The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-09-01

@AAONSA AA TIE cartier DAYS lner6 were
not enough surgeons or attendants.
The grounds We're in excellent condi-
ton, the tents clean, most of them be-
Ing hoored, and all floored between
the cots and the aisles. For a time
this hospital was a week behind in OBJ
tanning its medical supplies, but this
was before the government had collect
ed Its medical stores in great quanti-
ties.
The Red Cross has made liberal do
nations to this hospital and friends In
Minnesota have sent great quantities
of delicacies. The hospital fund for
July amounted to $425 and with that
it has been possible to purchase all the
milk needed.
Taking up the last of the field hos
pltalS, that of the First corps, Second
division, under Mai Fitz, the report
states that the fifty-three cots are not
at present all occupied, though during
the epidemic of measles they were
crowded. There were no Red Cross
nurses, and a detail of two companies
from the Chattanooga association have
visited the hospital daily to look after
the hospital was crowded the attention
was insufficient. There was also strong
complaint at not getting medical and
other supplies In the early days. and
the hospital had to furnish itself and
when 1T was impossible to avoid de-
lays Incidental to rushing supplies to
great army camps. The report. how
ever, shows that the hospital officials
made every effort to obtain supplies.
Leaving the details about the hospital
the report proceeds to treat the whole
subject generally as follows:
STARVATION STORY EXPLAINED.
In two of the hospitals opportunities
occurred for discovery Of what un-
doubtedly originated many Of the sen
sational stories which have been print
ed over the country to the effect that
the patients In the hospital lacked suf-
hclent food and in many cases had been
on the verge Of starvation. IN the
wards where the convalescent typhoid
1eVer cases were found, many of the
men were constantly asking for food
and, as matter OF course, were con-
stantly denied everything except the
Hshtest forms, which can alone be
sarely administered to recovering ty-
phoid patients. This refusal Of food
throughout the hospitals. by which care
alone as is perfectly understood car
llVes or convalescents be saved has
oeen distorted into the reports which
mad been spread throughout the coun-
Try, that the patients were being starry
eu IN the government hospitals. There
mas been no lack of proper food in these
hospitals, and competent cooks for nre-
pairing 1t have been present and +no
only reason for depriving the patients
oI Wnat so many of them have clam
oreu TOT mas been the necessity Of diet
ing as the disease demands.
1T VIII be easily observed that CON-
dltions set forth in this report are
mainly present conditions. II has NOT
heretofore fallen within the range of
my duties at this park to make criti-
cal observations Of hospital conditions
although, as a matter Of course MANY
features of this division of camn ad-
h1nlstration have fallen under nv no
tlce L am constrained to believe that
Uhere mas been no neglect on the part
OF either the medical or quartermas-
ter departments to furnish sucb sun-
pies as have reached the camp.
1t will be observed that the renor+
IN each Is made with reference to the
maximum number Of cases in each
hospital, and, so far as it was possi-
ole' to obtain the general conditions
existing. Undoubtedly there have been
serious inconvenience, and at times
or greatest crOwding, those lacks of
convenience and full attendance which
go to make up a painful condition of
affairs, which, as every veteran knows
is inseparable from the field hospitals
or great armies, even when all con-
cerned exert themselves to secure the
comfort of the patients These con-
ditions, which in times of rapid IN
crease OF disease-a condition reached
at this camp solely from the filth
which the regimental officers allowed
to dominate their camps, in spite OF
the orders which would have prevented
all this trouble, from the surgeon gen
eral and from the commanding officers
OF this camp--create a situation which
cannot be Immediately ameliorated.
$50 far from believing, as a result
VI my OUSeTNdIlOnS IHdl 1nSQlcaI or
| ficers have been negligent or heart
less, I believe that these officials and
| hospital attendants as a whole have
| eXerted themselves to discharge their
duties faithfully. 1t would seem as
if this was sufficiently shown W the
fact that they have worked unceasing-
ly until a quarter Of the whole force
has itself been stricken by disease re-
sulting from their exhaustive labors.
LAS to the hospitals being unclear
and there being a lack Of food anC
the food being regular army rations
and other similar conditions, a suffl-
| cient answer is found in the critica.
| examination Of the hospital of the Firs
! division Of the Third army corps, Gen
Frank commanding, set forth above
! This hospital, in charge Of Maj. c. M
Drake, is one of the cleanest and mos
complete which any veteran Of til,
| Civil war would expect to see, and this
is the division to which the Eightl
| New York Is attached.
I'm closing, l beg leave to express m!
opinion that most of the interview
with chaplains, regimental surgeon
and others, both officers and men, nov
| appearing at the North In many of tn