Evening star., 1898-11-08
SICK ON THE GROUND
DR.. SIN tn Te,s of Eo3p.tal at
Camp Thomas.
COULD NOT GET MEDICINES
Water Was Simply Slush and
Unfit to Drink.
IGNORANCr OF NURSES S

tigating committee today continued the ex-
animation OF witnesses. Gen. Dodge. chair
man Of the committee. now says that he
can begin TO see an end Of the long investi-
cation. After some ~ dence has been he ard
at Detroit the CommItee will 20 TO WASH
ington. They have YET TO visit Camp Meade,
Pa. but il is likely that this camp Will
not be reached until after the return to
Washington.
According to Dr. Connor. the accumula-
tiOn of papers and documents in possession
of the committee would fill a large-sizeG
room. They consist of army surgeons re-
ports. letters from private soldiers and
nurses. complaints. reports of quartermas-
ters and commissaries and a mass of testi-
mony which has been heard by the commit
tee.
DIR. &. 4. Smith Called.
DR. G.. A Smith of Clinton Iowa. was
the first witness today. From August to
September 10 he vas in charge of 2d Divi-
sion. I'd Army Corps hospital ct Camp
Thomas
DR.. Smith said: when l assumed my du-
ties. July IA. ! found a shortage of tents
and cots. The patients in the hospital were
crowded on account of the tent shortage.
Some of the patients were lying on the
ground on account of lack OF cots. There
was no provision made for feeding the sick
other than the rations issued to the SOL
diers in the regular service. except such as
were brought in by charitable organiza-
tions. principal of which were the Red
Cross Society and the National Relief As
sociatiOn.
''In the pharmacy there was at that time
no intestinal anticeptiCs, although the
commanding officer informed me, when 1
made requistiOn. that he had made re-
peated efforts 10 get them. The pharmacy
ar inns
dered closed, l turned the stores over to
the government on the 9th of September
never had any proper equipment for doing
pharmaceutical work. There were no
scales to measure with the hospital steward
used board for a tile, and an ordinary
jack knife for a Spatula. There were no
pill boxes or powder papers. The stew
ards dispensed tablets and pills in any pa
per they could secure, and they were car
ried to wards in that shape and owing TO
the prevalence of dampness at night they
would become by morning 4 sticky mass
not fit for use
He then went on TO say that the medical
supplies did improve after the 1St of Au-
gust, but up 10 that time there had been
great scarcity of suitable supplies.
Bad Water supply.
In speaking of The water supply furnish
ed the hospital. DR.. Smith said: The
water that furnished for the use of
the hospitals up TO August / was that
taken IrOm tle pipe line from Cnlck2-
mauga creek. and it was so full of sedi-
ment that 1t was simply slush and was not
water
There were no floors in any of the hos
pital tents at the time l reported for duty
at that hospital The first tent was fioored
soon after the middle of July. although
some were not foored until lCng after that.
The floors in The tents Of the IA Iowa the
LIST Maine and the 5th Missouri were all
laid after the troops had left the park
and were never occupied by the soldiers
and never had cots placed in them.
In fact might state that the floors were
laid after orders had been received to pack
goods preparatory TO leaving for Admission.
In regard to nursing in that hospital.
We had 10 IraiLed nurses. All the nurs-
ing was done by oTderles, and many of
them were deEseiy ignorant. and when /
was in charge OF the wards of the second
brigade | had two men who could neither
read nor write and three men who did
not know the meaning of am. or pm"
when written.