The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-09-19
Tn. R.,poosiblIi,v.


The defense which Surgeon General
sternberg makes of the conduct of the
medical department of the army Is In
terestIng at this time. when that de-
partment OF the military service is un-
der fire as a result of the sensational
publications and the wildly exagger-
ated statements that have been made.
The surgeon general deals with the
matter frankly, and clearly shows that
many newspaper articles have been
based upon a misrepresentation of the
responsibility of the head of the de-
partment. Incidentally, 1t may be re-
called that some time since he asked
for an investigation. in order that the
responsibility for whatever causes for
complaint there were might be fixed,
and that the medical department is In
cluded in the list OF branches Of the
service which the President proposes to
inquire into.
It appears that the surgeon general
himself is not directly responsible for
field work in the armies. There is a
chief surgeon for each army corps, who
is only responsible to the commanding
general, while the i've hundred regi-
mental surgeons ia the volunteer army
are appolntees of the governors Of the
states, and not of the war department
There are six hundred contract surgeons
employed, making eleven hundred sur
geons, the details of whose work it
would be absurd to hold the surgeon
general OF the army responsible for.
DR.. sternberg declares that the surgeon
general is responsible for the purchase
and Issuing OF medical supplies. These
duties have been faithfully performed,
as has already been shown, but he
shows plainly the Important fact that
1t is wholly the duty of the medical off,
GERS with the commands and the reg
mental surgeons to make the requIsi-
lions for supplies.
Herein seems to lie the cause for
many complaints. The office at WASH
Ing.oa could not furnish supplies unless
the applications were made for them
and made in time. II supplies were
permitted to become exhausted before
notifications for more medicines were
given the medical headquarters could
not be blamed, but the officers on duty
in this camps. Surgeon General Stern
berg does not attempt to shlrk his own
personal responsibility, but he enlIght-
ems the public upon the details of the
service and upon tho real responsible
ties in a way which aHlll do much in
clearIns away misunderstanding
Another matte, which the surgeon
general calls attention to is that the
medical department is in no way con-
nected with the transportation of
troops on trans en- route from camps
to the homes Of the soldiers, nor has
the surgeon general control Of the trans
port ships, about which complaints have
been made, except IN the case OF TWO
hospI,a! ships, neither of which has
been the cause of any crltIcism.
General S,ernberg has made out a
pretty strons case in his statement.
Eleven hundred surgeons have had d.
rect charge of the sick, while reglmentnl
commanders have had the duty of COM
polling the observance of sanitary rules
and the laws OF health by the troops.
If red tape has at any time caused delay
In medical supplies 1t is the fault of the
system. That has already been correc:-
ed. The sensational press Is RESPONSE
bic for any misrepresentation among
the people.