The record-union., 1898-11-08


them to bring sufficient water. On
several occasions he had visited the
ground situated around where the sup
| ply was taken from the river, and felt
| convinced from what he saw that much
! Of the prevailing disease was caused by
| the negligence of the policing depart
ment in allowing the soldiers TO go at
| will through the woods situated along
| the banks of the stream. He gave this
| as reason for many Of the cases OF
| typhoid fever existing in the camp.
/ Another feature which contributed
largely to the sick list, in the opinion
of the doctor, was the laxity shown in
issuing passes to the men and allowing
them to visit other camps. Fifty Ter
cent. of the Sickness" said the doctor.
would not have been in existence had
the men not been allowed to leave
Chiekamauga Park on passes
He gave as his opinion that the med
ical officers were hampered too much
by officers of higher rank, but who had
no medical training.
In reference to the division hospitals,
the doctor said: II think there should
have been a hospital in Chattanooga
where class of patients could have
| been taken who were going to be sick
any length of time. The division hos
pltal,' he continued, lis never intended
Tor cases where patients We're going
to be sick any length Of time
When questioned as to the lack Of
nurses, the doctor said he thought both
the nurses as we'll as the doctors were
overWorked
| Mrs. Virginia F. Betz Of Chicago was
the next witness. She entered COM
plant in reference to the death Of her
son, Frank NJ, who enlisted with Com
pany L, First Illinois Volunteers. He
was taken sick at Santiago, and was
taken to Montauk on the transport
Berlin. From there he was allowed to
go home on furlough, when he should
have been sent to the hospital. Ee
was sent home entirely unattended, and
was compelled to ride in a day coach
instead Of being provided with a berth
IN a sleeping car. He arrived home
September 1st, and September 18th he
died. 1t was the opinion of Mrs. BetZ
that the medical officers should not
| have allowed her son to have returned
home when he should have. been sent
to the hospital, or if he must be sent
home, she claimed that he should have
4 had an attendant.
/ DR.. Nicholas Sem gave testimony
before the commission at the evening
session. He was at Chickamauga three
weeks in June.
Forty thousand troops were there at
that time he said, "and the sick ac-
cumulated very rapidly. Provision was
being made for them as fast as could
be done. When I was there, good
many of the sick were on the ground.
There were only a limited number of
cots. Medical supplies were on hand
to a limited extent. We never had
! difficulty in having acquisitions recoS-
nized and indorsed, but somehow it re-
quired an unusual length Of time for
the things to get there"
DR.. Sem said he thought the men in
| charge of the hospitals did very we'll,
considering that they were new in the
service. He continued: "Of course a
great many of the nurses were incom-
petent, although they did the best they
could. 1 have no knowledge of any
nurse having been drunk at Chicka-
mauga While 1 was there l saw many
sick men lying in their camp clothing,
but do not know how long they had
been so. / have heard that nurses
emptsed bed pans on the ground out
side the tents, but I never saw it. My
impression of the division hospitals
We're very favorable, considering the
circumstances. / left Chckamauga
when the typhoid fever was spreading
rather rapidly. / doubt :. If isolation
would have had much influence to pre-
vent the spread of typhoid. 1 attri-
butte the spread of the disease to the
fact that typhoid fever was brought to
Chickamauga by some of our State
troops also to poor sewerage"
When asked as to the conditions pre-
vailing at the front at Santiago as re-
CARDS the care of the sick and the fur
nishing of necessary supplies, DR.. Sem
said there were few cots for the sick,
and most of the men slept on the
ground. He continued:
There was also a lack of tents. and
much difficulty was experienced in get
ting proper medical supplies. We
brought ample supplies in the hospital
SHIPS, but we had no lighters to un-
load them. We could not land them
from the ships for three days. If the
supplies had been landed they would
nave lasted a little over ten days. There
should have been supplies enough TO
have lasted thirty days"
In Porto Rico DR.. Sem said he found
the hospitals in good condition.
Or. Sem recommended the establish
ment of trained and well paid hos
pltal corps. He thought the mobiliza-
ton of troops in Southern camps detri-
mental to the health of the soldiers
and instead of their becoming accli-
mated. they We're, in his opinion, great
iy debilitated in Chickamauga, Tampa
AID Camp Alger
benjamin ]. Moore, Second Lieuten-
ant of Company K, First Illinois, who
had yellow fever at Siboney, had no
particular complaint to make about
MS treatment at Siboney, although he
thought the attendance was perhaps in
adequate
The commission adjourned until 9
O'Clock tomorrow morning.
Unknown Steamship Ashore.