The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-10-10
TENTS FEW.
The Reason for the Crowding of a Hospi-
tai.

witnesses today. They were DR.. Gr1ffen,
who is in charge of ths Sternberg hospital
at Camp Thomas, Chickamauga Park,
Ca, and Captain Baldridge. a brigade
commissary of subsistence at Camp CUBA
Libre at Jacksonville. The commission
hos practically decided to start on tne
night ofthe 10Th on its rounds OF the Vafi-
GUS camps. 1t will go either to camp
Meade or to jacksonville first. All the
camps will be visited in succession but
the understanding is that the trip TO
Camp Wikof will not be made until Some
time in Noyemb Der. Next week Will Dc
largely devoted to the inspection OF Official
reports and other statements which nave
been furnished in reply to requests by the
commission.
| Major Hersey was quoted yesterday as
saying thai Mr.. Wrenn of the Rough
Riders as well as Mr.. Tiffany. had died.
The statement was an inadvertence and
was due to the coupling Of the two names
and to the fact that Mr.. Wrenn was Ill.
DR.. Griffen in his testimony said the
majority of patients in the division hos
pital were suffering from typhoid and
venereal diseases. about twenty per cent
being of the latter class. He thought the
providing of the hospital was from lack OF
sufficient tentage. fault due to the sur
geon in charge. DR.. Griffen made his visit
to the division hospital to see man OF
his brigade who had been shot in the leg.
He found him in q tent with typhoid
fever patients and consequently had him
removed. DR.. Griffen advocated regiment
al rather than division hospitals he said
there would be the advantage of CLASH
flcation in the larger hospitals If the
classification was made, which it was not
as rule. The men were brigaded kthere.
The division hospital surgeons were o9m-
pstent in their profession some of them
being the most COMPETENT in the United
States, but they were not men of execu-
tive ability. None of them were addicted
to drink. He thought hospital surgeon
should compel the filling of his prescrip-
tions and look after such details and that
as much therefore depended upon his
ability in these respects as upon his pro-
supply good. The sinks were poorly
located. They were too near the kitchens
and were too shallow. Many of them
were only Is feet from the company
kichens and were open when he arrived.
He then had them moved further back
and gave directions for daily disinfection
and covering. By this time, however. the
regiments were all infected as he thought
by The flies going from the sinks to the
mess tables. DR.. Griffen was satisfied
that typhoid had been brought in by the
troops, the first case coming through a
Mississippi regiment. The location was
nealthful one as he made an investiga-
ton and found that prior to the arrival
of troops there had been only one case of
typhoid in the vicinity in nine years.
There had been about 5000 cases of
typhoid in the camp. DR.. Griffen was
given charge of. the Sternberg hospital
on August Is. He said that the tents
comprising this hospital were IA by 10
feet, f1oored and supplied with four beds
each. There were 100 tents and num-
Der of wooden buildings. Five hundred
nd thirty three was the largest number
of men at any one time and all told 1871
men had been treated there up to the 9th
instant. Of these Sc per cent wei typhoid,
the next most prolific cause being
venereal troubles. There had been 81
deaths at the Institution. The cases sent
to him were generally tho most danger
GUS He had 25 contract surgeons and
two regulars and 1877 female nurses and 159
members of the hospital corps acting as
nurses. He had received no complaints
and he was sure that the attendants were
efficient His acquisitions were sent
direct to the surgeon general at Washing
ton often by wire and there was never
any delay, he often being directed to pur.
chase at Chattanooga. Many articles.
were sent to the men from the North
but as rule they spoiled before they ar
rived and could not be used. He said that
when patients began to convalesce they
were put on a special diet for week and
then furlouqhed and sent home. He was
particular not to allow Eany patients to
leave for home until they were sufficient.
ly recovered to render it safe for them to
do so. He related how Governor Bradley
of Kentucky came to the hospital saying
he was going to take the Kentucky sick
nome. DR.. Griffen refused at first but
afterwards consented to leave the matter
to the patients themselves. Out OF 10
only one said he wanted to go and he was
insane.
Captain James G. Baldridge, com mis-
sioner of subsistence for the first brigade
of the second division of the seventh
army orps, now at Camp Cuba Libre,
Jacksonville, testified during the after
noon. He reached the camp on August 2
and made an immediate inspection OF the
kitchens. He found some of them not
well managed as all of the army COOKS
were not experts. He believed that Tor
an army in camp green coffee was prefer