The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-12-08
TONS OF MEDICINE
Terrible Mortality Reported Among
Spanish Troops Stationed
In Cuba.

Startling facts about disease and
death among the Spanish troops In
Cuba are published by the Spanish pa
per Correo de Espana, in long report
from DR.. DE Larro Cerezo. chief ply
sician OF the Havana military hospitals
and superintendent of the Spanish
sanitary corps in Cuba.
The doctor says that from February.
1895, to January, this year. the home
government sent to Cuba for use in the
military hospitals 10000 pounds 81
various quinine preparations, 500
pounds OF opium, $4,000 pounds OF car
bolic, $500 pounds of sublimate (Which
represents l,COO.OOO quarts OF the or
dinary solution OF sublimate). 4,74o
pounds of iodine. 1G0 pounds OF rhu.
barb and 5000 pounds Of ricius oil.
Furthermore there were sent 10000
meters of sticking plaster, $4,000
meters of bandages and G6,070 pounds
of lint.
Altogether Spain sent to Cuba 1000
tons of medicine. etc, in three years.
Ask your druggist what that means.
And then remember the stories OF
Spanish hospital ships that left the
island of Cuba week after week with
thousands of dying soldiers before our
navy established the present blockade.
According to the Spanish doctor.
Spain maintained only 10 hospitals in
l.. 4, L., l. 4. /, l,n
The largest OF these were established
in Havana, Santiago, Santa Clara and
Puerto Principe.
"Afterwe began to land great masses
of troops in Cuba we tried to increase
our hospital facilities" say. the doc
tor. but our efforts in that respect
never kept pace with the demands
made upon us. From March to Decem-
ber. '95. 2G new hospitals were estab-
lished. In the following year we es-
tablished 81 more. In 1897 the number
was increased by ten. To put it more
clearly, when | landed in Cuba, in
March. 1895, the Spanish army there
had $500 hospital beds; now there are
1865 beds at the disposal Of our sick
and wounded soldiers"
The doctor says that from March,
| 1895, until June, 1897, half n million OF
| soldiers were treated in the different
hospitals. The following statement,
namely, that Of this half n million H.
| 500 victims OF the battlefield died.
sounds "tishy." II is u well-knowu fact
that only one half Of the deaths among
the Spanish soIdiery in the coIouie.
are reported. The names of the other
half are kept on the pay roll in order
| that the pay may fall into the hands OF
the unfortunates' superiors. For the
same reason one feels inclined to
doubt the Doctors statement respect
CURED in the hospitals and on the bat
tlefelIs during the period named.
Cerexo places the number OF deaths at
80, 500. which seems to be about one halt
Of the actual number, according to re-
liable Spanish newspaper reports.
"Thiry-dye thousand two hundred
and dfty Spanish soldiers were treated
for climatic diseases during the period
named" says the doctor, and con
tinues: "Ot these ll.3+7 died from yel-
low fever. The rest suffered from
marsh fever, dysentery and typhus."
That the above figures do not repre-
sent the entire Spanish loss in battle
and from the effects of the climate is
evident from . remark in another part
of Ceres"'s report, in which he states
chat great many sick soldiers were
! placed in other than military hospi-
tails. while a good many were taken in
by patriotic Spaniards or were lodged
on deserted plantations.
The following item Of the Spanish
doctors report should be well needed
by our own authroities:
"Spa'n." he says, was ill-prepared
for the enormous drain OF medical ap-
purtenances demanded of her at tn.
beginning Of the war. We therefore
had to pay enormous. prices for the
hospital material needed; bu. still
worse were the losses OF life oscasionsd
by the delay. The organization OF
flying hospital corps also took much
time. These organizations are ss much
needed as sanitary hospitals in Cuba. ''
The doctor says Spain had G phy.
sicians in Cuba before ,he beginning
OF the revolt. Che now has 800 ply
siciaus and 100 apotheeartes there.
She lost so physicians and six spothe-
carries In last years yellow fever see
| scn-E V preas