New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-01
ARMY SURGEONS UPHELD.
GENERAL, poyNroN PRAISES HOSPITAL
SERVICE AT CAN'T THOMAS.
RAD CONDITIONS IN THT CAMP SAID TO
BE DUE TO COMMANDERS AN
ANSWER To SURGEON
GENERAL TERRY

Camp Thomas The report * dated AuSust -
The General SAYS that his Instructions we've
~ report the number % eick. character or III
ress number If tents. noor space for each pa
tent. the Adequacy and suitability ~ -
tendqnts and whether the medical officers have
discharged their duties faithfully and With
intelligence. and - make any recommenda~
ton IN the interest ~ Al concerned He saws
tha, he visited all the hospitals IN the camp
without giving NOTICE NJ his purpose General
Povnton SAYS.
Believing the death lst ~ this camp 10 afford
an excellent standard by which 10 measure US
condition as - health and hospital service
full report was obtained C all deaths in ire
camp and In it's hospitals since its establish
,nent in the middle Of April last The result
shows 2. total death let ~ 1t's up to the I2d az
this month. when the breaking UP Of this camp
began. Between these dates including RegG.
lars and volunteers. fully seventy-fve thousand
troops have been in csmp I'm Chickar auga
Park The record ~ burials IN the Nauoral
Cemetery a. Chattanooga shows a total OF 70
volunteers and two Regular soldiers or the
latter one Of these was Killed by falling from
railway train.
The report takes up IN detail first ths two
permanent hospitals the Letter and the Stern
berg and states with the greatest mnuteness
the exact accommodation afforded hv each.
The first Is ~ Crawfsh Springs, under charge
~ Major Carter, and was converted from iarse
resort hotel INTO n hpSIlt9l. ftc"lNlhS
the worst typhoid cases from tho camp. Each
patient has abundant room. woven wire end
hair mattresses and abundant bed clothing
The ventilation Is perfect. plumbing entirely
new and bathing facilities ample The number
Of attendants when all arc we'll is entirely
satisfactory and attendants are on tho way TO
take the places Of those who are hi Oxen down.
NO LACK OF DELEGATES.
re nd
has arransements for pasturirg them without
EXPENSE 10 tho Government. He has sufficient
money from the hospital fund to buy whatever
Is wanted In the way Of milk. Ice and other
de'icacses There have been at this hospital fun
surplies Of ice. milk commissary stores and
dslicscies such as the sick ought To have. and
The funds have enabled him 10 buy all that has
been needed in the way of canned and potted
goods, SOUPS. clam juice sage. matted milk.
eggs koumyss. jellies. preserves. rellshes. gin
ger oil. Apollnaris water. champagne ana
claret The entire hospital Is furnished with
distilled water and the ice used is made from
distilled water
The sewerage OF the hospital is excellent. and.
contrary persistent assertions. none or the
sewage has e-er drained into the Chickamauga
River or approached II at any point.
Major Carter has a corps of doctors wMch
he regards as andy sufficient TO care Ior all
the patients in the hospital. and reports them
their duties
Taking up the sternberg hospital in charge
of Major Giffen. General Boynton shows that
II is one Of the most complete field hospitals ever
seen, according 10 veterans of the civil war
All the tents closely fioored. AT present
only four men are in any tent and In addition
to the tents there are nine large board paVlllons
Every tent and pavilion has iron Dedsteaos'
with wire-woven springs and hair mattresses
There are FIVE cod-storage rooms FOR deIicacies'
separate refrigerators for each row OF tents.
ard every proper measure Of sanitation is OBJ
served with respect TO the sinks. Further. the
report says:
The whole place Is most carefully policed
daily. and the whole establishment. within ana
without its permanent buildings and It's tents,
Is In the most perfect order
Since the establishment of this hospital every
thing asked for in the way of supplies or every
kind has been promptly furnished From six
teen TO twenty-four barrels Of distilled water
are purchased daily and patients get nothing
hut distilled water to drink From three 10 five
tons of ice are used daily. Three hundred gal
Ions Of milk are purchased daily. and one hun
drcd and fifty gallons are furnished by the Red
Cross.
All money necessary for the purchase Of deli
cacies 81 every kind suitable to the sick has
been furnished by order OF General Sternberg
Soon after the hospital was established he tele-
graphed q follows to the surgeon in charge:
DO not fail 10 procure everything necessary
for the comfort of the sick. Apply To me for
additional female nurses and for money 10 buy
delicacies when required.
a careful inquiry developed the fact that all
varieties Of medical supplies REQUIRED or asked
for were furnished both from Washington and
from medical headquarters at the camp with
the greatest pronptness
THE DEATH RATE Low.
It is stated. IN addition, that all tho hospital
refuse IS burned IN Il crematory, and, according
II Major Giffea, all hut thousand patients
now sick IN the entire camp could no safely
moved. Tho diseases are more of a ma1arlal
character than typhoid fever strictly. the death
rate being low only about per cent NJ III"
worst cases
The First Division Aeld hospital. IN charge NJ
Major Drake Is foored with plsned lumber and
Il is clean ia possible. being scrubbed with
carboc acid and treated with bchlorde "f
mercury every other day. All the patients are
on cots and never have been on the ground for
any length Of time None ~ the 80 cents allow
ance a man for delicaces has been used. as II
was not needed. The report saws ~ this hosp-
tel:
There haze been IN this hospital at various
times 1871 patients from the Sth NewY York Vol
unteers The reports show that in a great many
cases II was difficult 10 tell that snythinG was
the matter with them. Only 10 per oenr Of the
cases of sickness from this regiment were re
ported as in any way serious and when y was
YunnoYed that the regiment was 70 be sent home
several Of those In the hospital asked not 10 he
cent. but 10 be allowed I" remain fmruEn'n'
their convaescence
The report states that IN times when the hos
pital was crowded there was lack Of nurses.
the deficiency being supplied by details from the
regiments which not as satisfactory rs
trained nurses The report continues
As result Of this inadequate force. the force
provided has been hard worked, but in All cases
they have stuck 10 their posts and performed
their work with great energy. until sickness
overlook considerable number The places cf
The sick have been flled by nurses from the
Surgeon Generals Department The eAhaustng
character OF the work performed by these nurses
IL shown by the fact that about one-fourth Of
them have thoroughly exhausted their strength,
and are now resting in quarters.
MEDICAL OFFICERS OvERwoRKEp
General Boynton shows that there is a full
refrigerator capacity for this hospital porcelain
lined baths. sterihzed and ICED water and every