The times., 1898-11-21

NUN DA3. NJ
proved construction were issued on my
recommendation by the quartermaster's
department"
Care of the Sick.
Under the heading. Care OF the Sick
and Wounded it states:
Medical officers left on duty with their
regiments were to exercise sanitary SUI
peryision over the well men and to de-
termine whether a soldier reporting him.
self sick should be sent to hospital or re-
main as trivial case under treatment In
quarters. This consolidation of the med
ical force by divisions, implying as 1t did
the breaking up of the regimental hos
pitfalls. met with a strong opposition from
regimental medical officers, particularly
from those who were not detailed for spe-
cial service at the division hospitals.
Long before the Fifth Army Corps en-
barked for Cuba Its field hospitals were
In condition for efficient service. Subse-
quent events, however. rendered valueless
these preparations of the medical depart
ment When the command embarked on
the transport vessels the baggage wag-
-ons and mules were left behind. SThe am
bulance trains of all the divisions. with
a large part of the outfit of each of the
hospitals, were also left behind.
'Of the property and supplies carried to
Cuba portion was not available for SER
vice at the time it was most needed. TO
wit: On July /, and 3, when the wound
ed from Ell Caney and San Juan were
coming from the front for care and treat
ment. This was because, in general no
opportunity was afforded toiahd the med
ical property. --~~
Earnest efforts were made by medical
officers to have supplies at the font with
the troope. Some having succeeded in
getting their medicine chests and other
articles of medical property ashore. had
these carried forward on litters by hos
pital corps men to the camps near Seyilla,
while others turned their private mounts
into pack horses for this purpose. Dur
ing and after the battle at FL Caney and
San Juan there was insufficiency of tents
cots, bedding and medicines. due 10 the
causes stated but all the hospitals were
well equipped for surgical work.
After the capitulation of Santiago, the
troops at the front broke down rapidly
under the fatigues they had undergone
and the malarial influences to which they
were exposed; but by this time an ample
supply of tents, furniture. bedding, cloth
ing and medical stores had reached ST.
honey, together with a corps of trained
nurses and force of surgeons, those
sent TO duty at the yellow fever hospital
being immune to that disease. Meanwhile
to relieve the pressure on the field hos
pitals such convalescents and sick as
could bear the journey home were sent
! to the United States on transport vessels.
| This was an emer5 ency measure to relieve
the hospitals at SibOney and permit of
the transfer to them of the men who
We're sick in regimental camps.
Emergency Measure.
THE transfer OF troops from Santiago
to Montauk Point, n. Y, was also an
| emergency measure, and the great re-
sponsbiiIty of excluding yellow fever in-
fection from every transport rested on
the medical officers who had charge of
the embarkation. Had they failed in this
duty, the effect would have been disas-
trous during the voyage to the men con-
fined on shipboard, and the risk OF i'm
porting the disease into this country
would have been greatly increased.
The difficulties in the way OF admins
tering the affairs of the detention hospit-
al were very great, owing to the rapidity
with which the transports followed each
other in their arrival. The temporary hos
( pital, which was locally known as the
I general hospital. Montauk Point, consist
! ed OF tent payilions, containing l,672 cots.
! Its personnel consisted of 80 medical men,
stewards, 10 acting stewards. 130 pri-
Yates of the hospital corps, 10 cooks. and
! so male nurses, and an average of 200 fe
! male nurses, one-half of whom were Sis
tiers of Charity. Supplies of all kinds
were amply provided.
| TT is needless to refer at this time TO
! the complaints of starvation which ap-
! peared almost daily in the newspapers
during the occupation of Camp Wikoff.
for it is now generally understood that
| the weakness, prostration, anaemia and
! emaciation OF so many of the troops Were
the results of malarial. typhoid. and yell
4 low fever. from which the army suffered
as consequence of its exposure to the
climatic influences and local infections of
! Santiago and its neighborhood. pending
/ and subsequent TO the surrender of the
city.
Defense of His Department.
THE method of hospital organization In
home camps was practically the same;
and there was much similarity in the
conditions affecting them and corre-
spondingly in their history. Regiments
! reported in but few instances with the
I material and supplies for their medical
! care; but they brought sick men with
them and these required immediate care.
Provision had to be made for division
hospitals in view of future field service
/ anu LOT TtSlIHtIlldi ioSplidIS III view VI
| the immediate necessity.
THE difficulties in the way of the con-
temporaneous accomplishment of these
two objects were great and they were
greatly augmented by the inexperience
of a majority of the reginental medical
officers and of many of the chief sur
geons which prevented them from seeing
beyond the immediate necessity. The sick
had TO be cared for and to this end medi-
cines and other things had to be pro-
cured
| Relief societies offered assistance and
this was eagerly accepted by many of
these medical officers, not alone for deli
cacies or luxuries not otherwise provided
for, but for supply table articles which
could have been had from the medical
puryeyors in their camps. or by tele-
graphic requisition on the surgeon gen.
eral. 1t was easier to accept what was
SO freely offered than to learn how &c
obtain the articles from the proper
source.
ITO explain their prompt acceptance OF
this assistance these officers referred to
the red tape of the War Department
methods and the insinuation that the said
methods were beyond the comprehension
of the ordinary intellect was accepted by
the sensational press as an explanation
in full
Special diet kitchens, under the man
asement of capable individuals, were
opened at most of the hospitals Money
for this purpose was sent to them by
me from funds contributed and placed a,
my disposal. Money was also sent di-
rectly by individuals and Representatives
! of aid societies; and the Red Cross com
mittees supplied quantities of ice ant