REPORT

OF

THE SURGEON-GENERAL.

WAR DEPARTMENT, SURGEON-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, October 1, 1875. SIR: I have the honor to submit the following statement of finances and general transactions of the Medical Department of the Army for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1875:

FINANCIAL STATEMENT.

The funds subject to the requisitions of the Medical Bureau during the year ending June 30, 1875, were—

I. Appropriation for the relief of sick and discharged soldiers, under the

II. Appliances for disabled soldiers, under act of June 6, 1872:

$9,509 21 1,865 11

7,644 10

Balance July 1, 1874

Carried to the surplus fund June 30, 1875

$8,533 88 8,533 88

III. Appropriation for the support of the Army Medical Museum and the library of the Surgeon-General's Office for the year ending June 30, 1874: Balance July 1, 1874 ...

Expended during the year

$516 02 516 02

IV. Appropriation for the Army Medical Museum and library for the year ending June 30, 1875:

V. Appropriation for completing the first edition of the Medical and Surgical History of the War, act of June 8, 1872:

$10,000 00 10,000 00

Balance July 1, 1874

Disbursed during the year

$20, 148 66 6,868 86

Balance June 30, 1875.....

13,279 80

VI. Appropriation for preparing a second edition of the Medical and Surgical History of the War, act of June 23, 1874.....

$60,000 00

Disbursed during the year..

19,911 25

Balance June 30, 1875........

40,088 75

VII. Amount expended under the act of May 28, 1872, to provide for furnishing trusses to ruptured soldiers..

$2,915 19

VIII. Appropriation for the Medical and Hospital Department of the Army

IX. Appropriation for the Medical and Hospital Department for the year ending June 30, 1871, and previous years, re-appropriated by act of March 3, 1875..

Disbursed during the year

Balance June 30, 1875..

X. Appropriation for the Medical and Hospital Department for the year ending June 30, 1871 :

$699 92 683 67

16 25

Balance July 1, 1874..

Carried to the surplus fund

$9,496 42 9,496 42

XI. Appropriation for the Medical and Hospital Department for the year ending June 30, 1872:

Balance July 1, 1874

Carried to the surplus fund

$6,286 59 6,286 59

XII. Appropriation for the Medical and Hospital Department for the year

ending June 30, 1873:

XIII. Appropriation for the Medical and Hospital Department for the year

ending June 30, 1874:

XIV. Appropriation for the Medical and Hospital Department for the year ending June 30, 1875:

Required to complete contracts made during the fiscal year..

$50,300 00

Number of trusses furnished during the year..

In kind.

Arms, 1

4

Number of artificial limbs allowed during the fiscal year:

228

By commutation.

Legs,

Feet

Apparatus

5

17

8

8

202

235

HEALTH OF THE ARMY DURING THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30,

1875.

The monthly reports of sick and wounded received at this Office represent an average mean strength of 21,896 white and 2,247 colored troops.

Among the white troops' the total number of cases of all kinds reported as taken on the sick-list was 36,854, being at the rate of 1,683 per 1,000 of mean strength. (That is, rather more than three entries on sick report during the year for every two men.) Of this number, 31,083 cases, or 1,420 per 1,000 of strength, were taken on sick report for disease, and 5,771 cases, or 264 per 1,000 of strength, for wounds, accidents, and injuries of all kinds.

The average number constantly on sick report during the year was 944 men, or 43 per 1,000 of mean strength. Of these, 748 men, or 34 per 1,000 of strength, were constantly under treatment for disease, and 196 men, or 9 per 1,000 of strength, for wounds, accidents, and injuries. The total number of deaths reported from all causes was 239, or 11 per 1,000 of mean strength. Of these, 162, or 7 per 1,000 of strength, died of disease, and 77, or 4 per 1,000 of strength, of wounds, accidents, and injuries. The proportion of deaths from all causes to cases treated was 1 to 154.

The total number of white soldiers reported to have been discharged the service on "Surgeon's Certificate of Disability" was 616, being at the rate of 28 per 1,000 of mean strength.

Among the colored troops, the total number of cases of all kinds reported was 3,779, being at the rate of 1,682 per 1,000 of mean strength. Of these, 3,183 cases, or 1,417 per 1,000 of mean strength, were cases of disease, and 596 cases, or 265 per 1,000 of strength, were wounds, accidents, and injuries.

The average number constantly on sick report was 112 men, or 50 per 1,000 of mean strength, of whom 86 men, or 38 per 1,000, were under treatment for disease, and 26 men, or 12 per 1,000, for wounds, accidents, and injuries.

The total number of deaths reported from all causes was 37, or 16 per 1,000 of mean strength. Of these 30, or 13 per 1,000 of mean strength, died of disease, and 7, or 3 per 1,000, of wounds, accidents, and injuries. The proportion of deaths from all causes to cases treated was 1 to 102.

The total number of colored soldiers reported to have been discharged on "Surgeon's Certificate of Disability" was 62, or 28 per 1,000 of mean strength.

LIMITED OCCURRENCE OF YELLOW FEVER AMONG THE TROOPS.

Two cases of yellow fever, both of which recovered, occurred in the garrison at Fort Barrancas, Florida, during 1874. The fever having become epidemic in the city of Pensacola and its vicinity, the troops stationed at Fort Barrancas were removed to Santa Rosa Island, and went into camp near Fort Pickens on the 9th of September, leaving at Fort Barrancas a small detachment, almost all of whom had previously had the fever. The two cases mentioned above were an officer who was taken sick in camp immediately after the troops were moved, and a hospital attendant at Barrancas, who, just before he was attacked, had visited the adjacent village of Warrington without leave, and got drunk at a house in which several cases of yellow fever had occurred earlier in the season.

Since the close of the fiscal year, yellow fever has again visited Pensacola, and this time the troops stationed at Fort Barrancas were less fortunate. Yellow fever suddenly, and without warning, made its appearance in the garrison July 18, 1875, and although the troops were moved to Santa Rosa Island on the 22d, it would appear that some of them had been already exposed to the cause of the disease, for cases

continued to occur among them for some time after the movement was effected.

During the months of July and August of this year, 74 cases of yellow fever and 29 deaths were reported at this post, of which 42 cases and 19 deaths occurred among the officers and enlisted men, and the remainder among the families of the officers and men at the post.

Assistant Surgeon George M. Sternberg, the post surgeon-who was himself attacked by the disease, but fortunately recovered-in a report announcing the outbreak of the epidemic in the garrison, suggests the following explanation of its occurrence :

The bark Von Moltke, from Havana, came into this harbor June 28, with four cases of yellow fever on board, and having lost one en route. She anchored opposite our post, and remained over night, going the next morning to the quarantine station.

I can only account for the occurrence of these cases by supposing that germs from this vessel were wafted or conveyed ashore, and, having effected a lodgment, have since multiplied sufficiently to have given rise to the disease.

The only other post at which cases of yellow fever were reported among the troops last summer was Key West, Florida. Several cases of yellow fever having been reported in the city of Key West, the garrison at Key West Barracks was removed, April 2, 1875, to Indian Key, Florida, and entirely escaped the fever, though two cases and one death occurred in the small detachment left in charge of the barracks at Key West.

WORK PERFORMED IN THE RECORD AND PENSION DIVISION.

The total number of official demands upon this division during the fiscal year for information as to the cause of death of deceased soldiers and the hospital record of invalids was 20,332, being over 2,000 more than during the previous fiscal year. Nine hundred and seventy-five unsearched cases remained on hand, unanswered, at the commencement of the fiscal year, making 21,307 cases to be disposed of during the year. Of the new cases, 14,809 were from the Commissioner of Pensions, 5,204 from the Adjutant-General of the Army, and 319 from miscellaneous sources.

Search was made and replies furnished to the proper authorities in 15,542 of these cases, viz: 10,708 to the Commissioner of Pensions, 4,550 to the Adjutant-General of the Army, and 284 to miscellaneous applicants, leaving 5,765 unsearched cases on hand on the 1st of July, 1875.

It will be observed that while the clerical force of this division was diminished by the discharge of twenty-seven clerks by new legislation at the commencement of the fiscal year, the demands upon it for work, especially from the Commissioner of Pensions, instead of diminishing during the year, as was hoped, have considerably increased. As an inevitable result, in spite of the most systematic efforts, the work is much behind-hand, and this undesirable state of affairs must continue, unless either the clerical force is increased, or the demands upon the division for information very considerably diminished.

DIVISION OF SURGICAL RECORDS.

The work performed in this division may be classified as: 1. The registration of the surgical data of the Army for the current year; 2. The continuation of the compilation of the Surgical History of the late war; 3. The perfecting of the catalogue and descriptions of the surgical and anatomical material in the Army Medical Museum.

In consequence of the wide distribution of the Army in small detachments, the surgical reports and returns are numerous. Two thousand

and sixty-five reports in the form required by regulations, and 1,765 special surgical reports, were received during the year, and examined, classified, indexed, and filed. In addition to these are the returns of killed and wounded in action.

Lists of wounded, and classified returns of killed and wounded in Indian hostilities, supplemented in most instances by details of the most important cases, have been received from medical officers present at the engagements, as follows: 1. From Acting Assistant Surgeon Thomas G. Maghee. Report of skirmish of Company B, Second Cavalry, July 4, 1874, with Arapahoes, at Young's Point, Wyoming, (two privates killed, a lieutenant, an acting medical officer, and three privates wounded;) also, report of skirmish of Company B, Second Cavalry, with Shoshone scouts at Sweet Water Mountain, Wyoming, July 19, 1874, (one scout being wounded.) 2. From Assistant Surgeon W. E. Waters, U. S. A., chief medical officer of the Red River expedition. Report of engagement of Companies F and G, Sixth Cavalry, at Red River, August 30, 1874, (a sergeant and private severely wounded.) Report of a skirmish near Washita River, Texas, September 9, 10, 11, 1874, by detachments of the Sixth Cavalry and Fifth Infantry, (one sergeant killed, one officer, two non-commissioned officers, and two privates wounded.) Report of a skirmish near Camp Supply, September 12, 1874, by a party of couriers from Company M, Sixth Cavalry, (one private and one camp-follower killed.) Summary of the casualties of the expedition in Western Texas during September, 1874, (four killed, nine wounded.) Report of skirmish of Company H, Eighth Cavalry, on North Fork of Red River, November 6, 1874, (four wounded; two severely, two slightly.) 3. From Acting Assistant Surgeon R. E. Leightburne. Report of skirmish of Tonto scouts, at Cave Creek, Arizona, September 18, 1874, (two wounded; one mortally.) 4. From Surgeon F. L. Town, U. S. A. Report of the affair at Wichita agency, Indian Territory, by Companies C, E, H, L, Tenth Cavalry, and Company I Twenty-fifth Infantry, (four wounded severely.) 5. From Acting Assistant Surgeon W. E. Day. Report of a skirmish of Company K, Fifth Cavalry, November 1, 1874, at Sweet Pass, Arizona, (one officer severely wounded.) 6. From Acting Assistant Surgeon A. T. Fitch. Report of skirmish with Indians near Cheyenne agency, April 6, 1875, by Company M, Sixth Cavalry, and Companies D and H, Tenth Cavalry, (three nou-commissioned officers and two privates wounded.) 7. From Acting Assistant Surgeon F. H. Atkins. Report of skirmish of Company H, Sixth Cavalry, April 23, 1875, at North Fork of Sappa Creek, (one non-commissioned officer and one private killed.) The aggregate of officially reported casualties in Indian hostilities during the year is, therefore, 11 killed and 48 wounded; but this return is, beyond doubt, very imperfect. The attention of medical directors has been called to the necessity of exacting the strictest compliance with the orders requiring lists of wounded and classified returns of wounds and injuries to be transmitted punctually within two days when possible after every hostile engagement, however limited, in order that hereafter the losses of the Army from this cause may be known with all practicable precision.

During the fiscal year, in a mean strength of 24,143 officers and men returned on the monthly reports of sick and wounded, there were included in Class V, comprising cases of wounds, accidents, and injuries, 6,367 instances, with 84 deaths; a fatality of 3.4 per 1,000 of mean strength, or slightly less than the mortality from this cause during the previous year.