Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-11-18
Surgeon Forwood Says War
Is No Pleasure Party.
And There Was Less Suffering in Span
ish War Than in Civil War.
Gen. Young Tell Of Taking Camping Grounds
from spaniards BY Force.

" CiOCh Iuudy, " meet at the Flu
Avenue Hotel in New York, at Il
o'clock tomorrow, and Gen. Dodge ask
ed the The Associated Press to reques
witnesses who have matters to brin:
to the attention of the board to repor
at that point. He stated that Letters
had been received from about 100 per
sons in the vicinity of New York, bu
said he did not know whether all O.
these would appear as witnesses.
After concluding the work in New
York the commission will proceed t
Boston and returning will stop at Phil
adelphia there to make certain inquir
les. 1t is also expected that number
of witnesses will be called after the
return to Washington and if the com
mission does not go to Cuba, some per.
sons there will be asked to come here
lGen. DENLY will remain in Washington
while the other members are absent and
viii take the testimony of such persons
as may ask to be heard.
DR.. Forwood continued his tes-
timony before the war investi-
eating commission, today, concern
ing conditions at Montauk Point
where he was the chief army sur
| SNpi' liz Sdiu tIldl lTOiH the UeEln-
ming to the end of the history of the
generel hospital at Camp Wikoff there
was never time where there were not
from so to 100 vacant beds.
Many patients, soon after arrival
| were sent away to the hospitals in
neIghboring cities, largely in response
to public clamor. The patients taken
away were largely typhoid cases. Dur
ing the first 80 days of the history of
the camp. 5000 patients were treated.
and it would have been out of the
! question to take care of them all in
the camp hospitals.
DIR. Forwood said that he had ex-
pected typhoid fever would break our
IN the hospital, but he had never ex-
pected that the troops would remain
| there long enough to cause an epidemic
OF this disease. AS it was he did not
believe there had been a case origina-
| ting in Camp Wikoff
He declared there had been a suffici-
ency of medicine and medical supplies
at all times-a wasteful abundance In
fact. Notwithstanding this fact there
was complaint OF the scarcity of medi-
cal supplies and medicines, due largely
to the fact that the doctors often re-
quired proprietary medicines, which
We're not kept in hand. No acquisitions
We're required in getting medicines.
Dr. Common read a letter from Major
NJ w. Wood, a regular army surgeon.
dated at MontaUk in August, complains
ing that there was a pressing want of
medical supplies and that the camp
was in deplorable condition. DR..
Forwood said that DR.. Wood was dis
appointed because he did not get a
leave of absence Immediately after ar
irving from Cuba, which he had asked
Tor, notwithstanding his services were
needed. Gen. Wheeler had refused to
grant this request.
From that time" said DR.. Forwood
he was constatly kicking and bucking.
He was disgruntled and disloyal. and
found fault with everything.
A dispatch was read from Gen.
wheeler saying that DR.. Wood had
rallied to secure medicines only because
ne had not sent for them.
DR.. Forwood declared that the COM
water at Montauk Point had originated
with men who had filters and distilling
apparatus for sale. The water was
pure and plentiful. He said the trans
portation facilities of the camp were
poor.
The witness said he had annulled the
contracts OF two or three contract sur
geons because of incompetency, but
that he knew of no case of neglect on
the part of the physicians and nurses
OF character to compromise the well
fare of the patients.
DR.. ForwoOd said many physicians
had come to the camp at the instance
of the newspapers, generally for a COM
pensation of about $780, Among these
was DR.. Lee. who was a personal
friends of his, and he had told the
doctor to look the camp over and criti-
cize whenever he found occasion for
criticism. The doctor had written an !
article making parts of 1t very fiatter-
ing, but ne was very much disguised I
after the appearance Of the letter to
find that all the complimentary por-
ton of it had been expunged.
DR.. Edson's predictions as to the
camp had not been realized. DR..
Simpson had spoken of the conduct I
OF the kitchens. AS a matter Of fact |
the kitchens were in most expert I
hands. Miss Helen Gould has supplied
q numer of chefs and most of those
were from the kitchens of the wealth.
est people of New York city. He had
talked with one of them who had been
with w. III. Vanderbilt forNmore than
.hree years. As matter of fact hos
oitals never We're so abundantly sup
olied. The army rations were supple
mented by everything that could be
'ound in the larder of the Waldorf
astoria.
He said the newspaper men at the
amp were gentlemen. but they APP
,eared to be under orders to criticize
he camp. He knew of two instances
n which the reporters had received or
iers to roast everything" He had
old them not to spare where they
ound criticism justified.
In conclusion, DR.. Forwood said that
'ften patients who had been removed
~ their friends had died and that in
many cases their deaths were due to !,
(Continued on paSa q