The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-21
GENERALS REPORT.
continued from First Page.

and stored on one OF the vessels. IheSe
An excellent service at San Juan and El
Carev. Ten of the ambulances of the
Tbir5. or reserve division hospital, were
s,ihssouently shipped to Cuba, where they
,rri,ad July 2, and were of value in NOV
tr the sick and wounded to the hospital
o. Siboney and to the hospital ships and
sransports. OF the property and supplies
carried to Cuba a portion was not avail
obls for service at the time il was most
needed to-wit, on July l, 2 and 8, when
tb+ wounded from Ell Caney and San Juan
we're coming from the front for care ana
treatment. This was because, in general,
M opportunity was afforded to medical
property Earnest efforts were made by
medical officers to have supplies at the
front with the troops. During and after
the battles at FL Caney and San Juan
There was an nsufficiency of tents cots
bedding and medicines. due to the causes
stated but all the hospitals were well
equipped for surgical work.
After the equalization of Santiago the
troops at the front broke down rapidly
under the fatigues they had undergone
and the ma.aral influences to which they
were exposed; but by this time an ample
supply of tents, furniture, bedding cloth
ing and medical stores had reached ST.
honey, together with corps of trained
nurses and a force of surgeons, those sent
TO duty al the yellow fever hospital be-
ing immune to that disease. Meanwhile
10 relieve the pressure on the field hospi-
tails such convalescents and sick as could
bear the journey home We're sent to the
United States on transport vessels This
was an emergency measure to relieve the
hospitals at Siboney and permit of the
transfer of them TO the men who were
sick in regimental camps.
The transfer of troops from Santiago to
Montauk Point, New York was also an
emergency measure, and the great re-
spons.bihty of excluding a yellow fever
infection from every transport rested upon
the medical officers who had charge of the
embarkauon. Had they failed in this duty
the effect would have been disastrous dur
ing the voyage to the men confined on
Shipboard, and the risk of importing the
disease into this country would have been
greatly increased.
1t is needless TO refer at this time to
the complaints of starvation which an
peared almost daily in the newspapers dur
lng ,he occupation of Camp Wikoff for if
Is new generally understood that the
weakness prostration, anaemia and ema-
citation Of SO many of the troops We're
the results of maiarial. typhoid and vel
low fever, from which the army suffered
as a consequence of its exposure to the
elmauc influences and local infections OF
santiago and its neighborhood, pending
and subsequent to the surrender of the
city.
Troops in the Home Camps-The method
Oh hospital organization in these camps
was practically the same; and there was
much similarity IN the conditions affecting
them and correspondingly in their history
Regiments reported in but few instances
with the material and supplies from their
medlcal care but they brought sick men
with them, and these required immediate
care
chef surgeons of corps and divisions
began the organiza ton and equipment of
their field division hospitals and ambu
lances companies, but they were met al
the outset by the apparent impossibility
OF securing men for service as cooks.
nurses, inter bearers. ambulance drivers
Transfers, etc. AS a rule the bosnitals
were kept in campaigning condition, that
Is, the tents were neither framed nor floor
ca until the increased prevalence of ty-
phold fever attracted attention to their
crowded condition, when the object of
thelr existence became suddenly changed
from a school for field service to a hos
pltal for the treatment of a local outbreak
u disease. Special diet kitchens, under the
Hdhasemeht of capable individuals, were
opened at most of the hospitals Money
from funds contributed and placed at nv
disposal Money was also sent directly by
INDIVIDUALS and representatives of aid So
clelles' and the Red Cross committees sup
pHed quantities of ice and milk chicken
eggs lemons, etc. Pajamas, nightshirts
ana other articles of hospital clothing were
aSo provided by the Red Cross and other
soceiles Subsequently the order author
zlng the commute ton of the sick SOL
urlS ration al
hospitals wholly Independent of outside as
sisance
About July 20 the troops for the inva-
son OF Porto Rico embarked and sailed
1ue neld hospital accommodation with this
Apeuluonary force was ample and the
supplies abundant.
troops on the Pacific Coast--The pre-
Vduuohs taken to secuIe a good sanitary
t1ouuIlton Of the vessels prior to embarka-
u9N' ana the sanitary supervision exercis-
~ over the men during their long VOYAGE
mus be credited with the excellent con-
Mia "iiiFSu at ND
ne want of hospital corps men was the
man cause of the failure of chief sur
SONS 70 establish their division hospitals
Up to Sept 80 eleven general hospitals
were established and fully manned and
iiSSS udu capacity OF nearly
l@ beds At The same time certain nosr
hospitals having good accommodations
were used for the treatment of army cases
generally.
4"S report presents tabula tons compiled
-'olH monthly reports of sick and wound
ST. 'eeeiVed from May to September inclu-
81 eve, ana representing strength present
VI !oLI@ men. These give full particulars
W -'Ho deaths of which number $40 were
ri,i 10y typhoid fever; 81 by mala-
.,ai leVers and 1913 by dlarrhoea and dys-
sn'eIy' The death rate for May and June
10 and 20. were not in excess of those of
rle army in time of peace. In July the
as 'e became somewhat higher than that
VI most well cared for cities, 2.15 for the
month, or the equivalent of an annual rate
-o'@ per thousand living. In August it
oecaIne excessive, 40S for The month.
s4ual 10 an annual rate of 1896 per thou
Sa'" In September the influence of the
lsetc measures taken in July and Au-
huS' 10 improve the health of the army
eV'ne manifest in the falling of the death
+aNS 10 3.40. the puutva lent Of a.,