The herald., 1898-11-04
THE DOCTOR DECIDED
CAMP THoMAS NANAGEHENT
WAS BAD
ALGER ISSUED THE ORDERS
which Caused Confusion Worse Con-
founded in the Hospitals and
Failed to Benefit Anyone
Associated Press Special Wire

WASHINGTON, Nov. 3.-Dr; M. Hart
suff. who was Chief Surgeon OF the army a
Comp Thomas on the 2lst OF April until the
9th Of July last, was examined today by
Colonel Denby of the War investigating
Commission concerning the conduct OF the
camp from a medical point OF view. Ht
criticised various features IN the manage
ment of the camp beginning win tne loGa oa
tion of some OF the regiments. lie SAID tht
mark was, on general principles, good camp
Ground, but that some of the regiments
were located in swampy sections and Others
an rocky ground where it was impossible te
set the sinks of sufficient depth. In Other
cases the camp was poorly drained and IN
most instances the tents were too close to
gether. He said the sites were selected by
General Brooke, and notwithstanding his
own position as chief medical officer, he had
not been consulted in regard to the loca-
ton. He had made formal protest at the
time but it was not needed.
DIR. Hartsuff took positive grounds against
the establishment of division hospitals at
the expense of the regiments. lie said that
the law for the organization OF volunteer
forces did not provide for the enlistment OF
a hospital corps and as a consequence there
was no force for the hospital work and the
only way to get one was to transfer men
from the volunteer force to the regular force
and oftentimes these men were not the most
efficient.
He thought division or field hospital
was a necessity, but he did not think it
should be built up, as at present, by taking
surgeons, stewards and ambulances from the
regiments, but rather as an independent in
stitution. He had found that the regi-
mental surgeons and nurses transferred to
the division hospital were not so capable OF
rendering good services as many were quite
useless.
fusion in transferring the regimental ef-
fects to the hospitals. 1t was, he said, Il
case of confusion worse confounded.
.'Do you,' asked Colonel DENLY, think
the establishment of division hospitals a
bad policy?'
every bad, as done,' responded the wit
Couldn't you, as chief medical officer,
have controlled the matter?" he was next
asked.
mo, sir. 1t was an order of the Secre-
tary of War, and under this order no regi-
mental hospital could be maintained y
He thought this order unfortuna e and
said that in carrying it into effect the
work of caring for the sick was greatly in.
terfered with and that no one was bene-
fited by it.
DR.. Hartsuff also expressed the opinion
that the water supply of the camp was not
good. He said that when the troops be.
gan to pour into the camp, the discovery
was made with alarm that the supply was
insufficient and that he, General Brooke and
others had set about to increase it,
A decision was reached to take water from
the Chickamauga River, in great haste, but
notwithstanding the intake pipe was located
about the mouth of the creek, draining the
camp, he did not consider the water Of the
river wholesome and he recommended, even
after the pipe line was established to meet
the emergency, that arrangements should
be made to extend the system so as to Sc.
cure water from Crawfish Spring.
He also said that the men often insisted
upon using surface water which was moth
ing more than drainage from the camps.
Summing up, DR.. Hartsuff said
"In my opinion, that sickness at Camp
Thomas was due largely to the inexperence.
and in many cases the ineffciencv of the
medical officers. and also to the neffciency
and inexperence of line officers, who did
not furnish the support they should have
furnished to the medical department. The
execution of any plan of operation rests
largely with the line officers, the duties of
surgeons being largely to make recommenda-
tions. They are therefore unable to correct
abuses themselves, and must depend upon
others to do that. This applies to the Of
fcers of regiments as well as to general of
fcers."