The record-union., 1898-08-23

on August Sth found at least 200 cases
of typhoid fever. In some of them it
was difficult and almost impossible to
make a differential diagnosis between
malarial and typhoid fever without the
aid of the microscope, resource
which, unfortunately. was not at hand.
Following the order of Colonel Green
leaf, chief surgeon of the army. / in
vestigated for two days all of the fe-
yer cases in the hospital for the pur-
pose of locating the origin of typhoid
fever
"a careful study of the cases showed
that so per cent. were genuine typhoid
fever cases, and that the infection in
the army was brought directly from
the camps occupied in the United
States. 1 am firmly of the opinion that
if the American army now in Porto
Rico remains there much longer the
loss Of life due to sickness will be as
great as at Santiago.
"The order to General Wilson to take
up the march toward San Juan made it
necessary to evacuate the division hos
pital. All of the patients were trans
ferred to the Spanish military hospital
in Ponce, which caused temporary
overcroWding. The clubhouse of the city
and the school for girls, in charge of
Sisters of Charity, were also offered to
the authorities for hospital use and
were accepted. I want to make especial
mention of the valuable services rem
dered by Miss Chandler of your city,
who, night and day, with untiring en-
ergy, ministered to the sick and wound
ed soldiers. All of the officers in the
clubhouse became very much attached
to Miss Chandler.
Nostalgia, or homesickness, in a
large measure has added to the wretch
ed condition of the soldiers, not only
in Cuba, but in Porto Rico also. The
Postoffice Department has shown Sc
riouS neglect in forwarding mail. You
give a man a letter from home and he
feels like fighting. I know as an actual
fact that more than 200 letters We're
sent to me while / have been away
from home, but I have received only
two Of them. Newspapers were in great
demand and were eagerly bought and
read
THE war has again demonstrated the
great value of the small caliber bullet,
and has shown that it is a most humane
few surgical operations were neces-
sary and our attention was directed en-
tirely to the proper dressing of wounds.
Il want to correct some Of the reports
which have come from Cuba and Porto
Rico as to the feelings of the Spaniards
| against the Red Cross. The SpaniardS
never purposely fired at the Red Cross
representatives. of our country, and if
any of those were injured it was entire
/ OF the order could not be easily dis
| tinguished at distance.
THE following touching incident, for
example, shows that the Spaniards are
in sympathy with the work of the Red
Cross organization. While a company
of infantry was charging a hill at Qua
MICA a volunteer who had rushed 100
yards ahead of the line was suddenly
Frustrated by the heat. A Spanish Off
GER near by ran to him and picked him
up and carried him to our line amid the
cheers of our troops"
Colonel Sem is enthusiastic about
Porto Rico and declares the island to be
worth it's weight in gold
"It is a beautiful country, combi-
nation of Italy and Switzerland, and its
resources are incalculable.
What is now needed in Porto Rico
is American civilization with its little
red schoolhouse. 1t will take at least
fifty years to bring the natives of Porto
Riso and Cuba to such a state Of civili-
zation that they can govern themselves.