GUARDING THE HEALTH OF ARMIES 71 
The death rate from typhoid fever in 
the United States Army per 1000 mean 
strength was 3.20 in 1908 with no vac- 
cination, 3.58 in 1909, 2.43 in 1910, 
85 in 1911 with voluntary vaccination, 
and those rates dropped to .31 in 1912 
and .03 in 1913 when compulsory vacci- 
nation was introduced. The reservists 
in certain European armies were not 
protected against typhoid fever at the 
opening of the European war, but the 
difference in the incidence of disease 
among them and the vaccinated regu- 
lars soon taught the lesson that this 
precaution could not be neglected. 
In connection with the after effects 
of the wounds received in battle the 
resources of modern bacteriology have 
also been drawn upon extensively. Each 
soldier is of course provided with a first 
aid kit for the treatment of 
wounds; and the splendid organization 
of the International Red Cross is_ of 
course on hand to provide prompt and 
efficient hospital care; but there has 
been in the present European war a 
terrible loss of life from tetanus, or 
The tetanus bacillus is abun- 
minor 
lockjaw. 
dant in the soil of manured land, and 
wounds have become infected with this 
germ on a far larger scale than was the 
case in such wars as that in South Africa 
Antitoxin, if 
fought over virgin soil. 
administered early, will generally pre- 
vent fatal results from this disease and 
laboratories in the United States are 
working night and day to provide this 
specific for the European combatants. 
Modern sanitation has produced even 
more striking effects in military than in 
civil life, because its teachings have 
there been more consistently applied. 
The result has been that many diseases 
once very terrible have become of minor 
importance in armies; and as the table 
shows, measles and mumps are to-day 
more common causes of invalidism for 
the United States soldier than either ty- 
phoid fever, tuberculosis or diphtheria. 
RELATIVE ImpoRTANCE OF CAUSES OF SICK- 
NESS IN THE UNITED STaTES ARMY [IN 
RATES PER 1000 MEAN STRANGTH] 
1904-1906 1907-1909 | 1910-1912 
Venereal 193. 196. 166. 
Malaria 85.3 493 | “31.4 
Diarrhea 80.0 45.4 33.0 
Bronchitis 50.7 38.5 a2 
Influenza 29.6 Beco.) | PRO 
Alcoholism Pall 29.3 | 22.9 
Mumps 19.3 Geb a ee 
Dysentery 17.9 9/3 4! 4.5 
Rheumatism 17.5 1473) Ve eLOZO 
Dengue 14.8 19.9 ees 
Measles Sl 11.4 9.9 
Typhoid 4.8 3.9 ies 
Tuberculosis 4.7 4.5 Bolt 
Diphtheria 4 6 8 
Models from the Museum’s hall of public health showing the relative effects of bullets [above] and 
typhoid [below]: one wounded and none dead of a company of soldiers in 1908; thirteen sick and one 
dead, victims of typhoid, from a company in 1898 
