The times., 1898-11-21

The work of the medical department OF
the army during the Spanish war Is set
forth in a summary of the annual report
of Surgeon General George NJ. Sternberg,
which has been submitted to the Secreta-
ry of War. The report is, in part, as fol-
lows:
The number of medical officers, 1872 al
lowed by law to the army is inadequate
in time of peace. The insufiiciency in
time of war was met by the assignment
of over 900 contract surgeons. All volun-
teer regiments had three medical officers
appointed by the governors of States
Volunteer surgeons to fill the staff posi-
tions, authorized by the act approved
April %, 1885, were appointed by the Presi-
dent The very small proportion of medi-
| cal officers having experience of mill
tary character impaired the efficiency of
the department at the outset. but many
| of the staff surgeons from civil life show
ed great aptitude for the service and
speedily became of value as administra-
tive and sanitary officers.
NO provision was made for hospital
| corps men for the volunteer troops ex-
cept that which empowered the Secreta-
ry of War (act March !, 1S9D, to enlist
as many privates of the hospital corps as
| the service may require
1.-The number of men enlisted and trans
| ferred from the line to the hospital corps
during the war was, approximately, 5000.
"To provide, temporarily, for volunteer
regiments. supplies of medicines, instru-
! ments. hospital stores, stationery and
| miscellaneous articles. according to pre-
scribed list, and packed in convenient
boxes, were prepared at the supply de-
| pots. An important article to be provid-
/ ed was the first aide packet. contain
! ing antiseptic dressings for immediate
! use in emergencies and intended to be
carried by each individual soldier. These
were promptly and literally supplied.
Whenever notice was received from
/ the Adjutant Generals Office that COM
mands were TO be moved or camps form
! ed, / endeavored TO anticipate the wants
! of the troops by telegraphing TO the Off
| Ger in charge of the nearest supply de-
pot to forward supplies for the stated
| number of men, according to the field
! supply table.
Requests from the medical officers for
supplies and orders based thereon trans
mitted TO the supply depots were large
| that when the supplies were needed
| promptly they should be forwarded by
| express to their destination. When med
f, ical officer desired TO purchase medical
and other supplies for use in emergencies
authority to do so was always granted
The report refers to the hospital ships
Relief, Missouri and Olivette. The Relief
was purchased on May IS, but did not
reach Cuba until July T. in time to receive
many of the wounded from the attack on
Santiago.
The conversion of the steamship Mis-
souri, into a hospital ship occupied the
time between July and August %, "and
even then" the report states, "a great
deal of work had to be done on board
during stormy passage to Santiago"
The Olivette is officially spoken of as
having answered her extemporized pur-
| pose excellently.'
Cause of sickness.
.'In my opinion the reduction of the age
limit from twenty-one to eighteen years
and the haste with which the volunteer
regiments were organized and mustered
into the service were responsible for
much of the sickness which was reported
in the early days of their camp life. All
military experience shows that young
men under twenty-one years break down
readily under the strain of war service;
and every regiment had many Of these
youths in its ranks
Soon after the newly raised levies
were aggregated in large camps sickness
began to increase progressively from
causes that were so general in their oper-
alton that scarcely a regiment escaped
from their harmful influence. These
causes may largely be referred to igno-
rance on the part of officers of the prin-
cipes of camp sanitation and of their
duties and responsibilities as regards the
welfare of the enlisted men in their
commands. Medical officers. as a rule,
were also without experience in the sani-
tation of camps and the prevention of
disease among troops. The few who
knew what should be done were insufii-
cient to control the sanitary situation In
the large aggregations of men hastily
gathered together.
"Officers and men in these camps were
rife for war, and drill, parades, practice
marches and military camp duties occu-
pied the whole of their time and energies
Considerations of domestic economy and
sanitation in the companies and regi-
ments were not given proper attention
and men who were being taught to meet
the enemy in battle succumbed TO the
hardships and insanitary conditions OF
life in their camps of instruction.
1.-The sites of certain of the camps have
/
cause of the sickness which was devel-
| oped in them; but review of the whole
situation shows that it was not the site
but the manner of its occupation which
must be held responsible for the general
spread of disease among the troops
Practically nothing was done to make
the men comfortable or to remedy the in
sanitary conditions until these were
brought to the attention of the Secretary
of War by inspectors sent out by specia
orders from the War Department Their
the camps held for so long were aban.
doned. but not before the manifestation
of typhoid infection were rife in them
New sites were carefully selected, regi
mental camps were expanded, company
tentage increased and board flooring pro
vided. Then, for the first time, the troop;
went into camps suitable for continued
/ occupation.
, "One prominent cause of the increase
of sickness in the early camps has beer
commented upon by only few of oui
medical officers. These cite the prev
alence of drunkenness and of venerea
:. disease due to the facilities and tempta
, | tions afforded by the proximity of cite:
| to the larger camps. They hold that d
the systems of the men had not beer
/ weakened by dissipation they would no
, | have succumbed SO readily to the othel
influence which affected them.
{ 1T was. however, typhoid fever which
broke down the strength of the command:
generally. 1t is well known to the medi
cal profession that this fever is propa
gated by a contaminated water supply
' and 1t is now recognized that the grea
prevalence of this disease in an aggra
waited form in the camps of the civil wa
: | was due to the use of surface and shal