DISEASES PREVALENT IN THE ARMY 309 



The particular strain of the virus responsible for this seems to 

 have been brought to Boston from Brest, the first week in Sep- 

 tember. From Boston and Camp Devens the disease spread 

 as rapidly as human beings travel to all parts of the United 

 States. The further history of this virus we do not know, 

 and we may indeed never be able to trace it. We know the 

 disease in a mild form was present in our camps from the be- 

 ginning, and that our troops presumably carried it with them 

 wherever they went. We know that the French had a similar 

 experience with their own colonial troops, and it is probable 

 that the experience of all the warring nations was the same. 

 From a military point of view one is justified in saying that 

 travel was free and uninterrupted from the ends of the world 

 to the seat of the war in France. Troops from all the world 

 were poured in daily and a returning stream of wounded, sick 

 and broken down men, returned to the home countries and 

 carried with them the germs of any respiratory infection to 

 which they had been exposed. The virulent virus, therefore, 

 wherever it first arose was soon carried across the battle lines, 

 to friend and foe, to the lines of communication in the rear of 

 the battle areas, and finally by ships, from port to port. 



It stands as one of the most fatal pestilences of history. For 

 1918 there were reported 688,869 cases in the American Army. 

 This gives a rate of 273 cases per thousand men. The number 

 of deaths charged directly to influenza was 23,007, giving a rate 

 per thousand of population of 9.14. In addition to this number 

 of deaths, there were 431 charged to bronchitis, 6814 to 

 broncho-pneumonia, 8407 to lobar pneumonia, and 405 to pneu- 

 monia unclassified, 262 to pleurisy, 330 to various respiratory 

 diseases, a great many of which should, no doubt, have been 

 charged to influenza. If these deaths are added together it 

 would give a total of 39,701 out of a strength of 2,518,499 

 during the year, a rate of approximately 15.75 per looo of 

 population. The total deaths for the army for the year from 

 disease amounted to 47,384. Approximately 82 per cent, of 

 all deaths were, therefore, caused by diseases of the respiratory 



