Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-10-21
NURSE AS A WITNESS.
Miss Copeland, Professional, Tes.
titles Before the War
investigators.
WAS CHIEF NURSE AT A HOSPITAL.

Scarcity of Attendants at First, Which
Condition Was steadily Improved Tes-
tiinony of Major PiIcher-IndIana Cap
tain Hears News OF His Mems Conn
plaInts-When lilies Were Observed in
Sick Mems Mouths.
Jacksonville, Fla, Oct 2i.-GeneIa al ].
Wilson and Captain Howell, constitut-
| ing the subcommittee appointed to
visit and report upon the conditions OF
the camp at Fernandina made their
report to the full commission yesterday.
The following is the important part of
the document: I'VE carefully examined
| the site of the camp of the Third Penn
| sylvania volunteers, which it has been
reported was a tropical jungle on worth
less land until cleared, and upon GEAR
ing Which the troops are said to have
worked like slaves until it was fit for a
camp site. While your committee can
not state the condition OF this land
when the troops arrived, it found no ap-
pearance of a tropical jungle here or il
the vicinity. There were no evidence of
there having been serious work in pre-
pairing the camps, although is usual
there were small bushes, vines and
low palms scattered here and there over
the site ana the auJ3CGnJ
Altogether the committee was most IA
vorabiy impressed with the character
of the site selected" The balance of the
report shows that the state of Florida
owns the lands. and that no man by
the name Of AlSer ever had any interest
in them.
Heard Some Professional Nurses.
The commission yesterday heard sew
eral of the professional female nurses.
including Miss Copeland, chief nurse at
the Third division hospital; Miss Rob-
bins. head nurse at the First division
hospital; Miss Hubbard. head nurse at
the Second division hospital, and Misses
Walker and Waters, ward nurses. Miss
Copeland spoke in commentator of the
conduct Of the hospitals. and said that
the nurses were well treated and ap-
parently much respected. When the
nurses first came to the camp there was
only ore nurse to each forty or sixty
patients, but this condition had been
steadily improved. There was also in
the beginning some scarcity of appli-
ances for the sick, such as hot water
bottled, which-while not a necessity
were often a comfort. She spoke of
some nurses who had made complaints,
but there were of the kind of persons
who are never satisfied with any situa-
ton.
Society Aid Not a Necessity.
Major James L. Pitcher, of the regular
army, depot surgeon for the Seventh
army corps, said that since the early
days of the camp there had been no
difficulty in securing an abundance of
medical supplies and that they were
much more plentiful and of greater
variety than was usual in the regular
army. DR.. Conner pressed DIR. Pitcher
closely on this point, saying to him that
the country was full of the report that
the medical department of the govern
mcnt was not capable of meeting the
demands made upon it, and that but for
the aid of such relief societies as the
Red Cross, there would have been act
uai suffering. To this Dr. Pitcher re-
piled that such was not the case, and
he maintained the capability of the
government to take good care of its
own sick. He said that it would have
been ungracious not to accept the aid
offered by the relief societies.
Complaints from an Illinois Company.
Captain John W. Swatek. of company
L, Second Illinois, complained that or
two or three occasions the fresh meat
furnished his men had been poor, but
said that on all other occasions the food
had been good and ample. Gen. Dodge
told the captain that there had been
complaints from almost every man in
the company in regard to their break
fasts and suppers. Captain SWATCH re-
piled that he had eaten the same food
given the men, and that it was salts
factory to him. He said, however. that
he did not ordinarily inspect the meats
of the men. Sergeant A. F. forenoon,
of the same company, admitted that
there was some complaints among the
men. but he thought the complaints
were due to the fact that the men were
homesick.
COL. BRYAN ASKS TO BE EXCUSED
And His Lieutenant Colonel Is Examined
in His stead.