The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-12
DOCTORS ON CAMP wIKOFF.
The Site and Water supply Declared
Excellent.

for the current number of The Medical
News by DR.. William Broaddus Pritchard
Of this city. DR.. Pritchard prefaces his
article with the statement that he visited
Camp Wikoff, at Montauk Point, Sunday
Sept 4, and spent the entire day making
observations and Investigations regarding
the general situation, especially with ref
erence to the health and comfort OF the
soldiers. He says every possible facility
for investigation was accorded to him.
In considering the natural conditions of
Camp WikOff, DR.. Pritchard found IAN
abundant water supply from a well, equip
ped with a modern pumping outfit, fur
nishing 100000 gallons of pure water daily,
which is distributed over the entire camp
by a system which is as near perfect,
both mechanically and hygienically, as is
possible of attainment. The camp IS ac-
cessible to an unlimited base of supplies,
with facilities for transportation by both
land and water, the schedule time from
New York city by train being less than
four hours, and by boat not more than
eight or ten.
THE question as TO the abandonment
hinges, of course, as has been abundant
ly intimated in both the lay and medical
press. upon the probable development Of
typhoid infection of the water supply.
discussed this aspect Of the subject with
DR.. Nicholas Sem, Col Forwood and
Maj. Brown. In answer to my inquiry
DR.. Sem stated that he had nothing fur
Their to add and nothing to withdraw from
the opinions which he had already express
ed on the subject which have been wide
Iy, though not altogether correctly, dis
seminated through the lay press. He be-
heVes that infection of the existing water
supply is absolutely inevitable. How long
it will take for this to occur is largely
matter of conjecture. II may take
week, or three weeks; 1t may exist al
ready or occur within a day or two. The
continuance of existing conditions makes
it an absolute certainty sooner or later.
In this opinion Col Forwood concurred.
This infection of the camp with typhoid
fever is not in any way reflection upon
the wisdom or skill exhibited in selecting
this camp. Typhoid fever, to a greater or
less extent, is an inevitable accompani-
ment of all military camps. The United
States army records VIII show that even
two or three companies in garrison for as
long as year will lose one or two men
from typhoid fever. The larger the camp
typhoid cases.
col. Forwood does not believe that the
official water supply of Camp Wikoff is at
present infected, and he further believes
that the geological formation of the strata
met In boring the wen used is such as is
most favorable to the preservation of the
purity of the water.
Il was greatly pleased to learn in this
connection from Col. Forwood that the i'm
preston created by the lay press that the
regular army medical officers are not in
agreement with DR.. Sem in his opinion as
to the danger of typhoid epidemic is alb
solutely false on the contrary, he and DR..
Sem are in exact and harmonious accord
on this subject.
With regard 10 the landing of soldiers at
Camp Wikoff from transports, DR.. Pritch-
ard says:
"A lookout watches for an expected
transport As soon as the vessel is sight
ed in the ofing DR.. Magruder goes out and
boards and nspects her. All passengers to
be landed are put through an elaborate
routine of disinfection, which process IN
cludes of course, all equipments, clothing
and, indeed, everything which is to be
brought on shore. A specially designated
medical officer is then notified that the
| transport is ready to be unloaded, being
notified at the same time of the number of
sick on board. This medical officer is sup
posed to remain on duty at the dock and
| superntend the landing of the sick, pro-
viding fresh milk, SOUP necessary drugs
and stimulants as well as stretchers and
ambulances. An officer from the quarter
masters department is also on duty here
These sick men are carried at once to the
/ detention hospital. Not knowing exactly
when transport is to arrive or how many
sick are on board each arrival involves a
special order for supplies, ambulances,
etc, through various channels with air
the cumbrous details of red-tape routine
involving invariably some delay.
Such delay, together with inefficiency
in providing for the situation, has cost
more than one life, one poor fellow re-
! Gently dying on the dock for the lack Of
stretcher and a little whisky. If the
medical officer in charge had had on his
person for this poor fellows use one
tenth of the whisky which he had in his
| person, one life al least could have been
saved
1t is self-evident, of course. that sick
men in sucn quarters and under such cir
eumstances should be landed as expedI-
tiously as possible. Even an hours de-
lay might and often doubtless did, mean
the death of a man. A due appreciation
OF this necessity should have led, one
would think. to the observance of every
precaution in order to avoid delay, and
| yet, as matter of fact, no vessel has
been unlOaded yet without the loss of
sarily. ! myself was witness to this fact
The Roumania was sighted early Sunday
morning in the bay. DR., Magruder mott
| fed the proper authority that the troops
! could be landed. Ii was 4 o'clock in the
| afternoon before she was brought to the
dock. She had on board $50 soldiers. more
| than 200 of them sick. A part of the de-
| lay was due to siowness in nlling the requi-
sition for milk This was not the fault Of
the officer in charge, however. Two hours
more were lost hunting for the medical Of
| ficer who was finally found, / was told
asleep. 1t was expected that all the SOL
diers would be landed by 10 o'clock that
night. To some of them that ten hours
delay meant death.
In some reliably reported instances-one
was mentioned to me specifically by an
] wimess-the landing of several hun
dred sick and starving men was delayed
! for hours by the inhumanity Of the officers
on board in Insisting that they be disn-
! fected and allowed to land first The
| colonel Of the regiment had to exercise