Evening journal., 1898-09-01
B0YNTOy'S REPORT
Condition Of the Hospitals at
Fort Thomas.
NEWSPAPER ATTACKS USTOUyDED.
Excellent Care Of Patients - sternberr
Hospital, General Boynton Says,
Is One of the Best Field
Hospitals Ever Seen.

the hospitals at Camp Thomas The re-
port is dated Aug. 20. The general says
that his instructions were to report the
number Of sick, character of Illness,
number Of tents, floor space per patient.
the adequacy and suitability Of attend
ants and whether the medical officers
have discharged their duties faithfully
and with intelligence and to make any
recommendation in the interest Of all
concerned. He says that he visited all
the hospitals in the camp without CIV
Ing notice Of his purpose. General Boyn-
ton says:
Believing the death list Of this camp
to afford an excellent standard by which
10 measure its conditions as to health
and hospital service, a full report was
obtained of all deaths in the camp and
In its hospitals since it's establishment
the middle Of April last The result
shows total death list Of 1893 up to the
22d of this month, when the breaking
up OF this camp began. Between these
dates, including regulars and volun-
teers, fully $4,000 troops have been in
camp at Chickamauga. The record
of burials in the national cemetery at
Chattanooga shows total of 120 volun-
teers and two regular soldiers. OF the
latter, one was killed by falling from a
railway train"
The report takes up in detail first the
two permanent hospitals Letter and
Sternberg, and states with the greatest
minuteness the exact accommodation
afforded by each. The first is at Craw-
FISH Springs under charge Of Major
Carter and was converted from a large
summer resort hotel into a hospital re-
ceiving the worst typhoid cases from
the camp. Each patient has abundant
room, woven wire and hair mattresses
and abundant bed clothing. The venti-
lation is perfect, plumbing entirely new
and bathing facilities ample. The num-
Der of attendants when all are well, is
entirely satisfactory, and attendants are
on the way to take the places of those
who are broken down.
The entire hospital is furnished with
distilled water, and the ice used is made
from distilled water.
The sewerage OF the hospital is ex-
cellent. and contrary to persistent as
sertions, none OF the sewage has ever
drained into the Chickamauga river or
approached it at any point.
Major Carter has corps of doctors
which he regards as amply sufficient TO
care for all Tie patients in the hospital
and reports chem as faithful and eff
cient in the performance of their du-
ties.
Takiag up the Sternberg hospital, in
charge of Major Gfffen, General Boyn-
ton shows that it is one of sthe most
complete field hospitals ever seen, ac-
cording to veterans Of the last war.
All the tents are closely foored, and
they are separate. At present only four
men are in any tent. and in addition
to the tents there are nine large board
pavilions. Every tent and pavilion has
woven wire mattresses. iron bedsteads
and hair mattresses. There are espe-
cial diets, FIVE cold storage rooms for
delicacies. separate refrigerators for
each row Of tents, and every proper
measure of sanitation is observed with
respect to the sinks. Further, the re-
port says;
"The whole place is most carefully
pollced daily, and the whole establish
ment within and without. its permanent
buildings and it's tents is in the most
perfect order.
"Slnce the establishment of this nos
pital everything asked for in the way
of supplies of every kind has been
promptly furnished. Sixteen to "a bar
rels of distilled water are purchased
daily, and patients get nothing but dis
/ titled water TO drink From three to FIVE
tons of ice are used daily. Three hun
dred gallons OF milk are purchased dali
| ~ and $50 gallons furnished by the Red
| Cross society.
"All money necessary for the pur-
chase Of delicacies Of every kind suita-
BILE to the sick has been furnished by
order Of General Sternberg. Soon after
the hospital was established he tele-
graphed as follows to the surgeon in
charge: DO not fail to procure every
thing necessary for the comfort OF the
sick Apply to me for additional fe-
male nurses and for money to buy deli
cacies when required A careful in
quiry developed the fact that all varie-
ties Of medical supplies required or
asked for were furnished both from
Washington and from medical head
quarters at the camp with the greatest
promptness."
It Is stated in addition that all the
hospital refuse Is burned in a crema-
tory, and according to Major Giffen. all
but 1000 patients now sick I'm the en-
tire camp could be safely moved now.
The diseases are more OF a typhoid
malarial character than typhoid fever
strictly. the death rate being very low.
only about 8 per cent of the worst
| cases.
The First division field hospital. in
charge of Major Drake. is fioored with
planed lumber. and it is as clean as is
possible, being scrubbed with carbolic
acid and treated with bichloride Of mer-
curry every other day. All the patients
are on cots and never have been on the
ground for any length Of time. None OF
the 60 cents allowance per man for deli
cacies has been used, as it was not
needed
The report says Of this hospital:
There have been in this hospital al
various times 16l patients from the
Eighth New York volunteers. The re.
ports show that in great many cases
il was difficult TO tell that anything
was the matter with them. Only II
per cent of the cases of sickness from
this regiment were reported as in any
way serious, and when it was rumoret
that the regiment was 10 be sent hom,
several of those in the hospital asked
not to be sent, but TO be allowed 10 re
main throughout their convalescence."
The next hospital inspected was tn,
Third division hospital. First corps. n
charge of Major Thomas Clark. Her,