The Theory and Practice of Military Hygiene Classic Reprint

Excerpt from The Theory and Practice of Military Hygiene

For the preparation of a work on the subject of military hygiene, the author has no apologies to offer. Save a small collection of sanitary pre cepts, intended for the use of officers of the line, no book exclusively devoted to the preservation of the health of troops has been published in the English language in more than a generation. The more complete works on general hygiene contain much material which has no applicabil ity to the military service, and, on the other hand, they leave unnoticed a large number of subjects a knowledge of which is of the highest impor tance to the military sanitarian. For these reasons, many of the lessons learned by bitter experience in camp and garrison, during a period in which sanitary science has made its greatest progress, have been practically lost to medical officers of the present day, and the experience of the past few years has demonstrated the need of a text-book dealing directly with the sanitary problems peculiar to the military service. This it has been the endeavor of the author to supply in the present volume, which it is hoped will be found available not only as a book of reference for medical officers, in connection with their sanitary duties, but also as a practical guide to officers of the line, with respect to the care of troops over whom they have control. In view of the fact that this book is in tended for use under conditions in which recourse to a library of reference will rarely be practicable, it has been thought best not to increase the size of an already large volume by including a bibliographical index of the authorities, some twenty-seven hundred in number, referred to in the text or consulted in its preparation. A list of these authorities has, however, been preserved, and may be placed at the disposal of those who desire to go more fully into the vast subject of military hygiene.

In conclusion, the author desires to express his great indebtedness to Colonel Charles Smart, Assistant surgeon-general, United States Army, at whose suggestion and through whose kindness the preparation of this work was undertaken, and whose encouragement and assistance rendered its com pletion possible. Possessed of an infinite knowledge of sanitary affairs, it is the misfortune of the military service that pressure of public business made it necessary for him to delegate the writing of this book to a less worthy pen.

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