The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-15
Veterinary Surgeon Who Had
Charge of Army Hospitals.
HAD REGULAR DIPLOMA
DIR. HUTDEKoPER ENLIGHTENS
THE ALGER COMMISSION.
Said There Was a Shortage of Medi-
cal Supplies and Nurses and the
Sanitary Conditions at Camp
Thomas Were Bad-General Breck-
inridge Also On the Stand.

Breckenridge, DR.. Huidekoper and Ma
jor Fox were before the war investi-
eating commission today. General
Breckinridge's testimony dealt with
conditions at Camp Thomas, of which
he was for a time in command, and he
took occasion to say that but for the
change that was made previous to the
war requiring inspectors general in
the field to report to the adjutant gen
eral instead of The inspector general,
the condition Of the camps now being
developed by the commission would
have been developed three months ago.
Governor Woodbury. has returned
from Vermont and sat with the COM
mission today.
DR.. Huidekoper said he had occupied
position Of chief medical officer Of the
First army corps at Camp Thomas,
Chickanauea Park, until the 23rd of
July, when he had gone to Puerto
Rico with General Brooke.
DO you know" asked DR.. Common,
chat there was d full supply of medi-
cal stores at the depot at Lytle2"
L know that many articles were
lacking the doctor replied, and added:
TT is net true, as has been stated, that
s. there was q full supply.
Speaking of the condition of the camp
il general, he said that some Of the
sinks were excessively filthy. Some OF
them were never in proper condition.
who was responsible for that condl-
ti5n?" asked DR.. Conner.
THE officers of the regiment" re-
Piled DR.. Ruidekorer.
Did not the commanding general
have a duty to perform in that con-
nection?"
The reply to this question was not
satisfactory. as DR.. Conner insisted
upon knowing whether anything had
ever been done by the commanding
general to secure the punishment of
regimental officers who had refused to
obey orders for the proper policing Of
the camns. but Dr. Huidekoper de-
clared that he knew OF no instance of
the prosecution of any offense Of this
kind.
Responding to a request from ex-
Governor Beaver, DR.. Huidekoper de-
tailed the particulars of his education
as a physician. giving also his expert
ence in military service. He said he
had been graduated as physician
from the University of Pennsylvania
in 1874, and afterwards had studied
much in Paris, Berlin and other Eu-
roDean capitals. and had had conSid-
cradle experience in hospitals and in
general practice. He went to Europe a
second time on the recommendation OF
Dr. D. Hayes Agnew, who desired to
establish a veterinary hospital. After
returning to this country he went to
New York and engaged largely in the
manufacture of toXines, only practicing
human medicine for charity. He had
been q surgeon in the Pennsylvania
national guard from 1874 to 1893, being
brigade surgeon NEST OF the time, COW
ering the Homestead strikes and the
Johnstown floods.
1 In answer to q question from General
Beaver. the witness said that Deputy
Al Surgeon General Hartsum had refused
? TO supply disinfectants for the camp al
Chiclamauga, saying that to do so was
contrary to army regulations.
DR.. Huidekoper referred frequently
during his testimony to his difficultie:
in securing nurses. He said he haC
once secured an approach to the neces-
sary number through an arbitrary or
der from General Brooke, and wher
this order was issued the companies in
sisted on furnishing their worst men il
service in the hospital corps, One was
an epileptic and one q confirmed drunk
ard, yet the men who had given hin
the worst nurses were generally the
first TO make complaint of lack of at
tention. The witness said the sick il
Puerto Rico had good grounds for con
tTadicting the assertion of DR.. Hart
snuff that they had been neglected. He
said il was not true that DR.. Hartsnuf
had taken charge of q hospital, as tht
latter had stated. because of its man
;Lgement. DR.. Hartsnuff had volun
teered to take a hospital on one occa
sion. but the offer had been declined
so that it was all on paper.
BRECKENRIDGE TESTIFTES
General J. c. Breckinridge appeared
before the commission during the af
ternoon session. His testimony deal
largely with Camp Thomas, of whicl
he was in command from the 7th o
August until the camp disintegrated
He said that when he assumed chargt
the camp was at the beginning of al
epidemic of fever, and that this con
dition gradually grew worse. He founC
much that needed remedying from
sanitary point OF view when he as
sumed command, but the condition.
varied in the numerous regimenta
camps. He was under the impression
taat al ordinary efforts had been mad
skb.f the officers in command to instruc
sthe regimental officers in the name
Of sanitation, and he thought mis- in
struction mad borne fruit
General Breckenridge expressed tn
opinion that Chickamauga park wa
suitable as a camp site. He was of tn
Ol'AlAO41 LtAelL liz water COuiO nave DEGl
vastly improved if there had been
willingness to go off the reservation
for it.
General Breckenridge said that tn
condition of all the hospitals at Cam
Thomas, except Sternberg, was bad
They We're crowded and there was
lack of skill on the part of attendants
He also thought the cuartermaster'
department had been remiss in some o
its duties, but he attributed all tn
trouble to want of experience.