Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-21
SURGEON GENERAL STERNBERG.

sickness in the carly camps has been COM
mented upon by only It few of our medical
officers. These cite the prevalence OF
drunkenness and of venereal disease due TO
the facilities and temptations afforded by
the proximity of cities To the larger camps.
They hold that If the systems OF the men
had not been weakened by dissipation they
would not have succumbed so readily TO
the other influences which affected them.
1t was typhoid feYer which broke down
the strength of the commands generally,
the outbreak becoming distinctly manifest
In July. Sporadic cases appeared in most
of the regiments in May and June. these
cases having been brought in many in
stances from the state camps. In fact
some regiments, as The Fifteenth Mime
sofa, suffered more from this disease at
their state rendezvous than any. of the
regiments In the large federal camps. 1T
appears from general reviews of the sani-
tary reports already filed. that the prevail
ence of the disease was proportioned 10
g. the-iBsanitary camp conditions which
have referred to. The probability of its
p communication TO soldiers In camp through
The agency OF flies was pointed out as Il
reason for insisting on sanitary police
of the strictest character.
Ii is well known to the medical profess
sion that this fever Is propagated by a
contaminated water supply and it is now
recognized that the great prevalence of this
disease in an aggravated form in the camps
of the civil war was due to the use of sur
face and shallow well waters. infected 10y
typhoid excreta. To prevent the trans
mission by the water supply l recommend
the use OF boiled and filtered water when
pure spring supply could not be obtained
and TO enable an efficient liberation of
suspected waters 10 be made, field filters of
approved construction were issued on my
recommendation by the quartermaster's de-
partment.
Care of the Sick and Wounded.
The seriously sick were TO be treated in
their division field hospitals, unless their
transfer TO a general hospital was adj
visable, under the care of the most ex-
perienced physicians and able surgeons on
duty with each division. Medical officers
left on duty with their regiments were to
exercise sanitary supervision over the well
men and 10 determine whether a soldier
reporting himself sick should be sent to
hospital or remain as a trivial case un-
der treatment in quarters. The consolida-
tion of the medical force by divisions, i'm
plying as 1t did the breaking up of the
reeimental hospitals, met with a strong op-
position from regimental medical officers
particularly from those who We're not de-
tailed for special service at the division
hospital
The Fifth Army Corps
Long before this corps embarked for
Cuba its field hospitals were in condition
for efficient service Subsequent events
have rendered vaIueless these preparations
of the medical department When the
command embarked on the transport ves-
sells, the baggage wagons and mules were
left behind. The ambulance trains of all
The divisions. with large part of the out
lit of each OF the hospitals, were also left
behind. Three ambulance wagons were
taken apart and slowed on one of the YES
sells. These did excellent service at San
Juan and Ell cahey. Ten of the ambu-
lanccs of the Third, or reserve divisional
hospital were subsequently shipped 10
Cuba. where they arrived July .. and were
OF value In moving the sick and wounded
TO the hospital at Siboney and TO the
hospital ships and transports OF the
property and supplies carried to Cuba. a
portion was not available for service at
the lime II was most needed to-wit: On
july ], and ., when the wounded from
IL Caney and San Juan were coming from
The front. for care and treatment This
was because. in general, no opporturitv
WAS Afforded 10 land the medical prom
erty. Earnest efforts were made by med
ioai officers 10 have supplies at the front
with tho troops. During and after the
BATTLES at FL Caney ard San Juan there
WAS an insuffciency of tents cots. bod-
ding and medicines, due TO the causes
stated. hut all the hospitals were well
equipped for surgical work.
After the capituIation of Santiaro tho
troops at the front broke down rapidly nm
der the fatigues they had undergone and
the Observation-Disclosures TO Which they were
exposed: bur by this time an annie sunnI,.
OF tents, furniture. bedding clothing and
medical stores had reached Siboney. TO-
rethcr with corps of trained nurses and
q force of surgeons, who were sent TO dury
at the yellow fever hospital being immune
10 the disease. Meanwhile TO relieve the
pressure on The field hospitals such con-
valesccllts and sick could bear the Jour
ncy were sent to the United States on
transport vessels. This was an emergency
measure 10 relieve the hospitals at SIboney
and permit of the transfer to them of the
mon who were sick in regimeutaI camps
The transfer Of troops from Santiago to
Montauk Point was also an emergency
measure and the great responsibility of ex-
Guiding yellow fever infection from every
transport rested on the medical officers
who had charge of the ernbarkation Had
they failed in this duty the effect would
have been disastrous during the VOYAGE 10
the men on ship board and the risk of i'm