RT Journal
T1 GOvernment services
JF Journal of the American Medical Association
JO Journal of the American Medical Association
YR 1939
FD April 1
VO 112
IS 13
SP 1271
OP 1271
DO 10.1001/jama.1939.02800130055019
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jama.1939.02800130055019
AB Annual Report on the Health of the Army 
    For the fifth successive year, automobile accidents have been first in the list of causes of death in the United States Army. According to the annual report of the surgeon general, during the calendar year 1937 of 611 deaths, 329 were caused by disease and 282 by external causes. The death rate, 3.48 per thousand, was the lowest in eleven years. The leading causes were: automobile accidents 102, suicides 59, pneumonia 56, diseases of the coronary arteries and angina pectoris 41, airplane accidents 27, appendicitis 25, drowning 23, cancer and other malignant tumors 22, tuberculosis 17 and homicides 14.The strength of the army in 1937 was 175,624, about 10,000 more than in 1936. The average officer strength was 11,706.There were 108,756 admissions to sick report, a rate of 619 per thousand strength of personnel, somewhat lower than the 1936 rate.