The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-04
THE SYSTEM IS At FAULT
Most Worthless Men Detailed
for Hospital Duty.
IN A VERY CHAOTIC STATE
Wards Were Unclean-Pstisnts Oom-
psllsd 70 Lie on ths Ground IN tho
Rain - Patients Fly Blown.
Hubbard's Brutality.


session OF the war investigating csm-
mittee was occupied In hearing three
witnesses. mostly on the condition Of
the division hospital at ChickmsugA
The first witness was Major Il y. Hel-
burn Of the End Kentucky. now nus-
tered out. The death list Of his regs-
ment. he stated. was -. most of whsm
died at home on furlough. The sicknsss
in Chickamauga Increased very rapsdly.
cots In the hospitals as well - Of tents.
In answer to questions by DR.. OConnoe.
he stated that he served on . commit
sion appointed on account ofa coOpoA1De
of the colonel Of the LIST Arkansas 70 In
vestigate the division hospital DR..
Ward. the witness and Major johnson
formed the commission This commis-
sion was appointed In the lsftsr part Of
August and reported about Sept. & Tho
patients were then being removed 30 the
hospital and the hospital was In . cha
otic condition The sinks were ~ Close
as $50 feet from the wards and were In
an unclean condition. There Wa0 .
dumping ground where other refuse was
thrown: There was a gully running
fairly good condition The committee
examined 200 or 800 witnesses. Including
commander. chaplain. privates. hospit-
al corps. nurses and visitors. The COM
mittee concluded that at FIRST the hos
pital was In a bad condition. but IL got
better. and during Major Smiths con-
troll. IL was In a good condition The
committee found that the cause for its
bad condition arose from the fact that
II was not intended TO be more than .
temporary hospital. but the sick in
creased so rapidly that II was over
crowded.
Another cause was the incompetency
OF men detailed from regiments for
nurses. In many regiments the most
worthless men were detailed for that
duty. The detail was made according
to regulations. The fault was not of
the medical department. but of the sys-
tenn. The committee found unnecessary
suffering because Of lack OF tents and
| cots. so that the patients were exposed
| to the rain and compelled to lay on the
ground. ms was the fault Of the quar-
| termaster's department. Requisftions
| were not fiiled for from two to 10 days
and In some instances were not nl1ed
/ at all. When asked IL there were many
deaths resulting from these neglects. he
said there was an order from Dr. Hon
TO Major Smith to send 50 Of the worst
patients to Sternberg hospital OF these
two died in a short time after the re-
~
the order was TO send 50 patients. and
not so of the worst patients. The orig
inal order was not produced. The wit
ness admitted that he would not charge
these deaths to neglect. but to want or
Judgment in sending men out not nj 10
bear the fatigue. The only complaint
against the medical corps was In the
case OF one Major Hubbard. who requir-
ed the sick to stand at attention..
while attending sick calls.
The medical corps was not neglect
full, but was disheartened because OF
inability to get supplies. medicine ana
proper nursing. The witness cited an
instance OF a Thermometer given to an
orderly TO be used for taking the tenn
perature OF patients. and when asked
for II the next day he said he DID not
know what II was good for ana hao
given II away. As instances OF neglect
the witness said his committee had
much testimony that patients were al
lowed to lay filthy in their beds and
were actually fiyblown. This neglect
was chargeable to the nurses directly.
The nurses were frequently changed.
and the officers In charge were also
frequently changed. Some were asked
to resign and others broke down. The
witness saw many patients on cots on
the ground. The wards were not all
fioored until in August. The evidence
before the committee showed that the
medical officers were conscientious and
did their utmost to remedy the evil
prevailing in the hospitals. The wit
ness read the statement of Major Smith
and OF Colonel Hoff. made TO his COM
mittee. The former was a scathing ar
raiSnment OF the inefYiciency OF the
supply department. Medicines. medf-
cal apparatus. ice and drinking water
and other necessities were not fur
nished He also complained bitterly OF
the incompetency of the nurses. In an
swer to a question by General Dodge.
the witness said that he did not know
at the time he made this Investigation
that the hospital commandant had any
authority to purchase any medical and
commissary supplies. and he did not
think the commandant knew IL. For
all the medical corps complained Of In
ability TO get supplies.
Speaking OF the water supply being
unwholesome. he said he got his inn
preston of its unwholesomeness from
an order issued by the commander that
all drinking water should be boiled
Colonel Hoff's statement before the
committee dealt with a defense Of the
field hospitals. which. he said. was orig
fnally intended to accommodate 30
sick. but the sickness increased 80 rap
idly and Unexpectedly that the supply
department. was not able to meet the
demand. Requisitions for supplies met
many obstacleS The railroads were
said 10 be unable TO carry goods. Then
the equipment OF the first corps before
the third was given as a reason Why
supplies could not be furnished The
witness. being asked his own opinion
about the great amount OF sickness at
Chickamauga. said he thought that
two-thirds of II was due to the neGii-
gence OF the men themselves In his
own command men who were temper
ate and reasonably careful OF their
health kept healthy. Many of them
drank stale beer after hot drills and
would lie about. cooling on suddenly.
There was a vast amount OF unwhcie-
some food and drink sold by huckssers
until they were prohibited The Wit
ness cited the sth and sth New York
regiments. which had canteens. and he