Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-04
WAR NURSES INCOMPETENT AND
SUPPLIES HARD TO GET.
MAJOR HELBURN TESTIFIES
NO BLAME FOR MEDICAL DEPART-
MENT, But FOR THE SYSTEM.
ReSimental Commanders Detailed
Their Most Worthless Men as
Nurses-TwO-thirds of Sick
ness Due to the Mems
Own Neglect.

General Sexton and DR.. Conner. of the war
investigating commission, reached Fort
Thomas. Ky, at 10 a. M, in company with
Major Hall. who is the surgeon in charge
of the hospitals at that place. The commits
sioners proceeded on n tour of inspection
through all the wards of the hospitals.
They also inspected the camp of the
Sixth regiment. which is in tents on the
grounds adjoining the hospitals. This regi-
ment was cut TO pieces in the Santiago
campaign, and has since been recruited.
General Dodge put many questions to the
patients in the hospitals concerning their
treatment, but found no one complaining.
He was especially interested in those trans
ported the previous day from Lexington.
They were all in good spirits, and appar-
entity not affected by the railroad journey.
The afternoon session was occupied in
hearing three witnesses, mostly on the con-
dition of the division hospital at Chicka-
mauga. The first witness was Major L. +.
Helburn. of the Second Kentucky now mus
tered out. The death list of his regiment
he stated, was twenty-siX, most of whom
died at home on furlough. He knew that
there was a shortage of cots in the hospital
as well as of tents. In answer to questions
by DR.. Conner he stated that he served on
q commission appointed on account of Il
complaint of the colonel of the First Arkan-
DR.. Ward, the witness, and Major Jack
son formed the commission. The commit
tee was appointed in the latter part of
August and reported about September 5.
The patients We're then being removed to
the hospital and the hospital was in
chaotic condition. The sinks We're as close
as $50 feet from the wards, and were in
an unclean condition. There was dump
Ing ground where other refuse was thrown.
There was a gully running right through
the site. The sick Were in fairly good
condition. The committee examined 200 or
800 witnesses, including commander, chap
lain, privates, hospital corps. nurses and
visitors. The committee concluded that
at first, the hospital was in Il bad cor
dition, but it got better, and during Major
Smiths control it was in Il good condition.
The committee found that the cause for
its bad condition arose from the fact that
1t was not intended to be more than
temporary hospital, but the sick increased
so rapidly that it was overcrowded, An
other cause was the incompetency of men
detailed from regiments for nurses. In
many regiments the most worthless men
were detailed for that duty. The detail
was made according to regulation. The
fault was not of the medical department
but of the system.
ing because of lack of tents and cots. so
that the patients were exposed to the rain
and compelled to lie on the ground. This
was the fault of the quartermaster's de-
partment. Requisitions were not filled for
from two to ten days, and in some in
stances were not filled at all.
The only complaint against the medical
corps was in the case of one Major Hub
bard, who required the sick to stand at at
tention while attending sick calls The
medical corps was not neglectful, but was
disheartened because of inability to get
supplies. medicine and proper nursing The
witness cited an instance of a thermometer
given to an orderly to be used for taking
the temperature of patients, and when
asked for it the next day, he said he did
not know what it was good for, and had
given it away. AS instances of neglect.
the witness said his committee had much
testimony that patients We're allowed to re-
main filthy ir their beds, and We're actual
ly f1y-blown. This neglect was chargeable
to the nurses directly. The nurses were
frequently changed, and the officers in
charge were also frequently changed Some
We're asked to resign and others broke
down.
The evidence before the committee show
ed that the medical officers were con-
the evils prevailing in the hospitals. The
witness read the statement of Major Smith
and of Colonel Hof, made to his committee.
The former was a scathing arraignment of
the inefficiency of the supply department.
Medicines, medical apparatus, ice and
drinking water and other necessities were
not furnished. He also complained bitter
ly of the incompetency of the nurses.
In answer to a question by General
Dodge, the witness said he did not know
AT the time he made this investigation that
the hospital commandant had any authority
to purchase any medical and commissary
supplies. and he did not think the COM
mandant knew it, for all the medical corps
complained of inability to get supplies.
Speaking of the water supply being un-
wholesome, he said he got his impression
of its unwholesomeness from an order
issued by the division commander that all
drinking water should be boiled
The witness being asked his own opinion
Chickamauga, said he thought that two
thirds of it was due to negligence of the
men themselves. In his own command men
who Were temperate and reasonably care
full of their health kept healthy. Many of
them drank stale beer after hot drills and
would lie about. cooling off suddenly. There
was a vast amount of unwholesome food
and drink sold by hucksters. until they
were prohibited. The witness cited the
Eighth and Ninth New York regiments.
which had canteens. and he said almost
the entire regiment was stricken by disease
This witness also read the statement of
Captain Charles Price, of the Second Ken
tucky. who told of hearing shrieks from
the Ninth New York ward and upon in
vestigating he found that Major Hubbard
was trying to administer medicine to n
patient. The major was brutal. Price in
terfered and Hubbard said that was the
only way to humor patient" The only
explanation he gave was that the patient
refused to take the medicine.
The reading was at this point interrupted
by the appearance of Captain Price and he
was examined. He testified that on one
occasion when he went to the hospital to
see one of his meen. who was i'll with
measles. he was informed that the patient
had been detailed to carry water. The
measles wards We're packed. the men being
wedged in like sardines. The same was
true of the typhoid and maIarial wards.
The witness. in describing the action of
Major Hubbard. said that he choked the
patient and forcibly pressed him down on
the cot He then caught the patient s
hands and then wrenChed them until the
poor man shrieked with pain. At this
point the witness said to Hubbard: Il do
not know your name. nor your rank, but
this brutality must stop Hubbard did
not stop but said something about showing
a patient how to refuse to take medicine.
Captain Price said he made it point 70
go every day to the hospital to see about
the treatment of the men of his company
and he found that in that way his men
were not permitted to suffer.
Columbia Cornerstone Laid.
COJJTMBIA. MO. Nov. 3.-(Special) The
cornerstone of the new EpiscopaliaH church