The Topeka state journal., 1898-11-04
FLY BLOWN IN BED.
Testimony Regarding Horrors at
Camp Thomas.

Cincinnati o. Nov. 4.-The afternoon
session of the war investigation com
mission was occupied in hearing three
witnesses, mostly on the condition OF
the division hospital at Chickamauga-
The first witness was Major E. F.
Helburn, of the Second Kentucky now
mustered out The death list OF ms
regiment, he stated, was twenty-slX'
most of whom died at home on fur
loueh The sickness in Chickamauga
increased very rapidly. He knew thaI
there was a shortage of cots IN the
bosDital as we'll as of tents. In answer
to questions by DR.. COnnor, he stapeu
that he served on a commission aP-
pointed on account of a complaint OA tLS
colonel of the First Arkansas 70 II, Il
vestfgate the division noSp4lSll. -
Ward the witness and Major Johnson
formed the commission. rms coIhIIlIS -+
sion was appointed in the latter pdI l
of August and reported about SePteIh-
ber s. The patients were then ueilS
removed to the hospital and the nos pIIelI "a,
was in a chaotic condition. Inc SIMS
were a close as $50 feet from the WardS
and were in an unclean condltlon- 1heIe
was a dumping ground where the otner
refuse was thrown There was d 3 Sy uIIy
running right through the SITE I 1Ie
sick were in fairly good cOndltlOu' Inc
committee examined two or three nun
dred witnesses including commander,
chaplain, prfvates, hospital corps
nurses and V1SlUOrS-
the hospital was in a bad condition but
it got better and during Major SInlLn
control 1t was in good condition. me
committee found that the cause for ITS
bad condition arose from the fact thau
it was not intended to be more than a
temporary hospital, but the sick IN
creased so rapidly that 1t was over
crowded. Another case was the incom-
petency of men detailed from regiments
for nurses. In many regiments the
most worthless men were detailed Iof
that duty The detail was made accord
ING to regulation. The fault was not
of the medical department, but OF the
system The committee found unneceS-
sary suffering because of lack OF tents
and cots so that the patients We're ex-
posed to the rain and compelled to lie
on the ground. This was the fault OF
the quartermaster's department Re-
QUESTIONS were not filed from two to
ten days. and in some instances We're
not filed at all. When asked II there
were many deaths resulting from these
neglects he said there was an ordeL
from Dr. Hof to Major Smith to send
fifty of the worst patients to Sternberg
hospital. 81.
the removal. It was claimed py Dr-
Hof that the order was to send fifty
patients, and not fifty of the worst
patients. The original order was not
produced. The witness admitted that
he would NOT charge these deaths to
neglect but to want of judgment IN
sending men out not fit to bear the "a
tigue. The only complaint against the
medical corps was in the case of one
Major Hubbard, who required the sick
to stand at attention while attending
sick calls.
The medical CORDS was not neglectful,
but was disheartened because of inabil-
fly to get supplies, medicine and proper
nursing The witness cited the instance
of a thermometer given to an orderly TO
be used in taking the temperature of
patients, and when asked for 1t the next
day said he did not know what 1t was
good for and gave it away As lnstan-
ces of neglect, the witness said his COM
mittee had much testimony that pa
tients were allowed to remain filthy in
their beds and were actually fly blown.
This neglect was chargeable to the
nurses directly. The nurses were fire.
quently changed. and the officers in
charge were also frequently changed.
Some were asked to resign and others
broke down. The witness saw many
patients on cots on the ground The
wards were not all hoored until Au-
gust.
The evidence before the committee
showed that the medical officers were
conscientious and did their utmost to
remedy the evils prevailing in the hos
pitals. The witness read the statement
of Major Smith and of Colonel HOf,
made to his committee. The former
was scathing arraignment of the in
efficiency of the supply department.
Medicines, medical apparatus, ice, ana
drinking water and other necessities
were not furnished. He also COM
plained bitterly of the incompetency of
the nurses. In answer to a. question by
General Dodge, the witness said he did
not know at the time he made this in
vestigation that the hospital command
ant had any authority to purchase any
medical commissary supplies, and he
did not think the cOnmandant knew it
For all the medical corps complained of
inability to get supplies
Speaking of the water supply being
unWhOlesome, he said he got his i'm
preston of its EMBELLISHMENTS from
mander that all drinking water should
be boiled.
Colonel Hof's statement before tbe
committee dealt with a defense of the
field hospital which, he said, was orig
inallY intended to accommodate 200
sick, but the sickness increased so ran
Idly and unexpectedly that the supply
department was not able to meet fhe
demand. He bought cots himself twice
to meet the wants that could not other
wise be supplied. RequisitiOns for
supplies met many obstacles.
The railways were said to be unable
TO carry goods. Then the equipment
OF the First corps before the Third was
gwen as a reason why supplies could
not be furnished
The witness being asked his own
opinion about the great amount OF
sickness at Chickamauga, said he
thought tWo-thirds of it was due to
negligence OF the men themselves. In
pefate and reasonably careful of their
hea1th Kept healthy. Many of them
drank stale beer after hot drills and
would lie about cooling off suddenly.
Ihere was vast amount of unwhole-
some food and drink sold bv hucIxsters
until they were prohibited The wit
ness cited the Eighth and Ninth New