Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-21
Surgeon General George R.
Sternberg Makes His Report.
Not Camp Sites But Manner Of Oc-
cupying Responsible for Disease.
Treatment Of the Sick at Home and in
the West Indies.

i0tes mainly 10 the work OF the medica
| corps during the war. The followins
are the more important features of thu
report:
| The number of medical officers, 1872
| allowed by law to the army, is made
| quate in time of peace. The INSULT
cheney in the time of war was met b,
the assignment of over $50 contrac
surgeons. The very small proportion
OF medical officers having experience OF
military characted Impaired the eff.
1ency of the department at the outset
but many of the staff surgeons from
civil life showed great aptitude for the
service and speedily became of value
as administrative and sanitary officers
No provision was made for hospital
corps men for the volunteer troops ex-
cept that which empowered the secre-
tary of war to enlist as many privates
OF the hospital corps as the service may
require. The number of men enlisted
and transferred during the war was ap-
proxilnately 5000.
The want of a sufficient body OF
trained hospital corps men necessitated
the detail of enlisted men from the reg
iments for hospital duty in several of
the camps and the employment of
trained nurses at the general hospitals.
over 100 female nurses have been en-
ployed, at first at the general hospitals
and later on the field division hospitals,
when it became evident that the field
service purposes for which the latter
had been organized would have to give
place to the imperative need of caring
for the many sick men coming from the
regimental camps.
Immediately upon the declaration of
war, April q, steps were taken to OBJ
tain medical supplies for the new. vol
unteer army. The manufacture was
expected with the utmost dispatch. On
May 3, foreseeing that it would be inn
possible to have ready for issue to the
volunteer regiments as soon as they
We're mustered in, the necessary arti-
cles of field equipment, / telegraphed
the governors of the several states for
authority to use the medical equipment
of the National Guard in the service
in the state until our army medical
supplies were ready for ISSUE Most
OF the governors who had field equip
ment responded promptly and salts
factoNily, but unfortunately many of
the state medical departments had no
such equipment.
Meanwhile the officers in charge of
the medical supply depots We're direct
ed to make arrangements so that sup
plies could be Immediately obtained for
IO0,000 men for six months. Whenever
notice was received from the adjutant
generals office that commands We're to
be moved or camps formed, endeav-
ored to anticipate the wants of the
troops by telegraphing to the officers
in charge of the nearest supply depot
to forward supplies for the stated num-
Der of men.
In my opinion the reduction of the
age limit from q to Is years and the
haste with which the volunteer regi-
ments were organized and mustered in
to the service, We're responsible for
much of the sickness which was re-
ported in the early days of their camp
life. All military experiences show
that young men under q years of age
break down readily under the strain of
war service; and every regiment had
many of these youths in it's ranks.
Medical examiners were appointed to
testify to the physical qualifications OF
each man before acceptance, but not
Wlthstanding this SO many men were
found on the sick lists of |
the camps unfit for service from caus-
es existing prior to enlistment, that
special arrangement had to be made
for their discharge.
Soon after the newly raised Ievies |
were aggregated in large camps sick |
ness began to increase progressively |
rom causes that We're so general in |
their operation that scarcely a regi-
nent escaped from their harmful in I
1uence. These causes may largely be
referred to ignorance on the part of /
officers or principles of camp SANTA
ion and of their duties or and respon-
'ibilities as regards the welfare of en-
isted men in their commands.
The sites of certain of the camps
ave been instanced in the newspapers
IS the cause of the sickness which was
developed in them, but review of the
whole situation shows that it was not
he site. but the maner of it's Occupa-
ion which must be held responsible for
he general spread of disease among
he troops. April 25, 1899, foreseeing
he likelihood of unsanitary conditions
n the camps, issued circular No. 1.
upon medical officers their
in sanitary matters and
he necessity for a strict sanitary no.
ce, especially in the care of sinks and
\ the preservation of the camp area
rom contamination. But the density
I the military population on the area
these contracted camps prevented
ne possibility of good sanitary condi-
on. Camps of this character may be
coupled for week or two at a time
'ithout serious results in the case OF
RATIONAL Guardsmen out for 10 days' ,
cid practice during the summer but
heir continued occupation will newt
bly, result in the breaking down of the
by diarrhoea, dysentery and
1phoid fever.
Practically nothing was done to
Continued on page ~
DIR. Bulls Cough Syrup prevents
imptiorA One-fifth of the deaths in eft
are from consumption. caused by neg