DISEASES PREVALENT IN THE ARMY 305 



and the cause of tremendous loss of life, and of training time 

 of those who recovered. Even had the appalling epidemic 

 of influenza not occurred it would still remain true that the 

 respiratory diseases were the most important group with which 

 we had to contend. 



When the troops assembled in the Fall of 1917, men from 

 the cities and from the country district were brought together 

 in intimate association in our training camps, and the carriers 

 of disease germs quite early infected those who were susceptible, 

 with first one and then another of the acute infectious diseases; 

 those which we are ordinarily in the habit of calling the diseases 

 of childhood. Of these measles was the first to appear, and it 

 passed through first one camp and then another until prac- 

 tically all the susceptible material was exhausted. It seemed 

 quite impossible to prevent its spread when introduced into an 

 organization, although a great deal was accomplished in modify- 

 ing its severity and in preventing its complications. During 

 1917, 32 per cent, of all deaths were due to this disease, and 

 it caused a mortality of 1.7 per thousand of the strength of 

 the army. In 1918 there were fewer cases. In the American 

 Expeditionary Forces the disease was constantly present, but 

 it never assumed the proportions of an epidemic as it did in 

 the United States, for the simple reason that the troops sent 

 overseas were relatively seasoned, or salted as the British say, 

 when speaking of troops which had already acquired an im- 

 munity to the diseases of childhood. For the two years of the 

 war there were 98,606 cases, and 2455 deaths. In spite of 

 these large figures, we know that the disease was less serious 

 as a military difficulty than during the Civil War. Had the 

 same rates prevailed as in 1861 and 62 there would have been 

 184,918 cases and 6649 deaths. 



Measles is always a serious disease and is the cause of a 

 large mortality among children every year, especially in our 

 large cities, and it deserves more study and research than has 

 been given it. We made several attempts to unravel the riddle 

 of the disease, but without success, and we are to-day in no 



