The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-01

1'hfS
n advantage taken of the fact that
they, under these extreme circum-
stances, asked the American Red Cross
for some assistance. This was readily
and efficiently given, and those women
did a service that our wounded will
never forget. The promptness with
which they were able to get their medi-
cal supplies into use is explained by
their having only medical supplies on
their ship. They were able to get n
convenient anchorage and they had
help, through the courtesy of the navy,
for the Oregon lent them her steam
launch and a crew. Physicians from
the fleet were sent to the division hos
pital to assist I'm the care Of the wound
ed at this trying time, and served most
efficiently. but no notice of this has
come before the = Iblic. Here, again.
as with the volunteer military organ
i~Zation. we see the credit claimed and
given solely to the Red Cross associa-
tion, when the real work was done, and
the credit earned, by the medical de-
partment Of the United states army.
II could not be otherwise. when We find
mt the head OF those who were in charge
men Of such sterling qualities as Colo
mel Pope, United States army: Major
l.. A. La Garde. United States army;
Major Wood. United States army; DIR.
Nancrede and Dr. Vaughan, United
States volunteer professors at Ann
Arbor Medical college. Michigan) DR..
Nicholas Sem, United States volun-
teers. OF Chicago: DIR. Guiteras. (pro-
fessor of clinical medicine. University
of Pennsylvania): n Major Torney,
United States army. Each of these has
demonstrated to the medical world his
ability to e with such emergencies
in a way that II woul not be natural
for us TO expect from the Red Cross as
ISOLATION, great as that organization
is.
Largely through the efforts of chap
lain Gabbet and under the direction of
Major "a Garde. large hospital tents
were pitched, end to end and five tents
deep: six such rows of tents were made,
constituting four large wards, one sup
ply tent and one operating ward. These
were placed on ground free from grass
and perfectly drained. In each opeTat-'
ing tent was arranged a field operating
table: a dressing table. with a tray
containing a complete outfit Of instru-
ments, boiled before use: towels sterli-
lied by boiling; aseptic dressing pack
ages and silk and catEut ligatures pre-
pared by johnson 81 Johnson; steriliZed
absorbent cotton, alcohol, carbolic acid,
creolin, iodoform and boT-aCetanilide
powders in steriliZed gauZe b~andages
and Splints. Solutions of bichloride Of
mercury. I to 1000. and of carbolic acid,
l to 20, were kept i'm large ~iive-gallon
demiiohns and used i'm stone basins for
preparing the hands. Medicines were
in tablet form i'm field cases. and the
wards were furnished with cots. blank
cts and pillows. In like manner the
First Division hospital was erected
and equipped, though the supplies here
were more limited because of the inn
possibility of prompt transportation.
For IS hours these men and their as
sistants worked i'm unison. some or
ganizing the hospital. others attending
the wounded under temporary Difficult
ties. and this without sleep, taking
their coffee and bareback at the side
of the operating table. Most excellent
results crowned their labors. The NOR
tality and condition, when we con
slider the gravity of many of the
wounded, were remarkably good.
Many records Of some Of the most
serious Of these cases have been pub
lished by Colonel Sem i'm the Medical
Record for July 30. 1898. The most
fragrant faults i'm camp sanitation may
laid at the door of other departments
than the medical. for precautions
against them were urged, but were not
needed.
Whether as "a result OF this, or
whether IL was an inevitable conse-
of the season in the country
we were in, yellow fever soon made its
appearance to greatly Complicate mat
ttlS. III StNbldl lilSldlttS II dlItAi'h
among the wounded, n II became evil
tina these cases. rendered espe-
cialIy susceptible by nature Of their
rundown condition. be removed;
so action was promptly taken in TINS
Those most able To endure
hardship were sent by transports, as
the lesser of the two wills for their
welfare. and the others were put on the
hospital ship Relief. At this time, a
fierce battle being imminent and the
probability of "a large number of
wounded being great, in order that
these should be properly treated, now
that Siboney was unfit for their recep-
ton. ii was deemed necessary TO make
Relief the base for the reception of
he recently wounded and those requir-
ing special surgical care. With this
end i'm view, she was ordered to send
all cases possible IN to the transports
those from shore. Each ship was
equipped as perfectly as could be under
the circumstances and each patient
carefully examined by DIR. Guiteras for
wilderness of infection with this dreaded
There was no stone left uu-
turned by the medical department
either for the protection Of those at
home or the comfort of those about to
depart, though both such charges ave
been made i'm the most unfair manne
m one instance by an editorial in the
NAfiliihA N'''if tAAH III wv w W |
Miss jennings Of the Red Cross So
'iety. through the daily newspapers.
the Seneca was about To depart.
department had its hands fun in
attending to those who were about to
go and i'm providing for those unfortun-
ate enough to have to remain. and that
against Understandable and inCompre-
difficulties. Despite this. how
aver. all acquisitions were filled for the
and If Miss Jennings, as a
nurse. found necessary supplies want
.nc, she should ave reported them To
he physician under whom she was
serving and they would have been is
upon his rcquisition.
Many deplorable sights M condi-
ions such as Miss Jennings has de-
scribcd | have also seen and | can APP
D~reCiate that a woman's sympathetic
would be 50 offended that she
would want To lay the blame ON ome
body that such conditions should exist