338 THE NEW WORLD OF SCIENCE 



THE SUMMER OF 



During this period the great majority of the men who oc- 

 cupied the camps during the preceding winter went to France 

 and their places were filled by newly drafted men. Moreover, 

 the plan of the preceding fall by which men from definite sec- 

 tions were sent to certain camps was abandoned and the dif- 

 ferent camps were devoted to training in special lines of serv- 

 ice. One became an Artillery, another an Engineer camp, etc. 



The proportion of seasoned men left in the different camps 

 varied greatly and this had a marked influence on the death 

 rate in the different camps in the fall of 1918. 



The annual death rate per 1000 for the summer months 

 was 5.7, practically the same as that of civilians in the age 

 group 20-29 years during the winter months. For the cor- 

 responding five months of the summer of 1916 the death rate 

 from all causes for this age group in civilian life is estimated 

 at 4.6. Consequently the rate of 5.7 for the army is still a 

 trifle above that of civilian life. This is a remarkable showing 

 for although the army is composed of men selected on account 

 of superior physical qualities and who might be expected to 

 have a lower death rate than the average among those of their 

 own age, still when we consider the hazard that is always as- 

 sociated with the mobilization of large numbers for military 

 service, the rate of 5.7 for the Summer Season may be pointed 

 to with pardonable pride. 



During the summer season pneumonia continued to be the 

 chief cause of death. However, the greatest mortality oc- 

 curred during the months of April and May and was most 

 manifest among new increments from civil life. Contrary 

 to the experience of the preceding winter the pneumonias pre- 

 vailed most extensively in the middle western camps. Measles 

 was much less prevalent and was confined to new men because 

 it had exhausted the susceptible material among the troops 

 which had passed the winter in service. It was expected that 

 typhoid fever and dysentery would be more in evidence dur- 



