Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1920-07-05
GENERAL GORCES
DIES IN LONDON
KIDNEY DISEASE
Yellow Fever Conqueror
Succumbs After Illness
Of Month in English
Army Hospital.
Father of u. S. Recon
struction Infirmaries on
His Way to South At
rica When Stricken.

London. July 4.-Major General Will
liam {. GorgaS, former surgeon gener-
al Of the United States army, died here
Saturday,
General Gorgas' death was very peace
fnl. lie was unconscious most of the
time for the last few days according
to the hospital attendants and was not
even able to recognize Mrs. Gorgas or
Brigadier General Noble. the only Am
orleans present at the end.
Colonel Kennedy, medical Consultant
at the hospital was IN constant waiting
on General Gorgas and every facility
was offered by the British military au-
thorities for proper medical attention.
1t was stated BY General Noble that
Brights disease was the immediate
cause of his death. Virtually from the
middle Of June hope was abandoned for
the generals recovery. He arrived in
seemingly in vigorous health. The fol
lowing day he left with General Noble
and Mrs Gorgas for Brussels. where
he was decorated BY hing Albert. From
there hc proceeded to Cublenz, ana re-
turned to London May %.
Will Briny Body Home.
On the morning of May 80 he suffered
a stroke of apoplexy and was removed
to Queen Alexander hospital where his
death occurred For a time there was
hope for his recovery. but kidney COM
plications developed.
The body will be taken to the United
States on board an American trans
port sailing July II or 16.
Major General William C. Gorgas
was considered one Of the world fore
most authorities on military medicine
and surgery He fought and defeated
the malarial mosquito in Panama and
thus made possible the building of that
great waterway. He dislodged yellow
fever from its century old stronghold
in Havana and under the direction of
the United States government and the
Rockefeller" foundation supervised cam
paigns against tnat dread disease in
Central America, Peru and Ecuador.
In South Africa.
At the invitation of the British gov
ernment he went to South Africa in 1918
to establish sanitary conditions in the
Rand. as a result of which he received
high honors from the medical profession
in London and Oxford university con-
ferred a degree upon him.
In the last ten years his services We're
sought to give battle to plague in many
parts of the world. When the typhus
epidemic began in Siberia in the war an
effort was made TO have him undertake
the campaign against it hut at that tl.an
he was needed to direct the medical and
surgical work for the American army
in France.
He was decorated by the French gov
ernment and made a commander of the
Legion Of Honor end knighted by King
George Of England, the latter for, as the
king expressed 1t to HIM making posi-
hle the construction Of the great canal
In reconstruction Work
Soon after the United States entered
the world war General Gorgas announc-
ed the organization Of the extensive sys-
tenn devised for the reconstruction
for soldiers crippled in the war which in
Guided the establishment Of orthopedic
hospitals behind the firing lines in
France, reconstruction hospitals i'll the
great centers If America and the re-
training of crippled men and preparation
for resuming their vocatons or learning
new ones.
General Gorgas reached the age limit
while still on duty in France in 1918
When the war was over he was retired
from active service in the army.
Native of Alabama.
General Gorgas was born in Mobile
Ala. Oct 3, 1854. the son Of a confetI-
crate general He was graduated frorl
the University of the South in 1880. He
was on his wav to South Africa to agair
improve sanitary conditions there when
he was taken i'll.