Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-10-21
The WAR INVESTIGATION.
Professional Female Nurses in Charge
of Hospitals,

Va AVoPA1"Ao3
GIVE EVIDENCE TO THE EFFECT
THAT MANY THINGS WE'RE SIM
PLY DELIGHTFUL-MISS COPE
LAND SAYS SOME "REAL MEAN
THINGS ABOUT SOME OF HER
FELLOW WORKERS AMONG THE
SICK AND WOUNDED SOLDIERS.
A PHILADELPHIA NURSE WHOM,
SHE SAYS, IS RATTLEBRAINED.
Jacksonville, Fla, October 20.-The
war investigating commission heard
several of the professional female nur-
ses at the forenoon session to-day, in
GLIDING Miss Copeland, chief nurse at
the Third Division Hospital; Miss Rob-
bins, head nurse at the First Division
Hospital; Miss Hubbard, head nurse
at the Second Division Hospital, and
Misses Walker and Waters, ward
nurses.
Miss Copeland spoke in commenda-
ton of the conduct of the hospitals,
and she said that the nurses were well
treated and apparently much respected.
She said the nurses had their own tent
quarters, where there was the privacy
demanded by their sex. They had in
the beginning of their stay here boarded
at hotel, but now they had their own
mess, and preferred it, Miss Copeland
said that when the nurses first came to
the camp there was only one nurse to
each forty or sixty patients, but this
condition had been steadily improved.
There was also in the beginning some
scarcity of appliances for the sick, such
as hot water bottles, which, while not
necessity, were often comfort. She
spoke of some nurses Who had made
complaints, but these were the kind of
persons who are never satisfied with
any situation. One Philadelphia nurse
had made severe criticism, but she was
Of the kind of women who would leave
a patient to whom she had just given
bath to attend to some other errand
before drying him.
Major James E. Pitcher, of the reg
ular army, depot surgeon, Tor the Sew
enth army corps, said that since the
early days of the camp there had been
no difficulty in securing an abundance
of medical supplies and that they were
much more plentiful and of greater
variety than was usual in the regular
army. In the first history of the camp
supplies were ordered from Tampa and
it was difficult, sometimes impossible,
to secure supplies. He thought the
medical St taft f here was efficient as ply
stcians, but they were without ad-
min l5trative ability. Many Of them
knew nothing of formulating requisi-
lions and were not disposed to learn.
Furthermore there was mo response
bility on the part of the surgeons for
the articles secured from outside
sources, as there was for government
supplies.
Dr. Conner pressed DR.. Pitcher close
ly on this point, saying to him that
the country was full of the report that
the medical department of the govern
ment was not capable of meeting the
demands made upon it, and that but
for the aid of such relief societies as
the Red Cross, there would have been
actual suffering. To this DR.. Pitcher
replied that such was not the case,
and he maintained the suficiency of
the government to take good care of
it's own sick. He said that it would
have been ungracious not to accept
the aid offered by the relief societies.
Captain John w. Swatek, of COM
pany L, Second Illinois, complained
that on two or three occasions the
fresh meat furnished his men had
been poor, but said that on all other
occasions the food had been good and
ample.
Gen. Dodge told the captain that
there had been complaint from almost
every nan in the company in regard
to their breakfasts and suppers. Cap
tain Swatek replied that he had eaten
the same food given the men and
that it was satisfactory to him. He
said, however. that he did not ordin-
arily inspect the meats of the men.
Sergeant A. F. Lorenson, of the same
company, admitted that there was some
complaint among the men, but he
: thought the complaints were due to
the fact that the men were homesick.
Col. Taylor, Of the Fourth Virginia
regiment, was the first witness before
the war Investigating commission at
the afternoon session to-day. He said
he had no complaint whatever to make
concerning any department of the gov
ernment and that he knew Of no case
Of wilfull neglect.
Col W. J. Bryan was next called.
He asked to be excused from testify
ing, requesting that his lieutenant col
onel be examined in his stead.
you will, | havb no doubt, under
stand my reasons OR the request" he
said.
81 think the request very proper and
reasonable" responded Governor Bea-
YER and as the entire commission as
sented to this concession, Col. Bryan
was excused with the request to send
I'D his lieutenant colonel.
w. T. Durbin, of the One Hundred
and Sixty-f1rst Indiana, said there were
few complaints from his men and that
they were generally trivial.
DR.. Alexander Kent. pastor of the