The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-11-04
"A DOCTORS BRUTALITY
CH0KED A PATIENT TO FORCE HIM TO
TAKE MEDICINE.
Worthless Men Detailed for Nurses. Medical
Cor, $ D!sheartened by inability to Get
Supplies. Nurses Criminal
Neglect.

Neglect.
Cincinnati. November 3.--General
Dodge, General Sexton and DR.. Connor
of the war investigating commission, in
spected the hospitals at Fort Thomas,
Kentucky to-day.
! The afternoon session was occupied in
the hearing of three witnesses. mostly
on the condition of the division hospitals
at Chickamauga.
| The first witness was Major e. +. Het-
burn. of the Second Kentucky. now mus
tered out a
| In answer to questions by DR.. Conner
he stated that he served on commits
sion appointed on account of a complaint
| of the Colonel Of the First Arkansas to
investigate the division hospital.
! This commission was appointed in the
latter part Of August and reported about
September 9Th. The hospital, the wit
ness said. was in n chaotic condition.
The sinks We're rs close as $50 feet from
the wards and were in an unclean con-
dition. There was Il dumping ground
where other refuse was thrown.
| In many regiments, said the witness,
the most worthless men were detailed
for nurses. The detail was made ac-
cording to regulation. The fault was
not OF tho medical department., hut CT
the system. THE commission found UNI
necessary suffering because Of lack Of
tents and Of cots so that the patients
were exposed to the rain and compelled
to lie ON the ground This was the
fa,lf of tho Ydapa rtrnapf
acquisitions were not filed for from two
to ten days and in some instances were
not filed at ALL. fs, $l
PATIENTS WERE FLY BLOWN.
The only complaint against the medical
corps was in the case OF one Major Hub
bard. who required the sick to stand
at attention while attending sick calls.
The medical corps was not neglected.
but was disheartened, because of inabil-
ity to get supplies, medicine and proper
nursing. AS instances of neglect, the
witness said his commission had much
testimony that patients were allowed to
remain filthy in their bed and were ac-
tually fly blown. This neglect was
chargeable to the nurses directly.
The evidence before the commission
showed that the medical officers were
conscientious and did their utmost to
remedy the evils prevailing in the hos
pitfalls. The witness read the statement
of Major Smith and of Colonel Hof,
made to his commission. The former
was scathing arrangement Of the ineffi-
cheney of the supply department.. Medi-
cines, medical apparatus, ice and drink
ing water and other necessities were not
f,yrpicha1 Iyo alec cnp,n1o n mod hiftarly
of the incompetency of the nurses.
In answer to question by General
Dodge the witness said he did not know
at the time he made this investigation
that the hospital commandnnt had au-s
thority to purchase any medical and
commissary supplies and he did not think
the commandment knew it. For all the
medical corps complained of inability to
get supplies.
HuBBARD'S BRUTATITY.v
Captain Price Of the Second Kentucky,
testified that on one occasion when he
went to the hospital to see one of his
men, who was i'll with measles he was
Informed that the patient had been de-
tailed to carry water. The measles wards
were packed, the men being wedged in
like sardines. The same was true of
the typhoid and malarial wards.
On one occasion entering the Ninth
New York ward he fouad Major Hub
bard, one Of the doctors, choking
patient and forcibly pressing him down
on his cot. He then caught the patient
hands and wrenched them until the poor
man shrieked with pain.
At this point the witness said to Hub
bard:
Il do not know your name or your
rank, but this brutality must STOP
Hubbard did not stop, but said some
thing about showing patient how to ~
fuse taking medicine
| Captain Price said he made it q point
to go every day to the hospital to see
about the treatment Of the men of his
company and he found that in that way
his men We're not permitted to suffer.
FRIGHTFUL CONDITIONS. s.
Camp Meade, Middletown, Pa, Nov.
3.-The war investigating commission
began business ut the Lachiel hotel this
evening with three members present
Generals Beaver and Wilson and Cap
tain Howell. This afternoon they paid
a visit to Camp Meade and were shown
over the city of tents by General Young.
The only witness this evening was Cap
tain Frank n. Moore of the Ninth
Pennsylvania, who gave testimony con
corning the condition of things at the
Chickamauga camp. Eightytwo men Of
Moore's company were sick at one time.
and three Of his men died from typhoid
fever, one Of whom was his brother. He
ascribed his death partly to the nurses
at Letter hospital He criticised the
food supply and complained of the lack
of medical supplies. He thought the
water supply and filthy cess pools were
| responsible for the epidemic of typhoid.
Many days his company had only Il
barrel and a half of water, and this
had to be hauled over four miles, Po-
! tatoes and salt pork were often bad,
| and the latter was frequently filed with
maggots. Moore said that much Of the
| sickness in his company was due to the
| long march to the review by General
Sanger. The Commissary Department
would not issue disinfectants and the
regiment was compelled to buy what
medical SuDDlipS were not donated nv