The Columbus courier. [volume] (Columbus, Luna County, N.M.) 1911-1920, 1918-06-28

Douglas y. Duval. In command OF the hospital.
Colonel Duval has M members Of his stan many
physicians from private life who have given up
their practices 10 take service with the army.
In round numbers the hospital Ia now able to
anord l,iO0 beds for patients. II Il IL enlarged
AZ Ia contemplated, there will be provision for
caring for 5000 men. These men come from all
the camps from Ions Island to Norfolk, Va, a.
well ~ from overseas.
They suffer from a great variety OF illnesses
which are discovered during a last examination In
camp before they are sent TO the other side.
Then they are transferred to the Gun HIN Road
hospital either for treatment or for examination
for discharge. The hospital IL fully equipped and
can give denniive treatment Of every sort n
necessary. hut M Il stands nj the point Of en-
barkauon, and at the point OF debarkntion rs
well. as the war progresses Il Is supposed that Il
will more and more be used ns n clearing house.
There are AZ wards In the hospital altogether.
The number devoted TO surgical uses IN usually
so far nine or ten. including nose and throat
cases. The wounded men from the other side are
still too few 10 constitute an important feature
OF the surgical work. More than half OF the
surgical cases up to the present are due 20 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 IL
a psychopathlc ward and a hydrologic 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 as 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 un.
der the strain OF army training.
"rhey 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, n boy has got
In through the good Offices OF the village doctor
whom he has known all his life. The physician
wanted to do the boy a good turn and has been
oyersanguine about his holding up under the In
creased strain Of army life. A bay who really
wants TO 20 to war IL sometimes able 20 over.
persuade a physician who really doesn't mean TO
fail In conscientiousness 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 is unimportnnt. But some
where along the line the boy breaks down. A.
may not be until he gets 20 Camp Merritt ana "A
about 20 be shipped out In a day or two. Per.
haps Il win not be until he gets over on the other
side. There il a great effort ON the part OF the
army to weed them out before they get across.
but n hasn't always been accomplished"
When we stepped into a typical ward ana
looked around w l wished that II 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 He 'pitai No I Is one OF the
most cheerful places IN New York city. Perhaps
IL 4 because the buildings arc new wooden ones.
70 much less ponderous than hose OF other hos
pltnls, that Hospital No. / seems TO bid one TO
take courage and look on the brighter side OF
life. Only youth and hops have been sheltered