Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-11-21

relates mainly to che work of the medi
cal corps during the war. Following
are some of the more important feat
ures of the report in part:
The number of medical officers, 1872,
allowed by law to the army is made
quate in time of peace The INSULT
cheney in time OF war was met by the
assignment of over $50 contract sur
geons The very small proportion of
medical officers having experience of "a
military character impaired the eff
/ cheney of the department at the outset,
/ but some became efficient.
No provision was made for hospital
corps men for the volunteer troo ps ex.
/ cept THAI which EN- powered the secre.
tary of war to enlist as many privatea
of the hospital corps as the service may
require. over 5000 were employed,
also over ! roo female nurses.
Immediately upon the declaration OF
war, April II, steps were taken to OBJ
tain medical supplies for the new volun
4 teer army. The manufacture was eXpe-
dited with the utmost dispatch Some
| of the states were asked to assist, which
they did, but others had no equipment
to offer.
Whenever notice was received from
the adjutant generals Office that COM
mands were to be moved or camps
formed, the surgeon general said he en-
| deayored to anticipate the wants Of the
troops By telegraphing to the officer IN
charge of the nearest supply depot To
forward supplies Tor the stated number
of men.
In his opinion the reduction of the
age limit from q TO IL years and tht
haste with which che volunteer regl
ments were organized and mustered
into the service Were responsible fol
much OF the Sickness winch was Ie
ported IL ne early days OF their camp
life. .A.4 military experience shows
that youu., 4uen unCer u ve-rs break
down retady under the stra,A OF waI
service, aad every II giment had many
I OF these ouths Ii ITS lan1s AIen Wete
t ad1uItte1 by meQleal examiners who
were a.4tI Wards 1oun not It md "a
engagements had To be made .or Their
dlscnuf5e.
Inc sites OF certain u the cam - have
been INST lneed IL tee Jewspape4s as the
cause vi Ia. Sickness which Waa deveI
oped III A'1-a. Not tho sites, be SAL,
but Gae uaAnar 81 is occupation mus
! be held les. 0us.o-6 TOf buU yener~4
! spread OF QISta}o among JAe trOOps.
I Aprll 50, 1876, H. !asucyl circular NO. -,
inpreeslng upon .netnCaI CtHCecs thec
responsibility III sanlt1ry hid r0Gr5 am
tine necessity Ior d sGtlcb att449-ry pu.
ice, particularly III the car OF Tie
slnhs ,tlii 1. the preservatloA OF the
camp "Ica rom Contamination. Dat th
den - .. ne i4.!.I H. ppp,--ttIon -.
the area OI these Consr,s5 Ue-. cup pre-
ven,ed the possibility u 5000 sanltars
condition.
1ractlcally nothing Waa done TO lnaho
the men comfortable OF to remedy t4e
insanltary conditions until these Were
brought 10 the afternoon OF the seers-
tary OF war oy inspectors sent out from
the War department. Then the cam
helu lur 40., were Abandoned, -
not 4elore T.U manifestations OF gypHG.
lnleeCion Wer3 rae III them. AeW slr .
were carer lilly a-I-cted, reg .llcA
camps were expanded, company tea
age increased ana boaru noorlng pro
vlded. Ihen, Tor the trSt time, tic
troops went into camps suitable for Co..
tinued occC. patton.
one promluenJ cause OF the increase
of sickness III The early camps has been
commented upon by only few OF the
medical officers. These cite the preVa-
| lence of drunkenness and of veneroal
! diseases due to the facilities and temp.
tations afforded by the proximity ol
cities to larger camps. They hold thaJ
! if the systems OF the men had not been
weakened by dissipation they would not
! have succumbed so readily to the other
! influence which affected them.
1t was typhoid fever which broke
/ down the strength Of the commands
generally, the outbreak becoming dis
tinctly manifest in July. Sporadic
cases appeared i'll most of the regiments
in May and June, these cases having
been brought in many instances from
| the state camps.
IL Is well Known to the medical pro-
fession that this fever is propagated by
a contaminated water supply. The
great prevalence of this disease III an
aggravated form in the corps OF the
civil war was due to the use OF surface
and shallow well waters infected by ty-
phoid excreta. 70 prevent transmission
by the water supply he recommended
the use of boiled and filtered water
when pure spring supply could not be
obtained Field filters of approved
construction were issued on his recon-
mendation by the quartermaster's de-
partment.
Regarding the Fifth army corps, Sur
geou General Sternberg said III part:
Long before the corps embarked for
Cuba its fell. hospitals We're IN condl
ton 1or etac.eng service. Subsequent
: eYe4ts, however, rendered yalueleSs
} those prepare. .ons or the medical de-
partment. w len the command en-
parked on the -ansport vessels the bag.
gage wagons and mules were left be-
mud. .he ambulance trains of all the