Rocky Ford enterprise., 1898-11-10
VERY BAD HOSPITALS
WAR BOARD STILL INvESTI-
eating.
:, Holds . Session At Chic ago at whioh
the Medical Authorities Are Scored
severely. .4n1, 'lAf.!

I, Holds = Session At Chic sgo At Which
the Medical Authorities Are Scored
severely. -g A4f,!
Chicago, Nov. 7.-Colonel Dodge,
Colonel Sexton and DIR. Connor of the
var investigating commission arrived
In Chicago to-day and Immediately be-
ran the examining of witnesses ut the
Auditorium hotel.
, large number OF witnesses nre on
Ebc list, and 1t is not likely that the.
three members of the commission will
oe able to leave Chicago before We'd
nesday. They will then go, to Detroit,
where the investigation will be con-
tlnucd. IT. 81
Mrs. Virginia +. Betz OF Chicago
was the next witness. She entered COM
plalnt In regard to the, death OF her
son, Frank l., who enlisted with Com.
many l.. First Illinois volunteers. He.
|was taken sick at Santiago and was
taken to Montauk on the transport
berlin. From here he was allowed to
90 home on furlough when he should
have been sent to the hospital.
DR.. Milo B. Ward OF Kansas City,
Missouri, who was II brigade surgeon
at Camp Thomas from July 18th Ito
September 10th, when asked ,ns to the
condition of the hospitals, said there
was a great lack OF medicines. only
tome OF the simplest medicines being
pn hand. ..,.,..s,.s ,r-t-. &
The food, which was furnished the
men," he said. 81 would not want to
rive my pet dog" He said that the
Iood would have, been MI right, had II
,een properly cooked, but in the shape
in which II was brought the men, 1t
vas enough to. make them sick.
The doctor was then questioned ns
o the lack OF attention shown to pa-
tents Just coming down with disease.
thc doctor stated that he knew OF sew
raj cases where the patient was nj
owed to lie on the ground the whole
lay and also the night before taken to
he hospital. The doctor was Hues-
ioned us to what his hours OF duty
we're supposed to he. His reply was
rom n. m. to = p. III. In this way the
tatIcnts were without medical attend
Incc during the night.
lis It possible that better. care could
laye been secured IL night calls had
snn mude!' was asked.
NO. sir. There was nothing to sec
hem for except to give the medicine.
Eevcnty-iive per cent. Of the patients
we're on cots and The other - per cent.
we're on stretcherx on the ground. four
. six inches from the ground. Some
lines some Of the men were put ON the
Aarc ground. but within few hours
hey were always put on cots or
frctchers.
DIR. Connor-Dld you ever see n man
u the bare ground. proppcd up against
tree In a dying condition. who died
ithin two or three hours after he
i'as put there?
Dr. ward-I never saw such q thing.
ut often heard of 1t. l don't believe
ever occurred. ~
Dr. Connor-what wns the reason
iit the second division hospital Of the
bird army corps had. as 1t certainly
ID have. the worst reputation Of amy
ospitnl during the war!
Dr. ward-Thc first reason, In my
idgment. Is that the hospital had for
5 CORPS surgeon n man who never
aid any attention TO II whatever. His
anne was Hoff. The next reason is
hat the man In charge OF the hospital.
be surgeon. seldom visited the hosplt-
or paid any attention TO it. His
anne was Jcnncy.
The next reason II that there were
pt tHOuKn uOctOTS ~ my thme W "Ae
pre- of the patients without overwork.
BIZ the doctors md making them to III
get out OF bed. For the first two
fecks that wns there. there was not
man on duty who was physically III
pr duty.
The next reason IL that the nurses
ere never competent In any sense Of
lc word. but they did the hest they
buld when you consider their igno.
bucc. Some Of them could not even
rnd. They were forced to do this work
ndcr protest. and OF course. did only
hat they were obliged to do.
One day visited the typhoid fever
ard and found nil the men splitting
the ground. I said to the man In
ilrge that I would have them all ar.
Estcd II they did not provide some pa
n or something on the ground for the
m to spit on. But the next dny things
ere Just as bad MS ever.
"Jcnney left everything with the mer
the hospitals. know that the rcqui'
tions made for goods and supplies
ere approved by the doctors. but they
ere not brought TO the grounds be
lusc OF the fault Of somebody else.
Ink 1t was the fault of the doctors In
large OF the hospitals, the corps doc
RS. the division doctor and the doc
RS In immediate charge OF the hos
tai. They made acquisitions. but 1t Is
Ecessary to do more than that. n mar
aa to get on horse. take six-shoot
and demand these necessary sup
les from the lunrtcrmnsters."
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