Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-08-11

Monroe, Wis, Aug. 9.-Dr. F. w.
Ryers, surgeon general of the Wiscon-
sin national guard, who was sent
south by the governor a couple of
weeks ago TO investigate the care and
condition Of the sick Wisconsin SOL
diers, returned home Monday and is
now engaged in drafting his report
which he Will sumbit to the governor
in a couple of days. While at Jack
sonville a week ago a member of the
staff of Gen. FTtzhugh Lee told the
surgeon general that Lee had assur-
ances from the administration that he
and his command, the seventh army
corps, would be sent to Havana as
part of the army of occupation at the
earliest possible moment after the
treaty Of peace is signed. The file
of the first Wisconsin regiment and a
majority of the officers are eager to
go to Cuba and would be greatly dis
appointed if they were to be sent back
home without seeing any service
whatever. The older men in the reg
iment-men who left business and
families to respond to the country's
call-are disposed to lay down their
| arms as soon as they are convinced
that the country no longer needs their
| services in a military capacity.
Gen. Byers says that while he
found conditions at the different hos
pitfalls not exactly as they might be
desired, he was, on the whole, much
| better satisfied than he expected to
be before he visited them. At Jack
| scnville he found on the day of his
arrival 173 LIST Wisconsin men relieved
| from duty on account of sickness.
| OF course only a fraction of these
were sick enough TO render it neces-
sary to care for them in the hospital
But, Gen. Byers says, the percentage
of sickness is too large and steps
should be taken TO reduce it. At
Charleston, which he visited second,
he found 200 I'd and Sd Wisconsin
men in splendid hospitals. These lat
ter are managed by sisters of charity
and are models in every respect. The
city hospital has 20 trained Red Cross
nurses. The Letter hospital at Chick
! amauga, in which there are 20 sick
| Wisconsin boys, also has full corps
| of Red Cross nurses, and besides a
| company of men has been left there
to assist in caring for the sick
hot
amount of sickness at Jacksonville is
| Cue largely to inefficiency on the part
of the commissary department and
desire to do too much work on the part
of the medical staff. The sanitary con-
ditions also are not what they should
| be. The remedy is to secure greater
| efficiency in the commissary depart
ment lessen the weight of the work
Of the physicians by more equitable
/ distribution of it and improve the
sanitary conditions generally. The
recent shifting of the camp will
prove very beneficial. The old camp
had been occupied continuously for
three months. At first it was all
right but after awhile it became per-
| meated with refuse. The new camp
is on high ground with good drainage
and is altogether a desirable location
| The sun is hot but the days are
made cool and pleasant by soft sea
breeze. The camp is supplied with
board bath houses, enabling the sold
iers to battle in the river and do some
sea bathing. There is a fine beach
a short distance from camp, where
everything seems to be in the best
shape for bathing purposes.
The typhoid fever at Jacksonville
is not so severe as that disease
generally proves in the north.
In some cases there is some delvira
and great deal of maIarial connected
| with it. 1t is more Ike typho-ma-
larial fever.
In the field hospitals there are no
nurses but there is no lack of hospital
corps and others who can be pressed
into service. When the hospitals
can be thoroughly organized and
fitted out with the proper appliances,
Red Cross and sisters of charity and
mercy nurses will be put in.
Sick men are naturally unreason-
able and want many things they had
better not have and some Of them
make complaints. Gen Byers thinks
that with few exceptions they are as
we'll cared for as possible and many
get as good care as they could receive
at home