Evening star., 1953-09-30
Disease Is No Lonoer
Worst Killer of Troops
Even in Koreu the Army
Keeps Its Men Healthy
BY Thomus R. Henry

BY Thomas R. Henry
Every war is healthier than the
preceding one for American troops.
In the Korean conflict, the death
rate from disease and non-battle in
juries was virtually the same as those
in the armed services during the four
preceding years of peace-and that for
disease alone slightly lower.
This record was achieved by Army
and Navy medical departments despite
the fact that American forces seldom
have fought in more unsanitary en-
vironment where there was a higher
prevalence of infectious diseases and
where extremes Of temperature created
many serious health problems.
Disease rather than bullets, has been
the greatest scourge of armies through
the centuries. Only with the First
World War did the percentage of those
killed in battle exceed that of those who
died from disease in the American
Army. During the Civil and Spanish
American wars the disease death rate
had been much greater.
Conditions Improving.
The last world war showed a still
further advance in this direction and
it has been continued in Korea. AL
though the disease rate sank somewhat
lower than that for peacetime, the
difference was made up by a slight adj
vance in deaths due to accidents, which
are inevitable during any campaign.
The average non-battle death rate
in the Navy and Marine Corps during
the three years, 1850 to 1852, accord
ing to an analysis in the Armed Services
Medical Journal. published through the
Defense Department, was Is per thou
sand from injuries and 3 from disease.
In the last war the corresponding rates
were two and 5 per thousand, respec-
lively
The battle death rate also dropped
materially from World War II-from
8.9 thousand a year to 3.5 a thou
sand. Little significance can be at
tached to this, however. because of the
different nature Of the Korean fight
ing and the long periods during which
the majority of troops were not in
actual combat
During the last war many deaths
were due to exposure to cold. These
were cut down notably in the Korean
conflict by better equipment, better
medical treatment, and better instruc-
ton of both officers and men in proper
precautions, according to the report.
Protective and sanitary measures not
only greatly reduced losses from cpl
dcmic diseases among the troops, but
among the Korean civilian population
as well.
A rare but often fatal malady-too
much copper in the brain-is respond
ing favOrably to injections of BAL, the
war gas which was not used in combat,
but which since the war has found
several medical applications.
The disease is "hepatolenticular de-
generation" 1t is characterized by from
six to 10 times more copper in the liver
and in the lenticular nuclei important
deeply buried brain centerS, than is
normal for these tissues. Almost all hui
man tissues contain some copper The
liver can have normally from about
four to II milligrams per 100 grams.
the brain tissue from six to II. In this
disease the corresponding figures are
80 to 156 and IS to 10 milligrams.
TremOrS Shake Patient.
The most overt symptoms of the NAL
ady are strong, constant tremors. A
patient cannot hold cup of coffee to
his mouth. Mental symptoms soon ap-
pear which may ape those of almost
any pSychiatric malady and of which
the true cause often is overlooked
One of the major side effects of BAL,
according to the report of case in
the Medical Journal of the Armed Serv-
ices, is to increase the excretion OF
copper in normal persons. 1t was found
to have an even greater effect in vic
TINS of this disease, thus striking at
what probably is the root of the trouble.
The case reported is that of a 90
year-old man who complained of ex-
IRENE weakness and fatigue and trem-
orS so severe that they kept him from
sleep. After two courses of treatment
the mans physical strength came back
almost to normal. He himself, accord
ing to the report by 1t. H A. LadWig
OF the u. S. Naval Hospital at Great
Lakes, ILL.,, reported greater improve
ment in the tremors than the Navy
doctors themselves could detect. The
treatment, they conclude, brings about
a great subjective improvement, and
in all probability some physical better
ment.