Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-09-14
More Red Tape.


In answer to many inquiries from
friends Dr.. Riley gives the follow
ing account of his recent trip to
Philadelphia where his son, ]. Z.
Riley, who enlisted in the volunteer
army, is very sick with typhoid
fever:
On Friday, September I'd, l
started from Washington, D. c., via
Parkersburg ,supposing my son had
been transported to the Fort Mey-
ers hospital: Purchasing a paper
on the train, 1 noticed that hos
pital train had been sent down by
the war department. under the
auspices of the Medico Chinugecal
hospital,o of Philadelphia, to transfer
some of the soldiers to the Medlco
Chinugecal hospital. Not knowing
whether all or part OF the Seventh
regiment had been removed 10 Par
kersburg, I telephoned to Governor
Bushnell. He replied that he,
too, had seen the same article,
but knew nothing more than
that. I also asked him if there
would be provision made soon
for bringing the Seventh boys
home. His answer was that
there were so few of them that he
did not think there would be any
arrangement made. At Washing,
ton visited Fort Meyers hospital,
where Capt, w. L. West had said
that the sick of the 9TH would be
transferred from the Division hos
pital. I found no son there. l
then went to the Division hospital
at Dunn LOWING where l was in
formed that the thirty six Of the
9Th o. V. 1. and two Pennsylvania
were taken 10 The Medico Chlmug-
ecal hospital Oh the relief train.
After consulting with Adjutant
General Corbin, he wired over to
Philadelphia and found that Charles
was not able to be moved.
Arriving at Philadelphia at 1I:45
p. IN. I went at once to the hospl
tai and was told could not see him
until 9 o'clock next morning. l
was promptly on hand, but the
superintendent, a lady. refused to
let me see him, saying that the
friends were not permitted to see
them. Being a physician insisted
on seeing my boy, and was told
that I would have 10 wait until the
surgeon in chief, DR.. Shoem lker,
came. At 10 the doctor came and
took me up to the ward where
Charles was. The wards were ter
rlbly crowded scarcely room to
pass between the COTS, with soldiers
sick with typhoid fever in all stages
of the disease, some even III a dying
condition. Most Of the wards were
very poorly ventilated.
Charles seemed very glad to see
me. On being asked how he liked
his quarters and if he would like to
be moved to the Hahneman HON.
eepathic hospital, he said that he
could not stand the treatment
much longer and would be very
glad to make the change. He was
then very sick; temperature Io4;
pulse 1o8 and had almost constant
cramps and pain in his stomach
and bowels. Yet, they were Civ
ing him Strichnlne, turpentlne and
whiskey internally and frequent
ice packs externally and this was
not an exception, but the pre-
scribed course Of treatment in the
hosp tai. 1t is almost needless to
say that such heroic treatment had
| put his stomach in such a condi-
ton that he was unable to take the
simple nourishment, as milk, broth,
etc. After I saw the unsauitary
condition and heroic treatment /
was determined to remove him
from that hospital, at any cost. I
made application to DR.. Shoemaker
to have him transferred to Hahnne-
man Homeopathic hospital. I told
him that the boy had always had
Homeopathic treatment and was
dissatisfied with the place and
treatment and was anxious to be
moved. After. a consultation of
the physicians and susgeons of the