The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-10-14
NURSES WERE UNFRAMED
CAUSING SOME DIFFICULTY IN
DEALING WITH TYPHOID
CASES.
SICK MEN LYING OUT UNDER THE STARS
A Shortage of Tents the Cause. This Also
Brought About Over Crowdiag in Hos
ptaIs Question of Pure Water.
GroWdng of Tents.
Growding of Tents.

sdroWolng OF ienlS.
Washington, Oct 13.-Licutenant Col
onel ]. G. Hoff was before the war in
yestigating commission at its forenoon
session to-day. He is regular army
officer. and was chief surgeon in the
Third army corps at Camp Thomas,
Chickamauga Park. He said he did not
consider the camp to have been in the
best sanitary condition, but expressed
the opinion that it was the best it could
be under the circumstances.
The men were encamped somewhat
closer to each other than they should
properly have been, and it had been inn
possible without blasting to make the
sinks as deep. as good sanitation re-
qUired. owing 10 a layer of limestone
which lay two or three feet below the
surface of the ground throughout the
camp Furthermore it was Impossible to
compel the men to use the sinks. and he
thought it probable that this difficulty
had led to injurious results. Every ef-
fort had been made to have sinks proper
~ covered and disinfected and TO have
the men use them.
DR. Hoff said that in the beginning the
camp was deficient in medical supplies.
There were at this time many cases Of
~sffarrioea. and il hssf~Eset been possible
TO meet all the demands for remedies
The shortage was due TO the fact tnat
il had been expected the troops would
ecue to camp supplied with medicines.
hut some of them failed in this respect.
making greater demand than had
been counted upon.
THE HOSPITAL CROWDED.
Continuing. DR. Hoff said, the capa
city of the division hospital was often
doubled and trebled. 1t sometimes oc-
CURED that there were eight men in
tents which were intended should ac-
commodate six. because of delay in Sc
curing tentage to care for the increase
of disease which was Unexpectedly
rapid. On one or two occasions patients
were necessarily placed in beds made
upon the floors because of a temporary
deficiency in cots The orders provided
for careful disinfcction in typhoid eases.
As a rule the nurses were without train
ing. and this fact occasioned some diff
Guilty in dealing with typhoid cases. Yet
he knew Of no specific cases Of suffering
on this account He specified the case
of man afflicted with an infectious
disease who had been compelled to lie in
the ouen air one night on account of
the lack Of tentage. The colonel was
sure that no injury resulted as the
weather was pleasant.
DIR. Hoff said that the shortage in
medical SUPPLIES had continued for sew
eral weeks. but there was generally
sufficient to meet the immediate de-
mands. He also said that some requisi-
tions had been returned by the Wash
ington authorities because improperly
filled and he was under the impression
that there had been complaints of some
suffering on this account. There was
considerable delay in securing the floor
ing for the tents.
''Was there any deprivation on account
of the shortage Of tentsT' asked GOV
ernor Woodbury..
1T was so reported" responded DR..
Hoff.
"Whose fault was it?" he was asked.
''Not mine," he replied. II did all
that / could do
The troops of the Third corps were
more closely crowded than they should
have been, but he understood that the
crowding had been supposed to be mill
tary necessity in the beginning.
THE GOVERNORS COMPLAINT
DR.. Connor stated that the Governor
of Arkansas had complained OF the neg
lect of the troops from that State. Inc
witness replied that the Arkansas troops
received the same medical care and al
tention that had been gwen TO othei
soldiers under like conditions lie knew
of no case in which men i'll the hospitals
had been compelled to lie on the ground
but he thought there We're probably eases
where sick men had been kept under
flies several days.
DIR. Connor read an extract from the
letter of the Arkansas Governor say
ing that he had made personal investi,
CATION of the conditions in this hospital
and that he had found 'the conditions
eplorable-simply disgraceful."
He charged that the doctors in the in
stitution were all Northern men, unfa-
miliar with diseases incidental to the
South: that there were cases Of fever
in which fever patients had gone without
water for twenty-four hours and in which
sick men went without attention from q
surgeon and without receiving dose OF
medicine for week.
Replying DR.. Hoff said that several
Southern physicians were engaged a