Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-10-15
DEFENDS HOSPITAL SERVICE
5,ys Number of Medical Omcers
Allowed by Law IL made

QihtCs
Washington, Oct 10.-Surgeon Gem
sral S%ternberg has sent to the commits
sion Investigating the conduct of the
war the following memorandum relat-
ing to the medical department of the
army:
The number of medical officers all
lowed by law is inadequate in times
of peace. The total number allowed
is 1872. There are at present thirteen
vacancies. The administration of the
surgeon generals office and the army
medical museum requires six. Eleven
are on duty at medical supply depots
and rs chief surgeons of military de-
partments. One is at the soldiers
home; Sc are at general hospitals, on
hospital ships and at g"arrisoned posts.
Four have been disabled since the
commencement of the war by sick
ness. Five are on duty as chief sur.
geons of army corps. This leaves
~ medical officers available for duty
with troops in the field. OF these 50
have been appointed brigade surgeons
Of volunteers and are distributed
among the various army corps. Since
the declaration of war the loss by
death has been two, and % are now
absent from duty on sick leave.
Employed Contract Surgeons.
This deficiency in regular medical
officers has made il necessary TO en-
ploy more than $50 contract surgeons.
Most of these doctors from civil life
are doing good service and many OF
them are thoroughly well equipped
physicians and surgeons with ample
hospital experience; but il has been
impossible to make Il careful selection,
owing to thsNgrcat pressure of bust
ness in the surgeon generals Office
and the urgency has been so great
that il has not been practicable 10
have examining boards to pass upon
their qualifications. | have endeav-
ored, SO far as possible, TO obtain, sat
isfactory professional Endorsement
before making a contract with an APP
p%licant.
The number of applications have
been SO great and the personal visits
of applicants and their friends so nu-
merous as to constitute a serious en-
barrassment in conducting the bust
ness of my office. In addition to this
there have been appointed by the
president eight corps surgeons with
the rank of lieutenant colonel, "a di-
vision surgeons with the rank of ma
ior and Sc brigade surgeons; also
three medical officers for each of the
regiments of the United States infan-
try, cavalry and engineers. All volun-
teer regiments have three medical Of
fccrs appointed by governors of
states.
Valuable Medical Officers.
"The very small proportion of eX-
pcrienccd medical officers has seri-
ously embarrassed the efficiency of
the medical department., but many of
the division and brigade surgeons
from civil life have shown great apti-
tudc for the service and have already
become valuable medical officers. The
same is true of many of the doctors
employed under contract. Referring
to the alleged deficiency of medical
officers with the Fifth army corps at
Santiago, ! would say that this corps
upon leaving Tampa had with il &c
regular medical officers, Is commits
stoned volunteer medical officers and
90 contract doctors, n total of II, or
over 4 per thousand of the strength of
the command. which, ! was informed,
was about 10000. Additional medical
assistance was sent by the hospital
ship Relief, which arrived at Siboney
July Z with twenty doctors on board.
There was also some volunteer assist
ancc by DIR. Lesser Of the Red Cross
society, DIR. Rudberg of the Swedish
navy, ana surgeons Of the navy from
ships in the vicinity.
The 10, pitai Corps.
ut has not been the expectation OF
the medical department that every
wounded man would Immediately re
ccivc the attention of a surgeon. Nc
modern army makes provision for sc
large Il number of medical officers as
this would require. But attached &c
our army there is a corps of non-com'
batants known as the hospital corps
which is the organized and author
lied Red Cross of the army. At the
outbreak of the war we had 500 hospl
tai corps men in service. At present
there are more than 5000. These mcI
wear "A brasard upon the left arm
bearing the red cross of the Geneva
convention. We have done our bes'
to instruct them in giving first ale
TO the wounded, and in a majority o
cases a first aid dressing properly ap
piled by one of these men is all tina
is required. All of the surgeons whC
have come from the front have testi
fed to the remarkable results at
tanned from the prompt application o.
usccptic dressings by our hospita
corps men and by the soldiers them
selves or their comrades. The proper
application of the dressings contained
in the first aid packet, which is carried
by every soldier, is, under existing
regulations IA matter in which ever.
enlisted man has special instruction
For some time past this instruction
has been given by our medical Officers
to the officers and by then