The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-11-07
NOTHING WAS RIGHT.
DR.. SchOOler Gives Testimony
Regarding Camp Thomas.


Chicago, Nov. 7.-Gen. Dodge, Col.
Sexton and DR.. Connor Of the war in
vestigatfon commission arrived in Chi
cago today and Immediately began the
examination of witnesses at the Audi
forum hotel. A large number Of wit
nesses are on the list and it is not likely
that the members of the commission
viii be able to leave Chicago before
"Wednesday. They will then leave for
Detroit, where the investigation will be
continued From Detroit the commits
sioners will go direct to Washington.
DR.. Louis Schooler of Des Moines, Ia,
was the first witness to testify today
From June to July II DE-. Schooler
was stationed at Camp Thomas, as
chief surgeon of the Second DIVISION
Third corps Questioned by DR.. Con-
nor, ne said that during the time he was
there the sanitary condition of the hos
pitfalls was not very good; that the sinks
in the whole division were bad owing
principally to the character of the
ground; and the discipline was rather
lax.
AT the opening said DR.. Schooler
there was practically no facilities for
the care of the sick; we were short OF
which the stewards could prepare the
medicines that we had. The regimental
hospitals, all but one or two were as
poorly supplied with medicines as the
made for more, but they were generally
disapprOved at the camp headquarters.
The supply department had certain
hours for issuing supplies and at other
times nothing could be obtained There
was q scarcity of beds in the hospitals.
At one time practically half our nurs-
ing force were sick or in the guard
house for INSTRUMENTATION"
DR.. Connor-Why was not a demand
made by somebody that better or more
nurses should be sent to that place?
EchOOIRT-T 7 re.
the surgeon general protesting against
the difficulty of securing supplies. Part
of the blame rested upon the quarter
masters department.
Asked to give, in as few words as
possible, his opinion about the general
conditions at Camp Thomas during the
time he was stationed there, Mr..
SchOOler said: In the first place the
quartermaster and surgeons could not
agree as to the number of tents we
should have. Col. Lee cOntended that
we were limited to a, certain mum Der of
tents-17 I think it was in the begin
ming We afterwards prevailed upon
MIN to give US 81 His contention was
that he could not issue tents beyond the
prescribed number I think he based
the number of tents upon Is patients
and when the number of patients be-
came greater we could not make him
understand that we had to have more
rents. 1t was his refusal to increase
that number of tents that made the
ONefcrOWdlnS. The lack of medicines
the lack of trained nurses. and the lack
OF sufficient number of surgeons was
a material difficulty. One cause of the
prevalence of sickness in the camp was
that we had three regiments who came
there with great deal of sickness, the
FIRST Mississippi and the First and
Second Arkansas. I think the O1Iarter
masters department was largely re-
sponsible for the great sickness; the
medical department Chat is the supply
departmenp was also responsible for
some things Then we lacked facili-
ties to make reports On-dfd not even
nave stationery. We were told all the
time that reports must be made OUT
Dr. COnnOT-SO far as you know, was
there on the part of any of the medical
officer or surgeon, any wilful neglect in
the care OF the sick?
DR.. Schooler-No, sir; the great diff
Guilty was in obtaining supplies and I
think the hitch came between Colonel
Hartsuff and the medical supply depart
nent For the successful care of the
sick, DR.. SchOOler considered the di-
vision hospital far superior to regimen
tai hospitals.
4 left on the 18th of July" he said,
before any epidemic had set in. In
my judgment the responsibility for the
continuance of the conditions there does
not rest upon the division surgeons"
In regard to the water supply at the
camp, Dr.. SchOOler stated that he did
not think that any of the surgeons in
his division considered the water fit to
drink And again there was not enough
teams at the disposal of the officers to
On several occasions he had visited the
ground situated around where the sup
ply was taken from the river and felt
convinced from what he saw that much
of the prevailing disease was caused by
the negligence of the policing depart
ment in allowing the soldiers to go at
will through the woods situated along
the banks of the stream. He gave this
as reason for many of the cases of
typhoid fever existing in the camp An
other feature which contributed largely
to the sick list in the opinion of the
doctor was the laxity shown in issuing
passes to the men and allowing them
to visit other camps. Fifty per cent
of the Sickness" said the doctor,
would not have been in existence had
the men not been allowed to leave
Chickamauga Park on passes"
He gave as his opinion that the medf-
cal officers were hampered too much by
officers Of higher rank, but who had no
medical training. In regard to division
hospitals the doctor said: 4 think there
should have been a hospital in Chatta-
nooga where a class Of patients could
have been taken, who were going to be
sick any length of time
The division hospital" he continued
was never intended for cases where
patients were going to be sick any
length of time
When questioned as to the lack of
nurses, the doctor said that he thought
that both the nurses, as well as the
officers, were OverwOrked.
Johnsons Suing Acaiu