The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-11-04
DIR. HARTSUFF'S TESTIMONY.
Much Suffering Due to Inexperience and
1nefficency.

lnefficiency.
Washington, Nov 3.--Dr. A. Hartsuff.
who was chief surgeon of the army ut
Camp Thomas, Chickamauga Park, from
the 21st of April until the 9th of July
last, was examined to-day by Colonel
DENLY of the war investigating COM
mission concerning the conduct of the
camp from medical point Of view. He
criticised various features in the man
agement of the camp, beginning with the
location of some Of the regiments. He
said that the park. was on general prin-
ciples, Il good camp ground, but that
some of the regiments were located in
swampy sections and others on rocky
ground where it was impossible to get
the sinks of sufficient depth. In other
cases the camp was poorly drained and
in most instances the tents were too
close together. He said the sites were
selected by General Brooke, and not
withstanding his own position as chief
medical officer, he had not been con-
suited in regard to the location. He had
made formal protest at the time but
the protest was not needed. DIR. Hart
suff took positive ground against the
establishment Of division hospitals at
the expense of the regiments. He said
that the law for the organization of vol
unteer forces did not provide for the
establishment Of hospital corps, and
that as consequence there was no force
for the hospital work, and the only way
to get one was to transfer men from
the volunteer force to the regular force,
and oftentimes these men were not the
most efficient that could be secured.
He thought division or field hospital
was Il necessity, but he did not think it
should be built up as at present by
taking surgeons, stewards and ambu-
lances from the regiments, but rather as
an independent institutions. He had
found that regimental surgeons and
nurses transferred to division hospital
were not so capable of rendering good
services; many were quite useless,
others were almost paralyzed. Further
more there was immense confusion in
transferring the regimental effects to the
hospital, and in sending them back when
the regiments were ordered away. 1t
was, he said, a case of confusion worse
COMPOUNDED.
do YOU" asked Colonel DENLY,
think the establishment of division hos
pitfalls bad policy?"
VERY bad as done," responded the
witness.
Couldn't you, as chief medical officer,
have controlled the matter?' he was
next asked.
mo, sir; it was an order of the Secre-
tary of War, and under this order no
regimental hospital could be maintained
SIN my opinion" added the Doctor.
''the sickness at Camp Thomas was due
largely to the inexperience and in many
cases the inefficiency of the medical Off
GERS. and also to the ineffciency and in
experience of line officers who did not
furnish the support. they should have fur
nished to the medical department. The
execution Of any plan of operation rests
largely with the line officers, the duties
of the surgeons being limited to recon-
mendatioIts. They are, therefore. un-
able to correct abuses themselves and
must depend upon others to do that.
This applies to the officers of regiments,
as well as to general officers"
DR.. Hartsuff holds the rank of Colonel
in the regular army. and is now chief
surgeon of the Department of the Lakes,
with headquarters at Chicago.
1t was explained at the War Depart
ment that this first movement Of troops
to Cuba was ordered in advance Of the
date originally intended, for the reason
that the Spanish evacuation commits
.sioners had unexpectedly notified the