The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-10-08
Naval Court OF Inquiry.

.,
Examination Of Surgeon General Lapson concluded
The medical officers of the army in their reports
the Surgeon General do not report their cases of in
disposition by the number Of days OF each in the
hospital but they designate every and each distinct
Of disease, whether the Of long short dura
ton in the army Had the Surgeons of the army IN Flo
rida multiplied their Of indspcsiton by the num-
Der of days that each patient in the hospital they
would have given. (for many of the two, four
months in the hospta instead OF l7462 cases as
reported 10 the Secretary of the Navy perhaps over 100
600 cases as the average number their sick report
Under this method OF computing the expense OF each
OF dsposition, the expense OF each case would
have been reduced from 20 cents aud over the amount
made the Secretary Of the Navy to g. or cents for
of indsposition, for sick man per day IN the
hospital The value Of these supplies on hand in the ar
that was required state simply the expenditures be-
the first of July ls4i and the 30th of June lsa2
and questionable whether ought to be added to the
expense of that year. for In each year ne must have
something hand in advance OF the current expenses
odd 'n an almost universal rule the medical supply
table Of the army, embraces every thing essen
tial to sick man, but there will no doubt be cases
where other articles OF medicine may be deemed mpor
tant and essential The surgeons sometimes call
for and obtain articles not enumerated in the supply
table, but they do upon their responsibility and
have to assign good for exceeding the navy reg
ulatons Ne is empowe cred to get nothing Of which the
regulations do not authorize him. There were surgical
Instruments medicines hospital stores Sc on hand to
what extent or value cannot say The expenditures
made in New York formed large portion of the sur.
plies
Dr. HAMS Chief of the Bureau of Medicines and Sur
gerry Of the Navy Department was examined, and also
~,
tculars OF details of which we could not get.
Major L. CAPERs late Indian Dsbursing Agent,
sworn AT present am residing at 81 Augustine Flo
rida, have resided there not quite five years; was at
tached to the general head of the u s. Army in
Florida as dsbursng and ENGRAVING agent to the Indian
departme emit; have some OF the canoes used by
Lieutenant Mclaughlin in Florida the average of those
Isaw,-some forty fifty of them,were from twenty
i've to thirty feet in length and about four feet in width
such boats there should think would bring when
new something like from $3.50 to $780, have
any sold in Forida have seen them sold elsew
n
were from so cents to 50 so per day in proportion to
their capacity; saw similar canoes in Charleston, s. CT
have seen such sold there for $40; they
finished pretty much Captain MLaughlins were they
were hewn out painted oarocks and seats put in
them and made comfortable for but not extravagan
Or. Du BARRE, Surgeon of the U. s. Army. examined
in continuaton- have examined all the articles used
by Lieutenant Mclaughlin for the and comfort of
the SICK and have found them all necessary for that
purpose. As to the prices, cannot say they
necessarily high In regard to the quantities. cannot
answer, not having the number of daily pre-.
scribed for To certain extent, prior t. the organza
ton OF the Bureau OF Medicine and Surgery, the Sur
geons made their own purchases, without being held
EQUITABLE for them. and the supplies remaining hand
were turned over to the Naval storskeepers and
got receipts for them. II usual with to
stop the ratons Of the sick prior the organization
the Bureau OF Medicine ard Surgery. Whilst at Key
West there eight or nine buildings put up at pub
lie expense for the then of the squadron
as hi> own dwelling, the barracks marine quarters, hos.
ptsi magazine, sc. From November 1923, TO June,
1924 the number of sick in the vessels there about
$40 600 about $50 besides which belonged
10 the squadron The Average number of sick shore
ships carried their sick
Caldwell MiLLErr sworn-l entered as captains
clerk some time in September, l5ii, TO Commander
Mclaughlin, lin FlordaD and continued as such to the
end OF the cruze am student in the General
Theological Seminary OF New York city. The number
OF vessels IN the squadron There
waste of stores or money by Lieutenant McLaugh-
lin, to my knowledge. There was no collision to
my knowledge Commander Mclaughlin did take steps
TO make his want of supplies known to the proper Off
GERS of the government To the best of my know
ledge, he did not make any unnecessary purchases,
unnecessarily
for other supplies purchased by him for the
under his command. From impressions formed
the time J saw the accounts the cost for erect.
ing the buildings in Florida unnecessarily high
nor were the buildings erected for unnecessary pur.
poses; the canoes repaired by the carpenters
the Key, and the zinc hardware and paint were used;
have dned with the officers of the squadron at the hospi
tai oil the SICK but seldom; do not recolect wines
liquors being used the officers that sick did
draw their rations