to his office or TO his shop with a
cold and continue to work. 1t Is by
prevention that the army saves the
health Of its men
A soldier In camp really gets better
attention than he does at home. This is
so for several reasons, among them be-
ing that the best specialists in the coun-
try have been gathered together in the
various camps and cantonments and
should It occur that a soldier has a seri-
GUS illness, he can be attended by physi-
clans OF national repute.
In civilian life such service might cost
him several hundred dollars, but in
the army II is, OF course, gratis Many Of
the best physicians in the world have left
their practice in order to serve the coun-
try and - loyalty and corporation of
the entire medical corps Is such that
the specialists are never too busy~to take
up the case Of the enlisted man-rich
and poor alike
New Hospital Better.
Another thing: Some OF the new hospi-
tals-in fact all Of them when they are
completed-will be much better than
many of the emergency hospitals now
used in our Urge cities. not to speak Of
some OF the institutions in the country
towns and villages. And the best staffs
from institutions like Mount Sinai, Bell
vue. and Battle Creek Sanitariums have
been detailed to the base hospitals In
the camps and cantonments, as medical
reserve corps officers.
There is nothing in Europe to COM
pare with the base hospitals built for
the United States army In this coun-
try. except. perhaps, the Institutions
in Berlin and Vienna Large sums of
money have been appropriated for the
purpose, and while II Is true that dur
ing the agitation OF two months ago
some of the difficulties were due to
incomplete hospitals, no expense has
been spared in fitting up those insti-
tutions. In respect to appurtenances,
equipment, and appliances and sup
plies, the American hospitals are in
deed even without peer even in Ber-
lin or Vienna
General Health Good.
Generally speaking. the health OF
the troops continues good. 1t is q sig
nificant fact that since the United
States went into the war. there hasn't
been a death from what is known as q
water dIsease-typhoid. malaria, and
similar diseases. Most of the troubles
in the Spanish-American war were
due to typhoid fever, which carried
off more men than were actually kill
ed In action.
As for pneumonia, the feeling in the
medical corps Is that practically all
that could be done for the men who
were taken sick with that dread dis
ease was done. By comparison with
the death rate at one OF the largest
and most noted hospitals In the coun
try situated within fifty miles of al
army cantonment, II was found that
the death rate from pneumonia in the
army hospital was much less than Ii
was in the civilian institution.
So thoroughly has the surgeon gen.
crabs office mapped out its work that
among the scores OF sections and div
isions that It has organized is a div
isiun of medical and surgical history
At first glance II might seem thai
such a division Is superfluous whilt
an organization as large as the med
lcaI corps is busily engaged in caring
for the sick and wounded. But II
will be a distinct advantage in cas-,
the United States must ever go tC
war again, to have a record of whal
I at,A Il