The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1898-11-17
HOSPITAL SYSTEM.
TESTIMONY OF DR.. HUlDEkOPER IS
TAKEN BY WAR BOARD.

Defence of the Medical Officers at Camp
Thomas. RegimentaI Officers Blamed.
The Medical Stores Given Out in
Parsimonious Manner.
Washington, Nov. 15.-The war in
quiry commission resumed the exan-
lnation of witnesses yesterday. with
DR.. r. S. Huidekoper, lieutenant colo
bel of volunteers on the stand.
He said chat he had occupied the po-
sition of chief medical officer of the
First army corps at Camp Thomas, at
Chickamauga Park, until the Esd of
July, when he went to Porto Rico with
General Brooke.
Speaking of the supply depot, he said
hat there was a good supply of some
rticles and a superabundance of 9TH
RS at the beginning of the history of
lamp Thomas; but that this condition
If affairs did not long continue. He had
Immediately undertaken to regulate re-
quisitions so as to equalize them in the
various divisions of the command.
At one time he had to appeal to Cen
eral Brooke to get the supplies neces-
sary, the deputy surgeon general in
slsting upon being guided by the sup
plies on the table, which was not fair
test.
do you not know" asked DIR. Con-
ner, that there was a full supply Of
medical stores at the depot at Lytle?"
II know many articles were lack
Ing" the doctor replied. and added that
1t was not true, as had been stated,
that there was a full supply.
He haG made constant representa-
tions to the surgeon general of the
shortage of supplies. He had never
turned down any acquisitions from the
division hospitals, except on one occa-
sion, except when he knew that the
articles were not on hand.
He had refused his sanction to a re-
QUESTION for flooring for hospital tents
when General Brooke had expected to
move.
He contended that there had been a
sufficiency of tentage. saying that no
patients had been compelled to lie out
without covering for any length Of
time.
1t was true, however. that there were
occasions on which the sick men had
been kept for several days at a time
under the tent flies.
1.-THE Second and Third division hos
pitals." he said, in reply to a question.
were always clean and we'll ordered"
Both institutions were well built, but
they had suffered throughout for lack
Of proper attendance. There was never
a sufficient number of hospital corps
men.
On the other hand. the First division
hospital was not so we'll conducted.
for lack of discipline. due to the pros
pect of removal. He had repeatedly
called attention to the lack of nurses,
and about the first of July there was
an increase of hospital corps men in re-
sponse to his representations. The sup
ply was never equal to the demand.
Reverting to the question of tentage,
DR.. Huidekoper said he knew. of his
own knowledge, that the surplus tent
age at the reserve hospital was turned
over to the division hospitals. and that
tents had been held there to the detri-
ment of other hospitals
Colonel Huidekoper said that he had
succeeded in getting supplies only by
being the first on hand, as the medical
depot was run in a very parsimonious
manner There was not only a great
scarcity of important drugs, such as
quinine and opium, but disposition on
the part of the purveyor not to give
out what there was.
DR.. Huidekoper said that with few
unimportant exceptions, the medical
supplies for the Porto Rican expedition
had been ample.
At Newport News he had given or
ders that the sick men be eliminated
from the command, but he found that
the order had been evaded and sick
men taken aboard. This was especial
ly true of the Third Illinois regiment.
whose surgeon, DIR. Huidekoper said,
had persisted from the start in break
ing the spirit, If not the letter. of the
law. The regiment had left sick at
every town that 1t had visited.