New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-09-01
ARMY SURGEONS UPHELD.
GENERAL PoyNroN PRAISES HOSPITAL
SERVICE AT CAN'T THOMAS.
pAn CONDITIONS IN THE CAMP sA1n TO
BE DUE TO COMMANDERS AN
ANSWER TO SURGEON
6FHTRAI. TERRI

C}kNEfbl
Washington. Aug Fl Secretary Alrsr fo-1aF
received IN. report ~ General ~. Y. BoSn'on
upon tho state ~ affairs IN N" hosri'als ~
Camp Thomas. The report Is dated August -
The General saws that his Instructions were
~ report the number % eick. character or III
ross. number Of tents noor space for each pa
tent the adsauecv and suitability ~ ~
tendants. and whether the redicai officers haze
DISCHARGED their duties faithfully and With
Intelligence and ~ make any recommenha~
ton IN the interest ~ Al concerned. He SAYS
that he visited all tho hospitals IN thH 'amp
without giving notice ~ his purpose General
Povrton SAYS.
Believing the death lis' Of this camp TO afford
an excellent standard by which to measure US
condition as - health and hospital service q
fuN report was obtained C al, deaths in the
camp and In its hospitals since its establish.
,nent in the middle Of April last The resu',
shows q total death let ~ 1es IN to the "a az
this month. when the breaking UP OF tins camp
began. Between these dates. including RegU,
lars and volunteers. fully seventy-fve thousand
troors have been in csnp I'm Chickara uga
Park The record of burias IN the National
Cemetery a. Chattanooga shows total OF ~
volunteers and two Regular soldiers or me
latter one Of these was killed by falling from
railway train.
The report takes up IN detail first tho two
permanent hospitals the Letter and the Stern
berg and states with the greatest minuteness
the exact accommodation afforded hv each.
The first IS Z; Crawfsh Springs, under charge
~ Major Carter and vas converted from q larse
summer resort hotel into hospital. receiving
the worst typhoid cases from m" camp Eacn
pa;iept has abundant room. woven wire end
hair mattresses and abundant bed clothing
The ventilation Is perfect plumbing entirely
new. and bathing facilities ample. The number
Of attendants when all we'll. is entirely
satisfactory and attendants are ON tho way to
take the places Of those who are bi Oxen down
NO LACK OF DELEGATES
Major Certer has secured n herd Of COWS. and
has ARRANGEMENTS for pasturirg them without
eyrense 10 tho Government. He has sufficient
money from the hospital fund TO buy whatever
,s wanted in the way Of milk. ice and other
de,'cacies There have been at this hospital run
supplies Of zee. milk. commissary stores ana
dslcscies such as the sick ought To have. and
The funds have enabled him 10 buy ell that has
been needed in the way of canned and potted
goods, SOUPS clam juice sage. melted milk.
eggs koumyss. jellies. preserves. relishes. GIN
ger. oil Apollinaris water. champagne ana
clare The entire hospital Is furnished win
distilled water. and the ice used is made from
distilled water.
The sewerage Of the hospital is excellent and,
contrary 10 persistent assertions. none or the
sewage has e-er drained into the Chickamauga
River or approached IT at any point.
he regards as andy sufficient to care for all
the patients in the hospital. and reports them
as faithful and efficient in the performance OF
their duties. ,
Taking up the Sternberg hospital in charge
of Major Giffen General Boynton shows that
1t is one Of the most complete field hospitals ever
seen, according 10 veterans of the ClVil war
All the tents are closely foored. At present
only four men are in any tent ana IN au1itioii
to the tents there are nine large board pdVlloiS
Every tent and pavilion has iron Deusteaus
With wire-woven springs and hair mattresses
There are FIVE cold-storage rooms for deHcacies
separate refrigerators for each row OF tents
and every proper measure OF sanitation is oD-
served with respect TO the sinks. Furtner, the
report says
The whole place IL most carefully policed
daily and the whole establishment, within and
without its permanent buildihgs anu us 'e"'s'
is in the most perfect order,
since the establishment of this hospital every
thing asked for in the way OF supples, OF ever
kind has been promptly furnished From SIX
teen to twenty four barrels OF distilled water
are purchased daily. and patients get nothing
hut distilled water to drink. From three TO i've
tons Of ice are used daily. Three hundred gal
Ions Of milk are purchased daily, and one hun
dred and fifty gallons are furnished by the Red
Cross. -,
All money necessary for the purchase Of deli
caces 81 every kind suitable to the sick has
been furnished by order or General Sternbers'
Soon after the hospital was established he tele-
graphed follows to the surgeon in charge:
DO not fail 10 procure everything necessary
for the comfort of the sick Apply IN me for
delicacies when required.
a careful inquiry developed the fact that all
varieties Of medical supplies required or asked
for we're furnished both from Washington and
from medical headquarters at the camp with
the greatest pronnpness.
THE DEATH RATE low
It is stated IN addition, that all tho hospital
refuse is burned In crematorv, and, according
70 Major Giffea, all hut one thousand patients
now sick IN the entire camp could no safely
moved Tho diseases are more NJ a ma1arial
character than typhoid fever strictly. the death
rate being low. only about per cent NJ the
worst cases.
The First Division Aeld hospital. In charge NJ
Major Drake Is fioored with plsned lumber and
Il 10 clean as ia possible. being scrubbed with
carbolic acid and treated with bichoride Of
mercury every other day. All the patients are
m cots and never have been on the ground for
any length ~ time None ~ the 80 cents allow
ance a man FOR delicacies has been used. as u
was not needed. The report SAYS ~ this hosri-
tel.
There haze been IN this hospital at various
times 161 patients from the 9Th New ork Vol
,nteers The reports show that in great man
cases N was difficult 10 tell that ANYTHING was
TIE matter with them. Only 10 per oenr or the
cases of sickness from this regiment We're re
ported as in any way serious, and when y vas
yuoorye5 that the regiment was TO be sent home
several Of those IN the hospital asked not 70 he
cent but 10 be allowed I" remain 'nrousnoo'
their convalescence
The report states that IN times wh'n the nos
initial was crowded there was lack 81 nurses,
the deficiency being supplied by details from the
REGIMENTS. which We're not as satisfactory as
trained nurses The report continues
As a result Of this inadequate force. the force
provided has been hard worked, but in All cases
they have stuck To their posts ana performed
their work with g,ea. energy. until sickness
overlook a considerable number The places or
The sick have been flled BY nurses from the
Surgeon Generals Department The eAhaustlng
character OF the work performed by these nurses
IL shown by the fact that about one-fourth Of
them have thoroughly exhausted their strength,