PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND THE WAR 329 



mortality from communicable diseases. Our Government 

 assembled within less than two years nearly four million un- 

 trained, undisciplined men, most of whom were unacquainted 

 with the details of personal hygiene and without experience in 

 caring for themselves under conditions of army life. That the 

 morbidity and mortality from communicable diseases among 

 these should show an average above that in the civilian life from 

 which they came was to be expected by one familiar with the 

 science of epidemiology. 



The purpose of this writing is to ascertain to what extent 

 preventive measures succeeded in holding down the death rate 

 from communicable diseases among our soldiers, especially in 

 the camps in this country. In doing this it will be best to divide 

 the period covered by our active military operations into three 

 seasons: (i) From Sept. 29, 1917, to March 29, 1918. On the 

 first of these dates the camps were fairly well developed and 

 this period covers the winter months and our findings can be 

 compared with the summer months with reference to the sea- 

 sonal influence on the character and spread of infections. (2) 

 From March 30, 1918, to August 31, 1918. Under usual con- 

 ditions the month of September would have been included in 

 this " Summer Season," but the appearance of the pandemic of 

 influenza early in September led to the division here indicated. 

 (3) From September i to December 31, 1918. These four 

 months we have designated as the " Autumn Season " or the 

 " Influenza Period." 



THE WINTER OF 1917-18 



The death rate in the army should be compared with that 

 for the same age period in civil life. The comparison should 

 be made on the records for the same year and the same season. 

 Through the help of the Health Commissioners of certain cities 

 we are able to do this. Most enlisted men in the army were 

 between 21 and 31 years of age. The period nearest this avail- 

 able in civil statistics is the age between 20 and 29 years. In 

 comparing these figures there is a slight disadvantage to the 



