Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-11-15
Army Health
Found to Be
Excellent
New Statistics Released
by Sureeon-0eneraI

by Sureeon-Oenerel
BY LOGAN CLENDENING, M. D
.nURNC the last year have
~ come to know exactly how
the old soldier with his fund of
"reminiscences and anecdotes
feels.
There must be a lot of US
veterans Of 1917 sitting around
on cracker barrels and telling
whoever they can get to listen
about the mistakes Of the
present strategy and about how
the war ought to be run.
only know it from the med
ical standpoint, but I take a
childish interest In going around
to the army hospitals and talk
ing to the present crop OF army
doctors and finding out what the
sick reports show.
I must say they are either
doing a good deal better, OF they
are having better luck than we
did.
The latest statistical report
from the surgeon-general's office
shows that the new draft army
is in excellent health.
The total rate of admission
to sick report for disease from
the period Of April, 1941, to
August, 1941, has run APP
probably lower than In the cor
responding period of 1918.
This report is even more
favorable when we consider
that military training now
makes greater physical demands
than a generation ago.
THE best general dex of
Il army health is the d a h
rate. This has been under one
per 1000 per year in every
month from November, 1910, to
May. 1871. the last d ate for
which mortality figures are
available.
For the corresponding period
Of 1917-1918. the death rate was
10 per 1000.
The extraordinary thing to me
is the small number of cases of
contagious disease.
For instance in World War /,
we often had regiments, indeed
whole camps, completely out of
com m ission on account of
measles. 49,
In November, 1917, the num-
Der of cases of measles was 240
per 1000. In March. 1941. the
measles rate in the new army
was 81 per 1000 and more re-
Gently. one per 1000.
We always had munps-some-
times as many as 200 per
1,000-while in the new army
the rate is under five per 1000.
epidemic meningitis was al
~ ways present in World War I
and there have been an average
OF about three cases a week in
1941 (whole army.
The death rate for meningitis
has been drastically reduced in
the present army. largely due to
better methods OF treatment and
earlier recognition of the dis
ease.
Influenza and pneumonia have
doomed large in the disease pic
ture in the new army, but
thanks to the prompt attention
given to soldiers who make any
complaint indicating these. all
ments. the mortality has re-
NAMED low.
This is in sharp contrast with
the epidemic of 1917-191S.
The rate of injuries is higher
than in the army Of World War
/, but this is to be expected on
account Of the greater mechanic
zation of the present and the
more extensive maneuvers the
new army is having.
As the men get seasoned, in
jury rate and death rate from
injuries will undoubtedly fall.
The health record of Amer
ica's new army is very crafty
ing up to the present.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERS
]. c. B.: What causes my
hands to 60 to sleep at night
causing worse pains than pins
and needles? =
1t is not lying on them. ! have
even been awake and felt them
gradually 20 into pain.
Answer: II you are sure IL is
not caused by position 1.-THE pins
and needles sensation certainly
sounds like nerve pressure) II
is probably circulatory-perhaps
anemia, perhaps spasm Of the
arteries (Raynaud's diseased.