Evening star., 1898-09-12

the others were under orders to leave for
their homes during the ensuing week. One
OF the regiments had ito haul all of the wa
ter that they used.
Getting Supplies.
Reports of the want Of proper supplies
were heard. Upon two notable occasions
this want was the fault OF the regimental
officers One declined to draw fresh meat
for his men because he did not have saw
to cut the bones. Another declined fresh
meat and fresh bread because he had an
abundance of hardtack and salt meat which
he had brought with him and thought he
had to use them up first They were soon
taught how to order and were delighted to
have company fund from their surplus.
On September 2 the 1st Division Hos
pital was found located near Dunn Loring.
When the troops moved to Camp Meade
and Manassas the patients of the I'd Di-
vision Hospital were sent to this hospital.
II was under the care of Major Phillips,
surgeon. United States army, who person
ally conducted me through the wards.
The tents were the regular army hos
pital tents. f1oored with smooth boards.
There were an ample number of cots, some
with woven wire springs, others made of
canvas, we'll supplied with clean linen and
blankets; there were several kitchens, be-
sides special diet kitchen; refrigerators
with abundance of ice were in each of
these; there were ample supplies of excel
lent quality of everything that was needed
U
cines was of great variety and abundant in
quantity.
The nursing was under the direct charge
at the time of Sisters of Charity who were
acting as head nurses of the wards. In
conversation with them, and some of the
patients, the uniform reply was that there
was no want for anything. The allowance
OF 70 cents per patient per day was more
than enough to procure the extras required.
Sanitary Measures.
Around the wards of the hospital dis
infectants, lime and corrosive sublimate.
were freely used. At the center of each
ward two barrels were located, in one of
which solution of corrosive sublmate.
one to two thousand, was kept for the pur
pose of pouring upon the excreta, which
were deposited in a barrel and removed
twice daily. In the beginning this hospital
was not supplied with thoroughly trained
nurses, nor was it fully equipped with sup
plies.
There had been admitted to date 2,191
patients. OF these II died. 1872 were re-
turned to duty, S02 were sent to other hos
pitals or furloughed to their homes.
large proportion of those sent to Fort
Myer Hospital were returned to duty with
their regiments.
The causes Of death were as follows:
General perltonlts, one; ruptured spleen,
caused by the kick of a horse, one; pneu-
monia, one; acute poisoning from drinking
wood alcohol, two and twelve from typhoid
fever. All of the deaths from typhoid fever
occurred since August 1S.
There were in the hospital at morning
report 1874 patients. At least IS per cent
of these were fever cases. This number
was diminished during the day by the send
ing of nineteen of the 1st New Jersey to
Sea Girt with the regiment which departed
that day, and twenty to Fort Myer. There
was one seriously i'll man observed in the
hospital, besides number of other fever
cases in which the temperature was rang
ing more or less high. The appearance of
the patients was generally satisfactory.
The Sick in Camp.
THE exact data of Camp Alger as to the
number of sick and the nature of the cases
will never be obtained. Early in the his
tory of the camp a bitter contention took
place between the medical corps at head
quarters and the various regiments, both
officers and men, about the abolishment Of
reslmental and the establishment of di-
vision hospitals. IL O..
The aversion of the men to leaving their
comrades caused them to keep on duty un-
til their attacks of illness had grown Sc
we're. During this time their discharges
added greater infection to the sinks. The
meaSer opportunities for attention to the
toilet, coupled with the limited wardrobe
of the soldier, with poor facilities for laun-
dering the same, soon made him focus
unwittingiy of Infection. In the crowded
tent this soon spread to his comrades.
In one company .twenty-four men had
feyer-bardly tent was without a patient
for the hospital.
From statement furnished by the sur
geon generals office. tabulated from TWEEN
ty-two regimental reports on file for May,
June and July, it was found that there
were:
Total sick. Observation-Disclosures. $500
Typhoid fever. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 10I
Malarial fever. NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 716
D:arrhoeal diseases Observation-Disclosures ], sos
Total ................. 2, 421
THE deaths for the same time were
eleven, of which six were from typhoid
fever The principal troubles were diar-
rhoeal diseases, with and without fever,
malarial and enteric fever"