Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-10-20
SURGEONS SCORED
MAJOR FRYE SAYS MANY OF THOSE
IN ARMY WERE INCOMPETENT.
RECENT MEDICAL GRADUATES
HOSPITAL CORPS MEN GENERALLY
A sCABBY LOOKING LOT,
War Investigation Commission Fails
to Find Any Other Complaints
Than This at Jacksonville
Many Witnesses
Examined.
RECENT MEDICAL GRADUATES

| investigating commission held its session:
in the city hall to-day, examining a large
number of regimental and other officers
One OF the most outspoken witnesses oi
the day was DIR. Frye. of the Third division
| hospital He condemned some of the meth
ods in vogue il the hospitals and saic
that in many cases the contract physician:
| and members of the hospital corps were
| incompetent. The commission has decided
| that one of its members should he in the
| commission office at Washington. and Colo,
mel DENLY has been selected for this serv-
| ice. He was selected partly for the reason
| that his health has not been as robust as
| when in Washington.
| The commission began its work to-day
| with Major Noble H. Creager. quarter
master, on the stand He said there never
| had been any serious shortage of supplies
| in the Seventh corps, and he was sure there
| had been no suffering caused by a def
| cheney OF supplies. In the beginning of the
| history of the camp. there had been some
| complaint as to the quality of clothing,
| but there had been an improvement in this
| respect in recent months. He had also had
some little difficulty in securing a proper
| assortment of sizes, but had been able TO
| meet the demands of the men in this re-
| spect.
| Major Creag was followed by Congress
| man ]. r. Campbell, colonel OF the Ninth
| Illinois volunteers, who was questioned in
| regard to the general treatment of the
| troops in the field and asked for sugges-
| tions for the benefit of the service. He
| spoke in complimentary terms of the ad-
| ministration of the officers of the army,
| saying that acquisitions of all kinds had
| been promptly filled. and that the quality
| of the articles supplied was generally good.
There had been some complaints, however,
as to the character of the refrigerator beef,
| but investigation had developed the fact
| that, while the meat had been received in
good order, it had spoiled because of ex-
| posure in hot weather. The difficulty was
overcome by exchanging the beef for ham,
| no fresh beef being now taken by the regi-
msnt.
Colonel Campbell expressed the opinion
that the principal cause of sickness in the
camp was the drilling in the early morn
ing, when the dew was on the ground
This was the mistake of his regiment, as
the command had been anxious to excel
but they now had secured a revocation of
the order for the drill, and had discon-
tinued the practice. He said there were
very few of his men who were now home
sick. He did not believe that to exceed
) per cent of the soldiers would return
\
given an opportunity to do so. He had
no suggestion to make beyond a request
that his regiment be supplied with the
hreg-Jorgensen rifles, as his regiment had
taken first place for craftsmanship. He
also complained of the red tape methods
Of the army, but made no specifications
Colonel Campbell said he had been lib
eral in granting furloughs, and he thought
the system had had good influence in
quieting the apprehension of friends at
home.
Lieutenant Moore, acting commissary of
the Ninth Illinois, was questioned in re-
gard to the quality of rations. He said
there had been no difficulty except as to
the fresh beef and agreed with Colonel
Campbell that there had been no trouble
on account of meat since the arrangement
had been made to take cured hams instead
Of beef.
DR.. r. D. Frye, major and executive Of
ficer of the Third division hospital, testf-
ned as to the management of this insti-
tuition and also to the management of the
Second division hospital at Montauk Point
from which place he was transferred tn
this camp and the military hospital at
fort McPherson, Ga, where he was also
situated for time. He said the Montaul
patients had lacked for nothing and were
eXcellently taken care of by both physi
cians and nurses. At Fort Mcpherson
there were at one time 925 patients There
was no material shortage in drugs at this
point, but occasionally there was slight
aehclency, which was. however, quickly
overcome.
speaking of the hospital in which he is
engaged here, he said the location was az
good as could be secured in this vicinity
but that the general surroundings were
not suitable to hospital service. AT times
the hospital had been slightly overcrowd-
ed, as many as seven or eight men being,
occasionally stored in one tent This was
due to emergency. The patients, however
had been well cared for by both physicians
and nurses and the hospital supplies were
abundant and good. Many of the nurses
are females. They are generally very COM
petent. There was always one nurse on
duty for every three patients, on the aver
age.
Up to date. 100 patients had been treated
at the hospitals. There had been only sev-
enty-three deaths. About 80 per cent of the
cases were from typhoid fever. This was a
smaller per cent than the average mortal
ity in civilian hospitals
Resuming his testimony, DR.. Frye spoke
of the causes for the prevalence of typhoid
fever in the Jacksonville camp. He attrib-
uted it largely TO the age Of the men,
young people being more susceptible than
those more advanced in age to this disease.
He also thought much was due to the
carelessness of the men themselves.
DR.. Frye said that, in all the hospitals
with which he had been connected, there
had been a deficiency of bed linen. This
had been especially true at Fort McPher-
son. There had been orders to prepare
beds for 1000 patients there, but this de-
mand had by no means been met. The hos
pital here had also been short of lighting
facilities. There was not n sufficiency of
candles or lanterns. acquisitions had been
mace for them, but they could not be Sc
cured from the government stores, owing
to the construction OF orders. Hence it was
necessary TO depend upon the Red Cross
for these articles.
DR. Frye expressed the opinion that, in
several instances, convalescents had been
sent away from the hospitals with which
he was connected before they We're sufIi-
ciently advanced to permit them to go in
safety. He had no personal knowledge of
any individual cases of this kind, but was
satisfied that such cases had occurred. He
Thought these instances were due to in
sufficient supervision, to ignorance of ply
sic,ans and to a desire to clear the wards |
of the hospitals for new patients
DIR. FRYE spoke in very uncomplimentary
terms of the men engaged in the hospital |
corps. saying they had been picked up at
random over the country and were gen |
erally a scabby- looking lot" not fit to
adorn any walk of life. He also spoke |
deprecatingly of the contract surgeons, |
saving that he would not be willing to