Daily Kennebec journal., 1898-09-07
THE CAMP HOSPITAL.
Report oi The Citizens Committee on Inc
Existing Conditions.

/
unfavorable conditions existing a,
Camp Powers, instancing lack oa
accommodations. insufficient and i'm
proper food and want Of care. have
prompted the citizens committee to
visit and carefully investigate the
camp hospital, believing that a report
from this committee will be OF interest
to the public. and especially welcome
to those who have friends in camp.
The changes incident to the change
Of location from Chickamauga to Camp
Powers probably developed more cases
Of sickness. and these more rapidly,
than had been anticipated, and un-
dOubtedly caused a temporary conges-
ton. This being reported to the sur
geon general at Washington, orders
were Immediately issued placing such
of the sick as could not be accumnO-
dated in the camp hospital in the
especial care Of Adjutant General
Richards and directing him to spare
no expense in providing them with
everything necessary to their comfort.
General Richards at once arranged for
quarters in the Augusta City hospital
and thence the Overplus of patients
were removed. So that. as it stands,
today, there are no crowded wards,
every cot is clean and comfortable and
covered with a~vhite espread,-provided
by the Ladies' Volunteer Aid Society,
of which Mrs. Governor Connor is the
efficient chairman,-there are in at
tendance two most excellent trained
nurses, Misses Whittemore and Wy
man, Hospital Steward Wheeler, who
for marked efficiency has just been
promoted to assistant surgeon, with
numerous assistants, all under the
wise general supervision of Surgeon
O'Neil and Assistant Surgeon Elliot.
Orders from Washington to Colonel
Kendall are that he spare neither en-
ergy nor expense in securing whatever
may be needed for the comfort and
restoration of the sick. That he is
faithfully attending to his duty the
committee has abundant evidence.
There is no absolute necessity for the
citizens sending food to the hospital.
The officers have all the power and all
the money necessary to procure all the
food which the hospital needs. Deli
cacies, in the line of jellies, ice cream,
sherbert and the like, and light food,
such as tapioca. preparations Of corn
starch and gruels, will be, of course.
highly appreciated. and properly dis
tributed The soldiers will find new
life in such kindly remembrances and
the surgeons and nurses will welcome
whatever may. in any way, add to the
comfort and aid the recovery of their
patients. a. 80
The committee respectfully urges
that these little attentions be shown
"the boys" but let no person who has
a friend in the hospital feel that that
friend is suffering for want of food, or
medicine. or care: or that his sur
roundings are other than cleanly,
wholesome and comfortable.
AT the suggestion of the committee
screen doors are to be Immediately ap-
piled to the wards, in addition to the
netting now provided for each cot.
The camp sinks are cleaned and dis
infected every day. and few minor
changes looking to still greater care in
this direction have already been or
dered.
There are,s today, "a cases in all.
Twenty-three are at the camp hos
pital: three cases of measles, 20 of
''malarial" and suspected typhoid"
fever. All are doing well. OF the bal
ance. no greater assurance, as to their
welfare. can be given than that they
are in the hands of General Richards
and the efficient staff Of our City hos
pital.
The officers grappled with conditions
as they found them. and by their
energy and skill, with the splendid SER
vice volunteered by the ladies of the
city. have succeeded in establishing a
hospital which the committee believes
to be. in every respect. as comfortable
as could reasonably be expected.
C. s. HICHBORN,
c. B. BURLEIGH,
: F. w. PLAISTED,
WALTER d. STINSON,
NATHAN WESTON.
Augusta Septemhar < 1898