Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1898-11-26
GEN. sTERNBERc's REPORT.
rhe Man who Had Charge Of All Medical
Supplies During the War with Spain
Makes q Statement

Makes statemsnt
Washington, Nov. 21.-Surgeon Gen.
eral George NJ. Sternberg has made
his report to the secretary Of war. II
relates mainly TO the work OF the medi.
cal corps during the war. The follow.
Ing are the more important features Of
the report:
Tho number Of medical officers ies, allowed
by law 70 the army. Il inadequate In time Of
peace The insuficiency In time OF war was
met by the assignment Of over $50 contract
surgeons The very small proportion Of medi-
cal officers having experience OF military
character impaired the efficiency Of the depart
ment at the outset but many Of the stan sur.
geons from civil life showed great aptitude for
the service and speedily became OF value rs nd
ministrative sanitary oficera No provision
was made for hospital corps men for the vol.
untecr troops except thut which empowered
the secretary Of war TO enlist rs many privates
OF tho hospital corps as the service may 70.
quire The number OF men enlisted and trans.
fcrred during the war was approximately 600Q
Immediately upon the declaration OF war,
April 81. steps were taken 10 obtain medical
supplies for the new volunteer army. The
manufacture was expedited with the utmost
dispatch On May 8. foreseeing that It would
be impossible TO have ready for issue 10 tho
volunteer regiments rs soon rs they were
mustered In. the necessary articles Of field
equipment. / tclegraphcd the governors Of the
several states for auth GRITTY TO use the medical
equipment Of the national guard In the service
Of the state until our army medical supplies
were ready for issue Most Of the governors
who had dcld equipment responded promptly
NIalo N,.N
the state medical departments had no such
equipment Meanwhile the officers In charge
Of the medical supply depots were directed TO
make arrangements SO that supplies could be
obtained for 100000 men for six
months.
The sites OF certain OF the camps have been
lnstanced In the newspapers rs the cause Of
The sickness which was developed In them, but
D review OF the whole situation shows that 10
was not the site. but the manner Of It's occupa-
lion. which must be held responsible for the |
manner ind spread OF disease among the |
troops April %, 1893 foreseeing the likelihood |
II sanitary conditions In the camps, I issued |
,ircular No. !. impressing upon medical officers |
heir responsibility In sanitary matters and |
he necessity for o strict sanitary policy, |
'articularly in the care Of the sick |
Ind In the preservation Of the camp area |
rom contamination But the necessity OF the |
military population on the area Of these con.
racted camps prevented the possibility Of good
anitary conditions
II was typhoid fever which broke down tho
strength OF the commands generally, the OUT
freak becoming distinctly manifest In July.
sporadic cases appeared In most OF the regi.
nents In May and June. these cases having
'een brought In many instances from the state
amps In fact, some regiments, as the Fiji
zenith Minnesota. suffered more from this dis
ase ut their state rendezvous than any Of the
egiments In the large federal camps II up
ears from o general review OF the sanitary re-
orts already filed that the prevalence Of the
is,ase was proportioned to the insanitary
amp conditions which have referred to, The
reliability OF Its communication TO soldiers In
amp through the agency OF flies was pointed
ut us reason for insisting on o sanitary DO.
ce Of the strictest character. |,
Earnest efforts were made by medical officers
D have supplies ut the front with the troops
uring and after the battle OF FL Caney and :
an Juan there was an insufficlency Of tents,
DTS, bedding and medicines, due to the causes
ated. but all the hospitals were well equipped
n surgical work. After the capitalization OF
antiago the troops at the front broke down
lpidly under the fatigues they had under.
me and the malarial influences to which they
ere exposed but by this time IN ample sup
y OF tents, furniture. bedding. clothing and
edical stores had reached Siboney. together
18th corps Of trained nurses and force Of
lrgeons, who were sent TO duty ut the yellow
yer hospital, being immune to the disease
ehnwbile. to relieve the pressure on the field
,,ptals, such convalescents and sick as could
ar the journey were sent TO the United States
transport vessels This was IN emergency
easure to relieve the hospitals at Siboney and