New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-10-08
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES STATEMENT.

Washington, Oct 7-sureeon- General sternbere
hos sent 10 the War Department Investigating
Commission the following memorandum relating 10
the Medical Department OF the Army
The number Of medical officers allowed by Law Ia
INADEQUATE IN times Of peace The total number
allowed is lsz There are at present thirteen
Generals office and the Army Medical Museum re
quires six Eleven are on duty at medical supply
ments. One is at the Soldiers Home ffty-sx
are at general hospitals on hospital ships and at
M Of oq the hS wa P by eknes Five
are on duty "a chief surgeons Of Army corps Ihis
dutv with troops in the fields OF these thirty-hve
have been appointed brigade surgeons Of volunteers
and distributed among the various Army corps
Since the declaration OF war the loss by death has
neen two. and tventythree are now absent from
This deficiency in regular medical officers has
made J. necessary to employ more tnsn SIX huorya
from civil life doing good service ana many q
them are thoroughly Well-equipped PHYSICIANS ana
has been impossible TO make a careful selection
owing 10 the great pressure Of business IN ne sur
great that II has not been practicable TO have ex-
aiming boards 10 pass upon the ~ oban
satisfactory professional Endorsement before king
h % b en- s and the peTaoSa
OF applicants and their friends so numerous as 20
constitute serious embarrassment IN conducting
In addition 70 this there have been appointed by
me g c twenty6ur division surgeons
with the rank of major and eghty-six brigade sur
regiments of United States infantry. cavalry. and
engineers All volunteer regiments have three
medical officer appointed by Governors Of States
The very small proportion OF experienced medical
otfcers has seriously impaired the efie!ency OF tns
Medical Department but many Of the division and
brjeade surgeons from civil life have shown great
aptitude FOR the service and have already become g,
valuable medical officers The same is true OF many
OF the doctors employed Under contract .s,..,
Rnf 70 p. h Era eS Tv d c62ps s e
would say that this corps upon leaving Tampa mad
with II thirty-six Regular medical officers. hteen
doctors total OF seventy-one. or over four per
thousand Of the strength Of the command, wnleh
was informed was about sixteen tnousano Aa icI
tiona medical assistance was sent by the hospltall
ship Relief which arrived al Sibonev on July I
with twenty doctors on board There vas 4iso
some volunteer assistance by DR. Lesser Of the Red
SSross Dr. Rudberg If the Swedish Navy. and sew
erai surgeons Of the Navy from ships IN me
vicinity = 49, ,,os,..i
Departrent that wounded men would irnmedlatey
resolve the attention of the surgeon. No modern
army makes proyison for SO arg r,,ra Rnt at
tached 70 our Army there Is corps Of non-com-
bstanfs known as the hospital corps. when - me
orga nized and authorized Red Cross OF me army.
A. the outbreak OF the We had eight hundred
hospital CORPS men in service A. present tneEe are
more than sly {housana. Inese ,i men yaa ross of
the Geneva Convention We have done our best
10 instruct them in giving first AID 70 ne VounaGa
properly applied by OF these men is an ma. Is
REQUIRED All OF the surgeons who have come IRON iron,
the front have testified 10 the remarkaole resuiis
attained from the prompt application OF asepuc
dressings by our hospital corps men ana by me
soldiers themselves or their comrades The proper
application Of the dressings containea ~ tns n5er
existing regulations matter IN which every en-
listed man has special instruction, For some ,ine e
pas this instruction mas 9een ~ -, tbeno N the
enlisted men.