Military hygiene of the Japanese army / by Baron K. Takaki, F.R.C.S.E., D.C.L., late Director General of the medical department of the imperial Japanese navy.

  • Takagi, Kanehiro, 1849-1920
Date:
[1906]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Military hygiene of the Japanese army / by Baron K. Takaki, F.R.C.S.E., D.C.L., late Director General of the medical department of the imperial Japanese navy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the health in our navy. No doubt certain improve¬ ments were possibly made and at the same time the same is common with the other nations. In the ships and barracks, etc., built before 1884, no altera¬ tions were made, yet the health of the navy has im¬ proved, as stated before, proving that the change in the ration alone has had to do with the improve¬ ments of health. With our army, the health of the soldier has improved since the addition of barley to the ration. Again in the recent war, from the month °f Jujy, x9°4> up to January of 1905, beriberi at¬ tacked some parts of our army, but upon the adop¬ tion of barley in proportion to the quantity of meat used, uniformly added to the existing three to seven of rice and the uniform increase of meat to the existing rations, a marked diminution of beiiberi is said to have followed, decreasing to one third of its previous occurrence. 5. Prevention of contagious or infectious dis¬ eases. It is a fact that an outbreak of any conta¬ gious or infectious disease weakens the strength of an army, hence the absolute necessity of preventing such, not only in time of war but also in peace. The following are the chief diseases which have been great foes to the navy and army from ancient times: 1. Cholera 2. Dysentery. 3. Typhoid fever. 4. Beriberi. This has attacked the Japanese navy and army badly for more than thirty-three vears c Malaria. 6. Scurvy. 7. Smallpox3. 8. Typhus. 9.' In addition, yellow fever, measles, scarlatina, cere¬ brospinal meningitis, venereal diseases, alcoholism, phthisis have been prevalent, but I do not regard these so important as the others. The recent adi^ancements in medical science have made their pathology clear, so that prevention has become more and more positive or certain. What we have to regard as important, so as to keep the health of force, is to carry on in all its details a proper method adapted to the different varieties of