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JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY 
[Vol. 11 
Allies and, moreover, that undue prevalence of disease among the 
enemy may, though giving us temporary advantage, ultimately react 
to our hurt. It should be remembered that while the problems of the 
war may be most urgent and vital, those that follow may be even more 
serious in their effects on the human race. Earlier conflicts have been 
followed by epidemics of disease, some extremely disastrous, and there 
is no reason for believing that the same will not obtain in at least some 
measure as an outcome of this struggle. 
Susceptibility to disease is a most important factor and it is to be 
feared that in this respect American troops will be at a disadvantage, as 
compared, at least, with certain other combatants, owing to the fact 
that our higher standards of living have in a measure reduced resis¬ 
tance to disease, though this may be offset to some extent by preven¬ 
tive inoculations. 
The importance of disease control under army conditions is not gen¬ 
erally appreciated, though it is a well-known fact that in the Spanish 
War, a disturbance accompanied by very little fighting on the part of 
Americans, deaths from disease greatly exceeded those from wounds. 
The total number of deaths among the British non-commissioned of¬ 
ficers and men in the Crimean War from April, 1854 to June, 1856 was 
18,058, including all who died in the field or in the hospital from 
wounds and disease. Deducting 1,761 deaths from wounds, we have 
16,297 deaths from disease. 1 In the South African War, 1899 to 1902, 
6,965 died from wounds, as compared with at least 13,590 from disease, 
while 72,551 sick were invalided back to England. It is significant to 
note that for every man admitted to a hospital on account of wounds, 
17 were admitted because of disease. 2 In 1869 there were 972 deaths 
from cholera among the British soldiers in India, while in 1912, with 
a much larger number, there were only 14. 3 The importance of affec¬ 
tions of the digestive tract is shown by the fact that the chief epidemic 
diseases of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force were enteric 
(typhoid) fever and dysentery. During the last six months of 1915 
there were admitted in General Hospital 21 on the medical side 5,300 
cases, 1,723 being classed as enteric and 1,146 as dysentery; thus more 
than half the medical cases came in one of these two classes. 4 Cholera 
was quite prevalent in Austria-Hungary, especially Galicia, from 
September 27, 1914 to September 18, 1915, there being 27,591 cases 
with 15,270 deaths. 5 
1 1917. Garrison, F. H. Military Surgeon, 41: 469-470. 
2 1917. Copeman, S. M. Journal of State Medicine, 25: 105. 
3 1917. Goodwin, T. H. Military Surgeon, 41: 386. 
4 1917. Bartlett, G. B. Quarterly Journal of Medicine, 10: 186. 
6 1917. Ford, J. H. Military Surgeon, 41: 7. 
