The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-06
IT'S THE STATES HOSPITAL.
Governor Will Not Permit Regimen
tai Surgeons to Take Charge.

tai Surgeons to Take Charge.
A clash of authority with regard to the
command of the hospital at Camp Mount
seems imminent. Assistant Surgeon Charles
Z. Barnett was quoted in a morning paper
yesterday as saying that he intended to
take charge of the sick at the camp until
the return of his brother, who is ill. To
do this would be to dsplace DR.. o. S. Run
nels, chief surgeon the Governors staff,
who is in charge and command of the hos
pital by virtue of the Governors authority.
Last night the Governor said that the hos
pital is an independent state institution,
established for the care of all sick Indiana
soldiers, and is not under the jurisdiction
of the regimental officers. There has been
no desire, however, to ignore or snub the
regimental officers, he says. On the con-
trary, it has been hoped that they would
accept the cooperation of the State in car
ing for the sick. The ladies of the soldiers
aid associations have co-operated to very
appreciable extent.
when we learned" said the Governor last
night, that the Observation-Disclosures ty-sev-
enth and other regiments were to be mus
tered out, and that they had in them men
that needed better medical attention than
could be given in the ordinary camp hos
pital, directed Dr. o. S. Runnels, chief
surgeon on my staff, to make all arrange
ments for state hospital. Quartermaster.
General Richardson was directed to furnish
the tents, cots and everything else that DR..
RunnelS might designate. The hospital was
fully equipped before the regiment arrived.
DIR. RuunelS had ambulances at the Union
Station to convey those who were most seri-
ouSly i'll to the hospitals of the city. When
the train reached the camp conveyances
were there to take the sick men from the
hospital cars to the hospital. where there
was abundance of skilled medical men and
nurses to care for them. The regimental
surgeons were not there to give any advice.
1t was understood that they were worn out
and sick from the trying times through
which they passed. No one will be allowed
to take the charge of the hospital out of
DR.. Runnelss hands. 1t is a hospital for
sick Indiana soldiers of all regiments, and
will be maintained until there is no longer
home will receive all the attention that he
needs. and there is not going to be any red
tape about it. either. Dr. Runnels will con-
tinue in charge"
The Governor said that it had been the
intention all the time to have the local ply
the regimental surgeons, and there did not
seem to him to be any reason why this ar
rangement should not prevail. If the regi-
mental surgeons should undertake to take
the soldiers cut of the state hospital and
establish a regimental hospital they would
doubtless have that right, but they would
their ears the Governor thinks There is
not much red tape observed at the state hos
pital at Camp Mount. Within few min
sick man is to be cared for q place is pre-
pared for him.
A FEW NEW CASES.
There were a few new cases sent to the
hospital yesterday. Private Howenstein,
Hiram Holopeter and Paul Zimmerman, of
the Fort Wayne battery, were among those
sent there. Last Saturday Howenstein
stepped on a rusty nail He paid but little
attention to the incident at the time, but
yesterday his foot was in such condition as
to require attention Zimmerman developed
a case of measles. Hollopeter was troubled
with the prevailing malaria. Two cases Of
jaundice developed in the regiment Neither
is serious. DR.. Garstang did not know their
names and referred reporter to one of the
civilian hospital physicians, who announced
that at conference yesterday morning it
had been decided not to give out any more
names of patients to. the press because it
the parents will be advised no doubt
Francis Coffman, of Captain Giberts COM
pany, Angola, became suddenly i'll vester-
day afternoon and was taken to the hos
pital. His condition was regarded as not
particularly serious 1t has been observed
very suddenly. In most cases the men have
walking fever for days before they give
up and then collapse suddenly DR.. Gar
stang said yesterday that while one or two
of the men were in a pretty bad way. the
most of them were improving. On the sick
call yesterday 229 names were reported. This
included the half hundred or more that had
been in the hospital. The men in quarters
were excused from duty. Most of them were
simply indisposed. A large majority of the
men are in a state of lassitude from the
miasmatic influences from which they have
just returned, but the physicians look on
the situation cheerfully and believe that
each day home is a day of improvement
By tonight there will be accommodations
Tor forty more men at the hospital head
quarters. Several tents were put up yester-
day, board floors were laid in them and to-
day they will be provided with cots and
other comforts like those in the first tents