Evening star., 1898-11-21
A MEDICAL HISTORY
Surgeon General Sternberg's Report
as to the Spanish War.
ILLNESS AMONG YOUNG RECRUITS
Officers Ignorance of the Prin-
cip'es Of Camp Sanitation -
B AID DEINK ING WATER

S'tIHDer% Is GtNpted entirely to medical
history Of the Spanish war, from which
the folio wing extracts are taken:
The number of medical officers 1872 all
lowed oy law. to the army is inadequate in
time of peace. The insufficiency in time
Of war was met by the assignment Of over
go contract surgeons. The very small
proportion Of medical officers having cxDe-
rience Of a military character impaired the
efficiency of the department at the outset.
bat many Of the staff surgeons from civil
life showed great aptitude for the service
and speedily became of valCe as afrninis-
ua;ive and sanitary officers.
The want Of e sufficient body of trained
hospital corps men necessitatet the detail
of enlisted men from the regiment fer hos
pital duty in several of the camps and the
employment of trained nurses at the gen
eraI hospitals Over LOO female nurses
have been employed. at first at the gen
eral hospital and later at the field division
hospital. when it became evident that the
Held service purposes for which the latter
have been organized would have to give
place TO the imp, rs.tive peed of caring for
the many sick men coming from the rcgi-
mental camps.
Medical Supplies short.
Immediately upon the declaration of war
April II. steps were taken TO obtain medi-
cal supplies for the rev volunteer army.
the manufacture of which was expedited
with the utmost dispatch. On May 3. fore
seeing that it would be impossible to Eave
ready for issue to the volunteer regiments
as soon as they were must cred in the neces-
Slry articles of field equipment te!c-
graphic! the governors of the several states
for authority to use the medical equipment
of the N2tio7al Guard in the service Of = g
state until our army medical supplies were
ready Tor Issue. Most of the governors
who had field equipments responded
promptly and satisfactorily but unfortrl-
nateiy. many Cf the states medical depart
Tent had no such equipment. Maanv hffe
the officers III charge Of the medical sup
plies depot were directed to make arrange
rncnts 50 that supplies could be imme-
Ci5tely obtained for 1o1.o0 men for six
months
In my opinion the reduction Of the age
limit from tWenty-one 70 eighteen wears.
and the haste with which the volunteer
regiments Were organic i AMI mustered irto
the service. were responsible for much Cf
the sickness which was reported in the
early days of th"ir camp life. All military
experience shows that young men under
tWeNtE-One years break down readily un-
der the strain IF war service: and every
regiment had many Of these youths in is
ranks. NJ -aical examiners were appointed
To- testify To he physical qualifications Of
each man before acceptance: but. notwith
standing this. which at the time Was char
act-Tiz'1 in ths press q very rigorous
procedure. 50 MANY men were afterwarl
enlistment. that srecial ARRANGEMENTS had
to be made for their discharge.
Causes Os Sickness.
Soon after The newly raised Ievfes were
aggregated in large camps sickness began
to increase progressively from causes that
were 50 general in their operation that
scarcely a regiment escaped from their
harmful Influence. These causes may
90,
OF officers Of the principles Of camp santa
tiJn ard Of their duties and responsibilities
as regards the welfare Cf the enlisted men
In their commands. Medical Of5fcers a.
rule. were also without experience IN he
sanitation OF camps ana tho prevention Of
2= as aTr"TG troops. The few who knew
wh7, should be done We're insufficient 20
control the sanitary situation in the large
aC-regatiouS Of n}=u hastily gathered to-
Ey+ECr, Gf.ecrS and men in ;heze camps
were rife fer war. aud drill. parades, prac-
;ico marches and military camp duties oc-
-usiej the whole Of their time and ener-
Ei-=- Cr-siF gr" ,iCDS Of domestic economy
and sanitation in the companies and regi-
rlcrts WTre-uet given proper attention ANA
mon who were beinE taught TO meet The
enemy IN battle succurl1ri to the hard
ships and i-saU.r,rv conditions Of life in
their camps of instruction.
The sizes # certain Of n" camps have
seen instarcci I'm tho newspapers a. tha
cause of thc sickness which was developed
ID them. but q review Of tE- whole situation
-nuE- lls- Do was not the size, bIt the man
Ger 0f is 0Ccur axiom which must be held
responsible for The q neral spread Of disease
among The troops. On April - t~:S. fnse-
seeing rba likelihood Of insaniJ3ry condi-
tjaus in -ue camps Of our newly raised
-TOpps and with tho view Of preventing
them. J issued circular No. / from this Of
fec. iulUr-=siEG upon medical officers heir
TeSHeH-. .l,fIiy in sanitary matters and the
necessity for 4 SJTiCt sanitary police. partiC-
ular-y in the care Of the sinks and in The
Ir,- rEa'ioH of tbe camp area from con-
.r i. I'll. H..
population ON The area Of those contracted
camps prevented III. possibility of isOJd
sanitary condition. Camps Of This character
may he occupied for a week TWO at
;iuac without serious results. as in the case
~ national guaT6smen. out for ten days
field practice during the summer. but their
continued occupation VIII inevitably result
lG The breaking down Of the command by
diarrhoca. dyscntery and typhoid fever.
In~anitary Camp sites.
practically nothing was done 10 make
the men comfortable or 70 remedy she in
sanitary conditions until these were brought
20 The attention Of ;he Secretary of War
oy inspectors sent out by special orders
from The War Department. Then the camps
held for So long were abandoned. bur not
before the marif. stations Of typhoid infec-
ZION were Tttc In iG"u- New sites were care
fully selected. regiUt u;aI camps were ez-
raudr-i. company trntage increased and
board flooring provided Then. for the first
time. the TROOPS VEN into camps suitable
for continued occupation.
one prominent cause Of the increase of
sickness In the early camps has been COM
Tn"ut,I upon 10y only 4 few Of our medical
5fh Is. These cice he rev alence Of drunk
eHu,~s and OF veuervdI disease. due to ne
facilities and temptations afforded by fbe
proximity Of cities 20 the larger camps
They hold that il the systems of the men
had not been weakened by dissipation they
would uo- nave succumbed 50 readily 10 the
other iUEGcucC which affected them.
"N-larial fevers added to the sick lists of
'amrs IN Florida. and OF southern regiments
III lie c@Wps Of Georgia and Virginia.
II was. however, typhoid fever which
broke down the strength of the commands
generally. the outbreak becoming distinctly
manifest IN July Sporadic cases appeared
IN mos, of The regime nts in May and June,
these cases having been brought in many
instances irOm the state camps. In fact
some regiments, as the 10Th Minnesota
suffered more from this disease at their
state rendezvous than any of the regiments
IN the large federal camps. A few of the
reglinCntai commands iE the latter may be
said TO have escaped visitation. The SAN
itary conditions affecting the commands in
the various camps have been studied in con-