, 1923-02-18
4 Splendid Influence

MILITARY discipline in the United States army
III under modern conditions extends not only to
the enforcement of rules governing personal con.
duct and fulfillment of duty but to the preserva.
tin of health as well. There we're many soldiers
In the American army in France who criticised
the severity Of some of the regulations imposed,
but viewing the results in the retrospect, they and
their parents have good reason to praise the efforts
made to guard the nations defenders from a foe
even worse than that bearing arms. On this fea.
ture of military precaution Secretary Weeks has
said:
Mothers and fathers frequently protest against
exposing their boys to the dangerous Influences
of military camps. They fear that the boys might
become dissipated. We reply to these parents that
the records of the surgeon general show that there
is n prevalence of social diseases among the young
men of our country, straight from their own homes
that constitutes a shocking menace to our national
existence. The influence of the military camp IL
n continual education against the dangers of in.
temperate life.
"While the soldier is in camp, he is protected in
every possible way from these demoralizing dis.
eases-by education, by disciplinary measures, and
by prompt treatment of those who can not resist
nor escape. The American army in France was nc.
c%ordingly able to establish such n low record of
disease that our allies were astonished. We have
continued to progress in handling this grave prob
lem and 1 believe that one of the greatest benefits
which can be conferred upon national life through
military training will be the %effectual control of
this menacing evil. The first step is to instruct
those who didn't know that ,....
Statements of this character are sometimes cues.
lpheu ny IHuiNluudis WnO recall disease rates
which prevailed in our armies in former wars. The
answer, of course, is that the world has progressed.
During the Civil war smallpox claimed over 1000
soldier victims; during the S~panish-American war
and the Philippine instruction there were 25S
deaths from this disease; in the World War we
lost Ii soldiers with small pox, although there were
100000 of them In service. In the Civil war over
$4,000 men died from malaria, while during the
World War we Loaf but 25.' In the Spanish Amcri.
can war 10000 soldiers, or IL per cent of the total
suffered from typhoid fever; during the World
War there were 1000 cases, or about onetwentieth
of l per cent. Had the death rates for typhoid in
the World War been the same as in 1898, we would
have lost 10000 soldiers from this alone-lnore
than we actually lost from all diseases.
Truthfully, it may be pointed out to the great
credit of the American army in the cleaning up
of Cuba subsequent to the Spanish. American war
that island was cleared of yellow fever from which
IL had suffered for "A century and n half; and in
our experience in building the Panama canal that
territory was converted from n pcstiferous district
to n region of health and safety.
Most any interest, public or private, could, so
far as health and sanitation arc concerned, take
q leaf from the American army's book Of methods
with great profit