The Monte Vista journal., 1898-11-12
VERY BAD HOSPITALS
WAR BOARD STILL INvEsTi-
CATiEO.

Il as,ds ssssse. At Chic ago ss which
the AsdIsal A.;Aorssiss A. sooesd
Ssssrssy.
Chicago. Nov. 7-Colonel Dodge,
Colonel Sexton and DIR. Connof Of the
war investigating commission arrived
In Chicago to-day and Immediately be-
gan the examining Of witnesses at the
Auditorium hotel.
A large number OF witnesses are on
the list. and II is not likely that the
three members Of the commission will
be able to leave Chicago before We'd
nesdny. They will then go to Detroit.
where the Investigation will be con
tinued.
Mrs. Virginia r. Betz Of Chicago
was the next witness She entered com
plant in regard 10 the death Of her
son. Frank l.. who enlisted with Com
pany 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
go home on furiouSh when he should
have been sent TO the hospital.
DR.. Milo Il. Ward Of Kansas City.
Missouri, who was a brigade surgeon
"s lamp Aot1As Sosy A-eh "
September 10Th, when asked as to the
condition OF the hospitals. said there
was q great lack OF medicines. only
some OF the simplest medicines being
on hand
''The food. which was furnished the
men," he said, II would not want TO
give my pet dog He said that the
food would have been all right had it
been properly cooked. but in the shape
in which it was brought the men, it
was enough to make them sick.
The doctor was then questioned rs
TO the lack Of attention shown 10 pa
tlcnts just coming down with disease.
The doctor stated that he knew OF sew
e:al cases where the patient was al
lowed TO lie on the ground the whole
day and also the night before taken to
,ae hospital, The doctor was ques-
toned as 10 what his hours of duty
We're supposed to be. His reply was
from $ n. IN. to $ p. m. In this way the
patients We're without medical attend
ancc during the night.
lis II possible that better care could
have been secured II night calls had
been madeT' was asked.
NO. sir. There was nothing to see
them for except to give the medicine.
Seventy-iive per cent. Of the patients
were on cots and the other - per cent.
were ON stretchers on the ground. -four
TO six inches from the ground. Some
times some OF the men were put on the
bare ground. but within a few hours
;hey were always put on cots or
Etrctchcrs.
DR.. Connor--DId you ever see n man
on the bare ground. propped up against
tree in dying condition. who died
within two or three hours after he
was put there;
Dr. Ward-I never saw such n thing.
but often heard OF II. don't believe
II ever occurred.
Dr. Connor-what was the reason
that the second division hospital Of the
Third nrmy corps had. as 1t certainly
did have. the worst reputation OF any
hospital during the war:
Dr. ward-The first reason. in my
judgment. Is that the hospital had for
Its corps surgeon man who never
paid any attention 10 II whatever. His
name was Hon. The next reason Is
that the man In charge OF the hospital.
the surgeon. seldom visited the hospit-
al or paid any attention to II. His
name was Jenney.
"Thc next reason is that there were
not enough doctors gt any time TO take
care Of the patients without overwork.
Ing the doctors md making them to III
TO get out OF bed. For the first two
weeks that was there. there was not
a man on duty who was physically Il,
for duty.
THE next reason Is TINT the nurses
were never competent In amy sense Of
III. word. but they did the hest they
could when you consider their igno.
rance. Some OF them could not even
read. They were forced to do this work
under protest. and Of course. did onl,
what they were obliged to do.
lone day I visited the typhoid fever
ward and found all the men splitting
on the ground. l said to the man In
charge that | would have them all ar.
rested II they did not provide some pa.
per or something on the ground for the
men To spit on. but the next day things
were Just ms had ms ever.
"Jenpcy left everything with the men
In the hospitals. know that the relui.
sitions made for goods und supplies
were approved by the doctors, but they
were not brought to the grounds bc-
cause Of the fault OF somebody else. ]
think II was the fault Of the doctors In
charge OF the hospitals, the corps doc.
tors. the division doctor and the doe.
tors In immediate charge Of the hos.
pitnl They made acquisitions. but II i
necessary 10 do more than that. n man
had Ia get on a horse. inke n shoot
er and demand these necessary sup.
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