The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-11-04
SICKNESS DUE
TO INEXPERIENCE.
Chief Surgeon Hartsuf Says his Was
the Trouble at Camp Thomas
MANY SURGEONS INEFFICIENT.
He il Opposed To Division hospitals
Except rs independent Institutions
The Sanitary Arrangements OF
the Camp Were Also Dad.
MANY SURGEONS INEFFICIENT.

| sun, who was chief surgeon OF the army
at Camp Thomas, Chickamauga Park
from the Dist OF April until the 9th Of
| July last. was examined to-day by Colonel
| DENLY, Of the War Investigating Com
mission, concerning the conduct Of the
| camp from a medical point OF view. re
criticised various features in the manage
| ment beginning with the location of some
Of the regiments. lie said that the park
was, on general principles, good camp
ground, but some of the regiments were
placed IN swampy sections and other on
rocky ground, where it was impossible
to get the sinks Of sufficient depth. in
other cases, the camp was poorly drain
ed, and IN most instances the tents were
too close together.
lie said the sites were selected by
| General Brooke, and, notwithstanding
| his position as chief medical officer, he
had not been consulted In regard to the
location. He had made formal protest
ut the time, but the protest was not
| needed.
SHOULD BE INDEPENDENT.
DR.. HartsuG took positive ground
| against the establishment of division hos
/ pitfalls at the expense Of the regiments.
| lie said that the law for the organiza-
| ton Of volunteer forces did not provide
for the establishment of hospital corps,
| and that as a consequence there was
| no force for the hospital work. and the
| only way to get one was 10 transfer men
| from the volunteer force to the regular
force and often times these men were
not the most efficient that could be se-
| cured. lie thought division or field
! hospital was a necessity. but he did not
! think it should be built up as hospital
| by taking surgeons. stewards and ambu-
lances from the regiments, but rather as
an Independent institution.
He had found that regimental sur
Geons and nurses transferred 20 ui-
vision hospital were not so capable OF
| rendering good service. many were quite
| useless. others were almost paralyzed.
| Furthermore. there was immense con-
| fusion in transferring the rcgimental ef-
fects to the hospital and in sending them
back when the regiments were ordered
away. II was, he said. a case OF con-
| fusion worse COMPOUNDED.
A BAD POLICY
40 YOU" asked Colonel DENNY mink
the establishment Of division hospitals q
bad poicy?'
VERY bad as done" responded the Wit
ness.
Couldn't you. as chief medical officer
| have controlled the matter he was next
| asked
NO. sir: 81 was an order OF the Secre-
| tary Of War and under this order no reg
mental hospital could be maintained.
| lie thought this order unfortunate that
in carving 1t into effect the work OF car
ing for the sick was greatly interfered
with and no one was benefited 10y IT,
| Dr. Hartsun also expressed tine opfrio1
| that the water supply of the camn was
not good.
BAD SANITATION.
Another feature OF the camp system
which DR.. Hartsuff criticised was that of
allowing each regiment 10 have refuse
| dump of us own. This bad rendered the
camp Objectionable from "a hygienic point
| Of view. He had recommended 10 Cen
eral Brooke the cremation of the garbage
| He stated that the recommendation had
not been acted upon and i'm response 10 "a
question from Colonel DENLY said "a med
| zeal officer could not execute, bur could
only recommend. He attributed the f1fi-
ure 10 adopt his recommendations 10 the
confusion incident 10 preparing a great
army for the field.
MANY INCOMPETENT
Asked if the volunteer army surgeons
under him were competent Dr. llirisuH
replied that some were. while others were
not. The great difficulty had been 10 see
cure men of administrative ability 10 con-
duct The hospitals. lie thought there had
been suffering because Of TINS ignorance
and instanced one case In which he had
| found big hospital practically out OK
food because none Of the surgeons con-
nected with /, knew how TO make ration
return.
Summing up DIT Hartsuf said: I'm my
opinion the sickness al Camp Thomas
was due largely to the ineXpcrience ana
| I'm many cases the ineniciency Of the med
| zeal officers and also 20 the ineficiency OF
the line officers who did not furnish DE
support they should have 10 the medical
department. The execution Of any plan
Of operation rests largely with the line
! officers. the duties of the surgeon being
limited TO recommendations. They are,
| therefore. unable 10 correct abuses them
selves and must depend upon others 10
do that This applies 20 tho officers of
regiments as well as 10 general officers
DIT Hartsuff holds the rank OF colonel
in the regular army and is now chief sur
geon Of the Department Of the Lakes
with headquarters az Chicago.
A STATEMENT CONTRADICTED.
Colonel NJ II. McCord. Of the First
Territorial Infantry, to-day went before
the commission and made the following
statement:
Il see by newspaper reports that
Lieutenant-Colonel d. d. Mitchell, Of my
regiment the First Territorial United
states Volunteer Infantry (who before
ioining the regiment was captain
in the Fifteenth Infantry gave some tes-
timony for the Investigating Commission
Yesterday at Lexington. Ky, 10 the ef-
feet mat requisition made by the COM
handing officer Of that regiment my
self had not been promptly responded
TO. I wish 10 contradict this statement
il IL was made. Every requisition that
have made upon the quartermaster al
san Francisco while the regiment was
stationed in Arizona, for shoes, clothing
hats and blankets, and which must have
weighed several thousand pounds, was
shipped 10 me by express, thus causing
the supplies to reach me four days soon
er than they would If shipped by freight
THE meaicai officers of the regiment
have never complained Of lack or
supplies. nor has the quartermaster or
the commissary ever made complaints
that they could not get their requisition
promptly filed.
"The regiment is well equipped In every
way This fact will be patent when
say that in the early part OF July the
regiment was mustered into the service
and contained thirteen hundred ana eight
officers and men. Up TO the present date
II has lost but three men by death, and
now has over twelve hundred Officers
and men ready for duty.