The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-09
srERNBERG ON THE RACK.
Alger's Policy Was "to Wait"-In-
competent Surgeons.


Washington, Dec. S-The conduct of
the medical service of the army was
taken up today by the war investigat-
ing commission, and Surgeon General
Sternberg was rigidly questioned about
his administration. The medical de-
partment, he said, was equipped only
for an army of $4,000 men when the war
broke out, and from year to year the
estimates he had submitted had been
materially reduced by congress in a
policy of economy of appropriations. As
soon as there was a prospect of war he
had begun preparations, though not
making any expense. He had models of
chests made, he said, and equipment
developed, but when he suggested to
Secretary Alger the propriety of max
ing purchases for his service, the pol
icy was to wait"
He conceded it was a mistake not to
have appointed more contract surgeons
from those who had experience in the
civil war, for their experience would
have been invaluable. 1t had been i'm
possible for him even to read the great
volume Of reports submitted. owing to
being overwhelmed with matters re-
curing personal attention. The depart
ment now, he said, has ample evidence
that typhoid fever cases during the war
were largely mistaken for malarial
fever until the cases reached the diviS-
ion .ospitals, and that malaria also had
been diagnosed as typhoid
Witness admitted a, real deficiency in
medical supplies at times. He con-
tended, however, that there had been
very little lack of medical supplies dur
ing the war, the great difficulty being
that surgeons frequently preferred
other than the field supplies and an
anticipated typhoid fever outbreak had
also considerably taxed the field re-
sources.
Asked If it had been officially report
ed to MN that there were surgeons at
MoDtauk unfit for duty because of bad
habits, he said there had been one who
drank, who came from Fortress Mon
roe and is now on duty at Jefferson
barracks.
Coming to the history of the Santi-
ago movement, General Sternberg ex-
planned that there had been an abund-
ance of medical officers and supplies
sent to Santiago, and that the trouble,
so far as he could judge. arose IN their
landing and distribution. He said en-
phaucally that he could do no more in
his office than sending supplies where
he thought they were needed and res
pond promptly to acquisitions. All
this. he declared most positively, had
been done.
General Beaver-Were you at any
time hampered in the discharge Of the
duties of your office by any of your
superiors in the department?
General Sternberg hesitated consid-
erably and said: No, certainly not, to
any appreciable extent"
There was q pause, and General
Sternberg FASTENED to add: You will
understand that one man cannot do
everything at once, and there were oc-
casionaI delays in getting the ear of
the secretary, but nothing beyond
this"
"Then," said General Beaver, I'VE are
to understand you had at all times the
hearty support and good viii of those
over you in forwarding the work of
your Department.
Yes" was the reply, most I'M
doubtedly."
AS to the general condition of troops
in mobilization camps, he said the
trouble could nearly all be summed up
in the two phrases, neglect of sani-
tary measures" and letting the troops
remain too long in one camp
You have to do one of two things,
said he. you must maintain your
permanent camp under the sanitary
conditions Of civilized life, or you must
follow the Indian method and shift
YOUR camp when you foul your ground.
7 can make rules which, if followed,
viii insure reasonable immunity from
typhoid, but I cannot insure their be-
ing followed by the men in the field
Touching the subject of female
nurses, General Sternberg said serious
Nv. but somewhat sadly, 'HThey were
expensive luxuries.' He said the war
department was getting acquisitions
now for bureaus, rocking chairs and
other things which were unknown I'M
der .he male nurse regime.