The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-15

veterinary hospital After returning 10 this
country he went TO New York and was en-
gagged largely in the manufacture of toxines,
only practicing human medicine for charity.
lie had been a surgeon in the Pennsylvania
National Guard from 1874 to 1898, being bril-
gade surgeon most of the time, covering the
Homestead strikes and the Johlstown flood.
Replying to another question from Gen.
Beaver, the witness said that Deputy Sur
geon General Hartsuff had refused TO sup
ply dsinfectants for the camp at Chick
smauga, saying that to do so was contrary
20 army regulations.
colonei Huidekoper returned frequently
curing ais testimony to his difficulties in Sc
an approach 10 the necessary number
through an arbitrary order from General
Brooke. and when this ordeH was issued the
colonies had insisted on supplying the worst
men they had in their regiments for MEM
bers Of the hospital corps. One was an cpl
lepdc and another confirmed drunkard.
Yet the men who had given him the poorest
nurses were generally the first to make COM
plant of lack OF attention.
The witness asserted that the sick in Porto
Rico had had good attention. contradictinR
the assertion of Colonel Hantsuf that there
true that Dr.. Hartsuf had taken charge of
hospital. as the latter had stated, because
Of its management Dr. Hartsuff had vol
unteered to take a hospital on an occasion,
but the offer had been declined so that 1t
was all on paper I'm fact the witness
added, General Brooke would have stopped
him IL he had attempted TO do so.'
A SANTIAGO HERO.
Major Thomas T. Knox. inspector gen.
eral, who participated in the early part Of
the Santiago campaign, as captain the
First Regular Cavalry, was before the com
mission at its afternoon session He was
wounded in the battle of La. Quasimas and
on the second day after landing, when he
was the only officer of his regiment present
While engaged in looking after his men lie
was struck in the back and was shot
through the body, the ball passing through
the kidneys. liver and lungs He had re-
Tnained with his men for some time after
being shot, and when he at last sought
surgeon he had lost a great deal of blood,
the doctors saying he must necessarily die
previous to this there were surgeons at
tending the wounded on the firing line He
salo mat ms wounds nad never received
or required any attention beyond being
dressed and that he had been able to sit up
IN about three weeks time. He came north
on the Olivette and, after arrival, was
taken care of at Fort Wadsworth Hospital
lie had found that this institution was well
conducted and did not accept the report
that such was not the case Major Knox
said he had remained with his troop about
ten minutes after receiving his wound and
that he had for that time, forgotten him
SELF In giving attention to his command
His position had been central one and he
p had felt that a break might make an open
Major Knox said the ship on which his
regiment went from Tampa to Santiago
was greatly crowded, and that when they
a campaign; ''the worst / ever saw" he
said. This condition was due to the fact
that they had been shut up in the hold of
the ship for sixteen days for they had
been in good shape when they left Tampa
He said that the medical corps had done
rs well as could have been expected with
the means at command. He thought il
would have been better If there had been
more surgeons, and probably it would have
been better II there could have been am
balances and more filters. bat the expedi-
tlon had been hastily organized. and he
mad no criticism to make. Furthermore, the
transports were so crowded with men that
there was little room for more men or for
ambulances. All efforts had been directed
possible and not towards furnishing such
eonveniences for the men as might be con-
sldered desirable under other circum-
BRECKINRIDGE'S TESTIMONY.
Gen. j. c. Breckenridge also appeared be-
fore the commission during the afternoon
session. His testimony dealt largely with
Camp Thomas, of which he was in COM
naand from the eth OF August until the
camp disintegrated. He said that when he
assumed charge the camp was at the be-
ginning of epidemic of fever and that
this condition gradually grew worse He
found much that needed remedying from a
sanitary point of view when he assumed
command, but the conditions varied in the
numerous regimental camps. He was under
the impression that all ordinary efforts had
been made by the officer in command to
instruct regimental officers in the matter
ton had borne fruit
General Breckenridge expressed the opin-
Ion that Chickamauga Park was suitable
as camp site. but the want of potable
water was defect. He was of opinion that
the water could have been vastly inn
proved II there had been a Willingness to
go OIL the reservation for ii. He had made
no recommendation for better water sup
ply after taking command because the SOL
Infected 10 hu h.
best remedy was to disintegrate the COM
mand, and he had made recommendations
10 this latter effect In fact, the greater
share of his attention had been given to
getting the men away from Chickamauga
General breckenridge said that he had in
creased the number of men given leave at
time from two to six to company be-
cause the men seemed depressed and he
thought they needed as much change as
possible He was, he said, aware that this
order had been criticised. but my theory
Of discipline is to make a soldier do his
duty for all that he is worth and then let
said.
General Breckenridge said the condition
of all the hospitals at Camp Thomas, ex-
cept Sternberg, was bad. They were
crowded and there was a lack of skill on
the part of the attendants. He also thought
the quartermaster's department had been
remiss in some of its duties, but he at
tributed all the trouble to a want of ex-
per1ence. There had been lack of tentage
at the hospitals and he knew of no reason
way the tents should not have been sup
pied, as ne was informed that the tents
were in the quartermaster's depot
THE CHIEF TROUBLE.
Dr. Conner made an effort TO get General
Breckenridge to say where the responsible
aty rested for the poor conditions in the
camp, but the latter said that he had never
attempted TO locate the responsibility, de-
voting himself particularly to remedying
the evil. I'VE all recognized that the con-
dition was abnormal" he said land the
question was how to meet H. The point
was to get to each man what he needed
This seemed simple enough to do, but as
q matter of fact it was not simple The
chief trouble seemed to be that the hospital
attendants were not familiar with their du-
ties and that there was not a sufficient num-
Der OF men in the supply department to fol-
low up the hospital ATTENDANTS and instruct
them" He said that apparently up to the
time OF his arrival the first duty had been
conceived TO be to prepare Ior war He
had changed this by turning the attention
of all TO taking care of the sick, and if he
deserved any credit in his administration it
Was for this change. He said the War De-
partment was apparently unprepared for
the epidemic, as were the men on the
ground.
If you could do what you did could not
General Brooke have done the same thing
Two months before%" DIR. Conner asked.
i don't think he had the sick" the wit
ness responded.
Later General Wilson asked practically
the same question and General BRECKENRIDGE
replied more deliberately, as follows: Il
have no doubt that If aroused, as l was, to
the necessity he could have done as much