▁year ▁at ▁Col onial ▁Beach , ▁Dra per ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁headquarters ▁of ▁the ▁Public ▁Health ▁Service ▁in ▁Washington ▁D . C . ▁and ▁became ▁the ▁assistant ▁to ▁the ▁Chief ▁of ▁Scient ific ▁Research ., ▁Dr . ▁John ▁W . ▁K err , ▁in ▁the ▁Sur geon ▁General ' s ▁office . ▁ ▁Here ▁he ▁helped ▁in ▁the ▁administration ▁of ▁scientific ▁research ▁programs ▁and ▁the ▁H yg ien ic ▁Labor atory . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁time , ▁Dra per ▁participated ▁in ▁a ▁study ▁in ▁F ult on ▁County , ▁Georgia ▁designed ▁to ▁both ▁improve ▁the ▁living ▁conditions ▁of ▁conv ict s ▁while ▁simultaneously ▁reducing ▁the ▁per ▁cap ita ▁cost ▁of ▁maintain ing ▁them . ▁ ▁He ▁co - author ed ▁a ▁pam ph let ▁on ▁this ▁study ▁published ▁by ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Department ▁of ▁Agricult ure ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁ ▁When ▁World ▁War ▁I ▁broke ▁out , ▁Dra per ▁was ▁assigned ▁as ▁an ▁officer ▁with ▁the ▁U . ▁S . ▁Army ▁and ▁was ▁put ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁san itation ▁at ▁Camp ▁Lee , ▁Virginia . ▁ ▁He ▁worked ▁closely ▁with ▁the ▁local ▁Health ▁Department , ▁primarily ▁on ▁the ▁two ▁biggest ▁health ▁issues ▁involving ▁the ▁troops : ▁ ▁ven ere al ▁dise ases ▁and ▁ty ph oid ▁fe ver , ▁both ▁great ▁men aces ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 7 . ▁ ▁While ▁working ▁at ▁Camp ▁Lee , ▁Dra per ▁lived ▁in ▁a ▁board ing ▁house ▁in ▁Petersburg ▁with ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁young ▁son