The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-11-04
SURGEONS POWERLESS.
Unable 20 Improve Matters at
CIlickamauga.
GEN. BROOKE PAID NO ATTEN
TI0N TO RECOMMENDATIONS.

General Selected Camp Sites Without Con
suItins surseons-Secretary Alger Gave
Orders Regarding the Establish menti
Col. McCord Denied that Registra
lions Were Not Filled.
Washington, November 3.-Dr. q. A.
S. Hartsuf, who was& chief surgeon Of
the army at Camp Thomas, Chickamauga
park from the 21st of April until the 9th
of July last, was examined today by Col.
DENLY of the war investigating commit
tee, concerning the conduct OF the cam
paign from q medical point of view. de
criticized various features in the manage
ment of the camp, beginning with the
location of some OF the regiments. lie
said that the park was upon general
principles q good camp ground, but that
some If the new reg iments were located
in swampy sections and others in rocky
ground where it was impossible to get the
sinks Of sufficient depths. In other cases
the camp was poorly drained and in most
instances tho tents were too close to-
gether. He said the sites were selected
by General Brooke, and that notwith-
standing his own position as chief medical
officer, he had not been consulted in re-
gard TO the location. He had made a
formal protest at the time, but the protest
was not needed.
DIR. Hartsutf took positive ground
against the ests blishment of division
hospitals at the expense of the regiments.
He thought division or field hospital
was n necessity, but he thought it should
be built up as an independent institution.
He had found that regimental surgeons
and nurses trs nsferred to division
hospital were not so capable of rendering
good service
Others were almost paralyzed. Further
more there was immense confusion IN
transferring the regirnental effects to the
hospital and in sending them back when
the regiments were ordered away.
ssDo you," asked Col. DENLY. 'tthjnk
the establishment of division hospitals a
bad policy"
livery bad as done,' responded the wit.
ness.
sCould you as chief medical officer have
controlled the matters' he was next
asked.
mo sir, it was an order OF the Secre-
tary of War and under this ordor no regi-
mental hospitals could be maintained.
He thought this order unfortunate that
in carrying it into effect the work of
caring for the sick WAS greatly interfered
with and that no one was benefited by it.
DIR. Hartsaff also expressed the opinion
that the water supply of the camp was
not good.
Another feature of the camp system
which DR.. Hartsuff criticized was that OF
allowing each regiment to have refuse
dump of its own. This had rendered the
camp very Objectionable from hygienic
point of view. He has recommended to
Gen. Brooke the cremation of the gar
bage.
He stated that the recommendation had
not been acted upon, and in response to a
question from Col. DENLY said medical
officer could not execute but could onls,'
recommend. He attributed the failure to
adopt his recon- mendations to the con-
fusion incident to preparing great army
for the field.
Asked if the volunteer army surgeons
under him were com petent, DR.. Hartsuff
replied that some were while others were
not.
Col. NJ. II. McCord of the First Terri
toPial infantry went before the commits
l see by newspaper reports that Lient.
Col D. D. Mitchell of my regiment, the
First Territorial q. S. ", infantry (who
before joining the regiment was captain
in the 18th Infantry gave some testimony
for the Investigating commission yester-
day at Lexington, Ky, to the effect that
regulations made by the comman ing OH
Gee of that regiment (ayself) had not
bern promptly responded to. I wish to
contradict that statement II it was made.
Every requisition that have made in be-
half of the regiment of whatever nature
has been promptly complied with. One
requisitioD that made upon the quarter
mast, at San francisco, while the regi-
ment was stationed in Arizona for shoes,
clothing, hats and blankts, and which
must have weighed several thousands
pounds, was shipped to me by express,
thus causing the supplies to reach me
four days sooner than they would If
shipped by freight. The medical officers
of the regiment have never complained of
q lack of medical supplies nor has the
quartermaster or the oommissary ever
made complaint that they could not get
heir acquisitions promptly filled.
1he regiment is well equipped in every
way. This fact will be patent when /
say that in the early part of July the
regiment was mus cred into the service
and contained 1908 officers and men. Up
to the resent date it has lost but three
men BY death and has over 1870 officers
nd raadv for dntv