The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-14
MUCH is TRUE
That Has Been Said of Camp Thomas
According to Col HofE

Washington, Oct. 14-Lieutenant
Colonel J. G. Hoff was before the war
investigating commission at its session
yesterday. He is a regular army officer
and was chief surgeon in the Third
army corps at Chickamauga He said
he did not consider the camp to have
been in the best sanitary condition, but
expressed the opinion that it was the
best it could be under the circumstances.
The men were enCamped somewhat
closer to each other than they should
properly have been and it would have
been impossible without blasting, to
make the sinks as deep as good SANTA
ton required, owing to a layer of lime
stone which lay two or three feet below
the surface of the ground throughout
the camp Furthermore, it was impos-
sible to compel men to use the sinks and
he thought 1t prOba bic that this diff
Guilty had led to injurious results.
DR.. Hoff said that in the beginning
the camp was deficient in medical sup
plies. There were at this time many
cases of diarrhoea and it had not been
possible to meet all the demands for
remedies.
The shortage was due to the fact that
it had been expected that the troops
would come to the camp supplied with
medicines. Continuing DR.. Hon said
the capacity of the division hospital was
often doubled and trebled-
It sometimes occurred that there were
eight men in tents which were intended
to accommodate six, because of delay on
securing tentage to care for the in
crease of disease, which was unexpect-
eddy rapid. On one or two occasions
patients were necessarily placed in beds
made upon the floors because of tenn
porary deficiency in cots. AS rule the
nurses we've without training, and this
fact occasiOned some difficulty in deal
ing with typhoid cases. Yet he knew of
no specific cases of suffering on this ac-
count. He specified the case of a man
afflicted with an infectious disease who
had been compelled to lie in the open
air one night on account of lack of tent
age. The captain was sure that no in
jury resulted, as the weather was pleas
ant.
DR.. Hof said that the shortage in
medical supplies had continued for sew
eraI weeks, but there was generally suf-
ficient to meet the immediate demands.
He also said that some requisitions had
been returned to the Washington au-
thoritfes because improperly filled. and
he was under the impression that there
had been complaints of some suffering
on this account. There was considera-
bly, delay in securing flooring for the
tents.
was there any deprivation on &C
count of the shortage of tents?" asked
Governor Woodbury..
1T was so reported" responded DR..
Hoff.
mot mine" replied he. Il did all
that I could. The troops Of the Third
corps were more closely crowded than
DR.. Conner stated that the governor
of Arkansas had complained of the neg
lect of the troops from that state. The
witness replied that the Arkansas
troops received the same medical care
and attention that had been given to
other soldiers under like conditions.
He was asked if it was true that at
night there was an average of only one
nurse to each forty patients in the hos
pital of the Second division of the Third
corps ard said this could not be true.
DR.. Conner read an extract from the
letter of the Arkansas governor saying
that he had made a personal investiga-
ton of the conditions in this hospital
and that he had found 1.-The conditions
depIora ble-sinply disgraceful.
He charged that the doctors in the in
stitution were all northern men, unfa-
miliar with diseases incidental to the
south; that there were cases of fever in
which sick men went without attention
from a surgeon or without receiving a
dose of medicine for a week. Replying.
DR.. Hoff said that several southern |
were engaged at the hospital /
and that he did not think it possible |
that the men could have been neglected |
as indicated by the governors letters |
He had heard of no such cases. He said |
that during the last few weeks of the |
Second division hospitals existence it !
had been so over crowded that it was |
found necessary to stop receiving pa |
tients then, but that the congested con-
dition was relieved as soon as the |
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