The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-21

Most Of the Witnesses Say Condi-
lions Are Satisfactory.
HOSPITAL CORPS MEN INCOMPETENT.
They nud the Volunteer Surgeons
BInmcd for All the shortconinss.
Colonel Brynn Was Excused.


tuting the subcommittee appo.nei TO
Visit and report upon the conditions OF the
camp at Fernandna, made their report to
Inc fml committee today Their report
says the camp was well located aud that
heitner Aiger nor any other government Of
| iicai owned or was interested In the land
which belonged to the State of Florida.
the war investigating commission heard
several OF the professional female nurses
today, Including Miss Copeland chief
nurse at the Third division hospital; SIS
| hoDoins mead nurse at the First division
| hospital, and Misses Walker and Waters.
| ward nurses.
Miss Copeland spoke in commentator OF
the conduct OF the hospitals, and she said
that the nurses were we'll treated and ap-
parently much respected. Miss Copeland
| sad that when the nurses first came 10
| the camp there was only one nurse 10 each
| iorty or sixty patients, but tnls condition
| hau been steadily improved. There WAS
also IN the beginning some scarcely OF ap-
| phanees Tor the sick, such as hot water
| bottles which, while not necessity were
often a comfort.
MAYOR James u. Pitcher OF the REGULAR
army, depot surgeon Tor the Fifth army
corps, said that since the early days of The
camp there had been no difficulty in Sc
curing abundance OF medical supplies, and
that they were much more plentiful and
of greater variety than was usual In the
regular army In the first history OF the
camp supplies were ordered from lam Il
and it was difficult and sometimes impcs-
slble to secure supplies. He thought the
medical stan here was efficient rs a 81
clans. but they were without adminlstu-
tive ability. Many Of them knew nothing
OF formulating acquisitions aud wero nov
disposed to learn. To this Dr. Pitcher at
tributed the fact that so much of relIs
supplies We're asked for In preference to
those furnished by the government. He
thought that ii the physicians had under
, stood this line OF their business they need
not have called upon the relief associations
} to such an extent. Still the relief assoc
Citations were supplied with ready money
and could supply all articles required i'm
mediately. Furthermore there was no re-
, sponslblity on the part Of the surgeons for
the articles secured from outside sources
J as there was for government supplies.
, Dr. Connor pres ed Dr. i'ilcne, CLOSELY
! on this point, saying that the country was
full OF the report that the medical depart
, ment of the government was not capable
of meeting the demands made upon it and
B but for tho relief of such aid societies as
. the Red Cross there would have been actual
! suffering To this DR.. Pitcher replied that
4 such was not the case anil he maintained
Q the efficiency of the government to take
0 good care OF its own sick. He said 1t would
h, have been ungracious net to accept the aid
offered by the rel.ef societies.
Captain John Swattek OF company T., Sec
ond Illinois, complained that two or
) three occasions the fresh meat furnished
0 his men had been poor but sali That on all
2 other occasions the food had been good and
y ample.
. General Dodge told the captain that there
. had been complaint from almost every man
y | IN the In regard thgr bFpnk-
0 fasts and suppers Captain Swattek replied
. TG3t he had eaten the same food given the
9 men and that 1t was satisfactory to him.
o He said. however, that he did not ordinarily
9 inspect the meats OF the men, Sergeant A.
= Y. i4orenzen OF the same company admitted
"a that there was some complaint among the
. men, hut he thought the complaints were
. Niue to the fact that the men were home
g sick.
6 Colonel Taylor of the Fourth regiment
9 was the first witness before the war in
" vestigating commission at the afternoon
o session today He said he had no complaint
o whatever to make concerning any depart
!. mont OF the government and that be knew
. of no case OF wlllful neglect
o Lieutenant Morrow, acting cummissary OF
Q the Third ka, Colonel Bryan's regl-
o mept, testified to tho generally good char
o oeter OF the commissary supplies. He men,
. toned one or two instances when pdor ha-
q q con hail been received and sad there We're
|
. not az a serious character.
Colonel William j Bryan was called. He
o a ked to be excused from testtying and
. asked thet his lieutenant colonel be ex-
!. amiued in his stead.
~ You viii 10 doubt understand my rea-
:, sons" 10 said.
y II think the request very proper and rea-
y son4ble," responded Governor Beaver, and
~ as tho entire commits lon assented to this
NJ concession, Colonel Bryan was excused with
=, the request to SEMI up his lieutenant
- colonel.
!, ". L. Durbin of the l6lst Indiana said
= there were few compla uls from his men
-, and that hey were generally trivial lie
~ poke especially Of the grounds or the
- Third division hospital, saying they had
Tor q time been very poorly kept There
~ had, however, been vast improvement
ie since DR.. Clendennin hal succeeded DIR.
Jesurum OF tie Rough Riders. Colonel
~ Durbip also said there had been one or two
y Complaints OF neglect of his men at this
IS no pital.
y Colonel Hardin of the Sixth Missouri also
re complained thai the grounds OF the Third
div siou hospital hal not been well kept,
N DR.. A. Kent, pastor of the Peoples
: church at Washington and field agent at
', Jacksonville for the Red Cross, was asked
y concerning the operation of the Red cross
q at this point,
u at seemed" he said, "as II tho hospital
y, WAS arranged upon smaller scale than
~ was demanded. and as consequence there
was constant demand on the Red Gross to
o. supply the deficiency"
W. DR. Kent said he had heard many COM
plants concerning misconduct at the hos
VI pitfalls and many of them were apparently
IN well youehed for but they had not general
ae ~ proved well founded when investigated.
III Replying 10 question, he said he
&c thought II had been very difficult 10 get
y, medical men Of sufficient administrative
- ability TO manage such institutions as the
- division hospitals. Before the female
Y, nurses were secured the nurses who wore
!, " NJ United states hospital CORPS We're
=. y, not capable. They were not Intelligent. as
" y class. and while some Of them We're dog
gedly faithful they failed TO meet the re-
/. uuiremsnts. They did not seem to regard
y It as OF consequence II flies were crawling
In and out OF sick mans mouth with I'm
punity md he had seen as MANY as SIX
cases OF this kind at one time. Since the
4 trained nurses had been secured the sick
l. were better cared for than at home.