Evening star., 1898-08-27
NO SUFFERING BY SOLDIERS
Surgeon General sternberg Replies to Uriti-
cisms.
Plenty of Money in Hospitals to Pur-
chase All Necessary Articles
of Light Diet.

Surgeon General Sternberg of the army
made statement to a Star reporter this
morning in response to the criticisms OF
the administration of the medical depart
ment during the Spanish war. The state
ment which was submitted to Acting Sec
retary Meiklejohn and approved by him Is
as follows
There has been an entire msunderstand-
ing on the part of the public with refer
cree to this matter of providing food for
the sick in the hospitals. Each sick man
is entitled to a ration consisting of -four,
fresh beef or bacon, coffee, etc., but the
sick man is not expected to live upon this
ration, and 1t is not drawn in kind for his
use, but the surgeon in charge Of the hos
ptal draws from the commissary depart
ment the money value of the ration and
eSpends this money in purchasing such
articles of light diet as the sick man re-
Quires.
Supplies In Hospitals.
"Our hospitals are always supplied abund-
artly with milk eggs, chickens and other
articles necessary in providing proper
light diet for the sick. In addition to the
hospital fund resulting from the credit due
the hospital for the soldiers rations
mercy has been sent by the surgeon gem
eral to every hospital from a special fund
believed that before general order 116, Au-
gust 10, was issued the sick in our hos
pitals we're amply provided with suitable
light diet.
When there are large numbers of ty-
phoid patients living upon milk diet, as
al Fcrt Myer, the hospital fund alone is
more than is required. But in view of the
great anxiety on the part Of the friends
o. the sick soldiers in all parts Of the
coul try the government has made an addi-
tonal provision. which in its liberality is
tar beyond anything heretofore suggested
for our sick soldiers. This provides for
90 cents day for the raw material of the
ration of each soldier in the hospital, and
is in excess of any possible requirement
Many of our civil hospitals in New York
city and other localities have offered to re-
ceive soldiers at fifty cents to 81 day.
This includes nursing and medical attend
ance, medicine, etc, while the sixty cents
provided by general orders 11G Is to be
used only for the purchase of articles of
food. No cooks, nurses or other incidental
expenses are paid for out of this sixty
cents.
In times of peace at our post hospitals
there is nearly always gradual accumula-
rion of the hospital fund from the saving
on the ration, for the reason that the light
diet, suitable for sick men, Is less expensive
than the full diet provided by the govern
ment for the well, the money value of
which is turned over to the surgeon in
charge Of the hospital.
Not Suffering.
The surgeons who have not already
drawn the money due under general order
116 can draw it at any time from the date
this order was issued. There has been no
suffering on the part of the soldiers, as
every surgeon in charge of the United
States general hospitals has constantly had
in his hands money for the purchase of all
necessary articles of light diet.
"a considerable portion of this money
has been contributed by the supply COM
mttee of the National Red Cross Associa-
ton, the money having been sent to me by
Mr.. Cleveland Dodge, chairman of this
committee, to whom 1 am indebted for
valuable assistance in many ways. AS to
the matter of general order 116 not reach
ing the various hospitals, and as to the
particular instance of Fort Myer, the news
paper men who quoted Assistant Secretary
Meiklejohn entirely misunderstood him and
absolutely misconstrued his meaning. Ordar
116 is dated. August 10. 1t was not printed
for distribution until August 13. On Mon
day morning, August Is, it was mailed to
the surgeon in charge of all general hos
pitfalls. / learned on Sunday, August q,
that DR.. Davis, the surgeon at Fort Myer.
had not received the order. The hospitals
generally have received 1t, because we have
received replies from nearly all of them.
want to Fort Myer personally on the 21st,
and there learned. that DR.. Davis had not
received the order. / told him the sub
stance of it and imT ediately upon return
ing to my office GENT 1t to him. DIR. Davis
was abundantly supplied with funds before
and after August 10, and his soldiers have
never suffered for the want of proper diet"