New-York tribune., 1898-11-21


dered valueless these preparations Of tho Medical
Department When the command embarked on the
transport vessels the baggage wagons and mules
were left behind. The ambulance trains OF all the
divisions. with large part Of thu outfit OF each OF
the hospitals were also lef, nehind. Three ambu-
lance wagons taken apart and stored one
Of the vessels These did excellent service at San
Juan and FL Caney. Ten OF the ambulances OF the
Third or Reserv. Divisional Hospital suhse
auently shipped 70 CUBA. where they arrived July
>. and OF value in moving the sick and wound
Cd to the hospita' II Slboney ard TO the hospital
ships and transports.
OF the property and supplies carried 10 Cuba,
portion was not available for se-vlce the time Il
needed. to Wit. on July !. and :. when
the wounded from FL Caney and san Juan were
coming from the fon; for care and treatment
This was because in general opportunity was
afforded to land the medical property. Earnest ef-
forts were made by medical officers 10 have sup
plies at Tho front with the troops. Some having
succeeded in getting heir medicine ch sts nd other
articles Of medical property ashore. had these car
rled forward tters by hospital corps men 10
the camps near Sevila. while Others turned their
private mounts into packhorscs for this purpose.
During and after the battles at El Caney and San
Juan there was an insuficiency of tents cots. bed
ding and medicines. due to the causes stated. bu:
all the hospitals were well equipped for surgical
work.
After the capituaton OF Santiago the troops at
they had undergone and the malarial influences u
which they were expoeed. but by this time am
pie supply OF tents furniture bedding clothing and
medical stores had reached Siboney. together win
a corps of trained nurses and force Of surgeons.
those sent duty at the yellow fever hospita! be-
ing immune to thai disease Meanwhile. TO relieve
the pressure on the field hospitals. such GONZALES
cents and sick could bear the journey home were
sent to the United States transport vessels.
This emergency measure. 10 relieve the
hospitals ct Sboney and permit OF the transfer to
them Of the who sick in regmental
camps
The transfer OF troops from Santiago to Montauk
Point. New-York also an emergency measure.
and the grea, responsibility OF excluding yellow
fever infection from transport rested on the
medical officers who had charge Of the embarka-
ton Had they failed in this duty the effect would
have been disastrous during the voyage to the men
confined on shirboard. and the risk OF importing
the disease into this country would have been
greatly increased
THE CAMP AT MONTAUK.
In View cf the necessity for the return OF the
troops OF the Fifth Army Corps from Santiago
Cuba preparations were made for encampins them
at Montauk Point. Long Island. These included
the establishment Of temporary tent hospitals not
only for the treatment OF the large number OF sick
brought by each command from Cuba. but for the
isolation and treatment OF these from transports
lying under the suspicion OF yellow fever infection.
The difficulties In the way OF administering the
affairs OF the detention hospital were very great
owing to the rapdity with which the transports
followed each other In their arrival. As many IA
four reached the Point some days from August
l3 TO August 81. most Of them bringing sick requir-
Ing detention for medical observations but the sick
men well cared for and comfortable In
their cots here afterward. when transferred 10
the general hospital at Montauk Point There was
an excellent steam disinfecting plant on the
grounds. with formadehyde chamber attached
The laundry work was done at a steam laundry
the hospital.
The temporary hospital which was locally known
the general hospital. Montauk Point consisted
or tent pavilions. containing 1872 cots Its per-
sonnel consisted of 40 medical men, stewards. 10
acting stewards. 100 privates Of the hospital corps
- cooks and 30 mae nurses and an average OF 200
female nurses one-half Of whom Sisters Of
Charity. Supplies of all Kinds amply provided
1t is needless 10 refer at this time to the COM
plants OF starvation which appeared almost daily
in the newspapers during the occupation Of Camp
Wkof. for II is now generally understood that the
weakness. prostratlon anHmia and emacaton OF
many OF the troops the results OF mala rial
typhoid and yellow fevers. from which the Army
suffered a consequence Of its exposure to the
climatic influences and local infections OF Santiago
and its neghborhood pending and subsequent to
the surrender Of the city
TROOPS IN THE HOME CAMPS
The method OF hospital rganization in the home
camps was practically the same and there was
much similarity In the conditions affecting them
and correspondingly in their history Regiments
reported In bu' few instances with the material B
and supplies for their medical care. but they
brought sick men with them. and these required /
immediate care. Provision had TO be mad. for /
division hospitals. In view of future aed service !
and for reg!mental hospitals. I'm view Of the imme- /
diate necessity. The difficulties in the way Of the I
contemporaneous accomplishment OF these two OBJ /
jects were great. and they greatly augmented ,
by tho inexperlence OF jorlty of the regimental
medical officers and or many of the chief sur
geons. which prevented them from seeing beyond !
FOR. and to this end medicines and other things
had TO be procured
Relief societies offered assistance. and this was
eagerly accepted by many OF these medical off,
,ers not alone FOR delicacies uxuries not othe-
which could have been had from the medica. pur-
yeyors In their camps. or by ;clegraphic requis-
,cpt what was so freely offered ,han to earn how
% obtain The articles from the proper source. To
'xplaln their prompt acceptance Of this assistance
hese officers referred to the red tape OF the War
IA thnd mo y "nu nr Inat me
he ordinary intellect accepted by the sensa-
PFsfs as ehe le Of y c@rp and a
ions a",S bSga9 The Organization ana equipment OF
5ancs but hey We're met at the on1set by the ap
parent impOssibty of securing for service az
camsters. etc The Hospital Corps Of the Rcgu,
ar Army could not supply these men. because
>cruting for this corps progressed slowly The
,opular tendency to volunteer led men away from
he Regular recruiting Offices. When transfers
w tho me HEa a no aSs
o leave their local connections for service In the
Ar~ly AT large Regular soldiers. The trans
ers so much desired by the Medical Department
o enable It 20 complete its organization were not
egarded favorably by line officers. for although
very line officer Will probably acknow ledge as a
eneral principle that only the most intelligent and
apa be men should be employed TO care for the
lex and wounded. he is not likely TO act on this :
General principle when II IS question OF with
Ira wing for such service the most INTELLIGENT and
apabe men Of his own company regiment
THE DIVISION HOSPITALS
The division hospitals OF the Army Corps were
sua, a,ly established In the immediate nelghborhood !
Z the regimenta camps of the divisions. The
avilions were arranged in various ways accord
ng to the conhguration OF the urea available a