Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-03-10
Use Of SERUM IN
PREVENTING FLU
FOUND EFFECTIVE
Tests in Army Camps, How
ever Show That incubation
Was of Little Value After
the disease Had Taken Hold,

SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE TO MORNING JOURNAL
Carlsbad, n. NJ. March 9,-"The
doughboy won the war. When | see
wounded soldier | feel like saluting
him. instead of waiting for his salute"
said Lieut.. j. II. Hamilton, medical
corps, II. S. A. Just before returning
to his station at Camp Travis, this
week Lieutenant Hamilton, who
spent ten days in Carlsbad on visit
to his wife and little baby girl, was
stationed at Hospital So, Winchester,
England many months, going across
in June. Lieutenant Hamilton was in
the midst of the flu epidemic and
told of the treatment, and the work of
the army surgeons and Red Cross
nurses.
THE army doctors overseas early
realized the gravity of the influenza
Epidemic said the army doctor land
took all precautions to prevent the
spread of the disease. The death rate
among the men overseas was less
than in the camps in this country,
and in the army in this country it was
! less than among the civilian popula-
ton l attribute this to the unceas-
ing work of the medical men and the
wonderful assistance given them by
the Red Cross nurses All of them
worked until they were literally ready
to so asleep on their feet. 1t was
| tremendous display of energy rightly
directed And the men themselves
observed precautions. The American
soldier abroad had a passion for re-
turning to the United States a better
man than when he went away. Their
spirit was admirable and was a great
hal, tp hn nfac in
combating the disease"
Methods Used in Hospitals.
Lieutenant Hamilton explained some
of the methods used at hospitals, In
the Winchester hospital the pneu-
monia patients were treated on an
open porch, which was closed by cur
tains during stormy weather. 1t was
generally observed however, that
when the patients showed signs of
aXphixia, indicated by the purple
tinge of the skin, that such patients
had little chance of recovery, even
though oxygen was administered. At
other camps wires were hung along
the tables at which the men ate and
were strung with newspapers, which
dropped to within three or four inches
of sthe table. The men could not see
each other, but were protected from
indiscrimnate coughing by this de-
vice, which allowed them to pass food
along the table undisturbed
THE use of the Influenza serum is
strongly indicated as a prophylactic,
but we found it of little value after
the disease had once taken hold The
treatment in England included the
use of whiskey when indicated, and
we administer digitalis when the
heart action required it, / found that
the influenza serum was a fine pre-
ventive and even when patients who
had been inoculated were taken sick
/ think incubation lessened the sever
ity of the attack.
MANY patients were sent to Win
chester landing in England from
transports. Many of them lived but
forty-eight hours after their arrival.
These men, rugged physically, nor
mally would many of them have been
seasick on the trip over. and would
land in England undernourished from
this cause. We got 900 cases from
the big transport Olympia who were
in bad shape. / think that out of that
boatload of 5000, 1920 were taken
sick and about 900 of them did not
survive"
Lieutenant Hamilton saw Brest and
didn't like it, but said very little con-
corning the big camp. lie, however,
has one hobby which is worthy of
adoption all over the United States.
Learn Lesson of Sanitation,
THE men in France want TO come
home clean and | predict that when
they do come bone they will keep
clean, and keep other people clean.
They have learned the lesson of san
itation and ! do not believe that Fey
will ever wholly RELAPSE to the Slip
shod sanitary conditions which char
acterized many of our smaller towns
before the war.
Every tin can used in the army
has to be cut open on both ends be-
fore it is thrown away 1t is then
passed through thesincinerator Sol
diers know that tin cans and garbage
piles are the breeding places of flies
mosquitoes and other vermin There
are back yards in every town that are
so unttdy that if I found like condi-
ton in company street. somebody
would be -martialed Why should
a soldier wish to return to the old