The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-10-21

cry three patients. Up to late LOO
patients had been treated at the hos
pitfalls. There had been oniy seventy
three deaths: about 80 per cent. OF the
cases were typhoid fever. This was a
smaller percentage than the average
mortality in civilian hospitals.
Resuming his testimony Lieutenant
Frye spoke of the causes for the preva-
lence Of typhoid fever in the Jackson
vile camp. He attributed IL largely to
the age Of the men. young people being
more susceptible than those more ad-
anced in age to this disease He also
thought much was due to the careless
ness Of the men themselves
DR.. Frye said that in all the hos
pitfalls with which he had been
ed there had been a deficiency Of bed
linen. This had beer especially true
at Fort Mcpherson. The hospital here
had been short OF lighting facilities.
There was not a sufficiency Of candles
or lanterns. acquisitions had been
made for them, but they could not be
secured from the government stores.
owing TO the construction OF orders.
Hence ii was necessary to depend upon
the Red Cross Society for these ar
ticles.
DR.. Frye expressed the opinion tina
in several cases convalescents had
been sent away from the hospitals
with which he had been connected
before they were sufficiently advanced
10 permit them TO go in safety. He had
no personal knowledge Of any individ-
ual case Of this kind. but he was sat
isfied that such cases had occurred. He
thought these instances were due 10
insufficient supervision, to ignorance OF
physicians and TO a desire TO clear
the wards of the hospitals for new pa
tents.
DR.. Frye spoke in very uncompli-
mentary terms of the men engaged in
the hospital corps. saying they had
been picked up at random over the
country and were generally a "scabby
looking lot" not fit to adorn any walk
Of life. He also spoke deprecatingly
Of the contract surgeons, saying that
he would not be willing to trust his
family or friends 10 So per cent. of
them. Many of them" he said, ARE
recent graduates from medical institu-
tons and 1 do not consider the aver
age medical graduate capable Of TAX
ing charge of from twenty-five to fifty
typhoid fever cases.. There was, he
said, no proper opportunity for consul
tatiOn with superior officers, as the lat
ter We're, as a rule, so generally occu-
pied with their administrative duties
as to prevent their giving close atten-
ton to professional matters unless es-
pecially called upon. He considered
this system wrong n expressed the
opinion that there should be more SUI
perviSiOn in serious cases in the hos
pital on the part of experienced men.
Colonel Doves, of the ~Forty-ninth
Iowa regiment, followed DR.. Frye and
h was in turn followed by various
members of his regiment. Colonel
Doves said there had been no deficien-
cy in the commissary supplies. The
men have the regular army rationG,"
he said, land if they have not had
enough the fault is theirs" He had had
some complaints against the meat, n
in all cases the undesirable article was
exchanged upon application and with
out going through the form of on
demnation. Speaking Of the medical
supplies, he said that a physician whom
Governor Shaw had sent to the camp
had spoke with surprise of the vari-
ETY. n quality of the medicines and
medical appliances on hand.
General z. B. Williston, in command
of the First brigade Of the Second di-
vision of the Seventh corps, was ques-
toned about various points, having
been stationed at Camp Thomas, Mon
tauk Point, Admission and other points,
before coming to Jacksonville. He
said the principal objection he had
to Camp Thomas, in Chickamauga
park, was the fact that it was impos-
CipIC ol o1Sodlll VI liz VI
the ground, to AVE sinks more than
two or three feet in depth. There had
also been an insufficiency of water in
the beginning of the history of the
camp. The water was taken from
wells, and while he did not believe the
wells were contaminated from the sur
face, he thought it had too much mag
nesia in it to be wholesome. He had
found difficulty in getting sufficient
water for stock at that period, but
General BOyntOn had afterwards on
structed two wells in the vicinity of
his camp, thus removing this obJec-
tiOn.
Speaking of the conditions at Jack
sOnville, he said he did not see that
any fault could be found with either
the administrative officers or the SER
vice performed by them in either the
medical, cOmm;Ssary Or QuartermaS-
ter departments. Most OF his staff
officers were volunteers, but he had
found them very efficient. He a al
so found the regimental officers espe-
cially jealous to maintain the best SAN
itary conditions possible.
General Wiliiston had been at Mon
tauk from the 10th of August to the
18th Of September and had supelin-
tended the debarkation of the troops
and the location of the infantry reg
iments in camp. Never" he said.
was a prettlef camp pltcneu III tIe
United States han was that camp at
Montauk Point" He said there were
tents erected for O 1000 men before any
men arrived and all they had to do
was to walk into them, so that SO far
as the men who were not sick were
concerned hey were we'll provided for.
He said the site was splendidly adapt
ed to camp service and that the camp
was ~abundantly supplied with stores
of all kinds.