The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-10-08
sTERNBERo's STATEMENT,
He Says the Army Was Well Supplied
With Surgeons.

Washington, Oct 7.-surgeon Gen.
sternberg has sent to the commission
investigating the conduct of the war
the following memorandum relating to
the medical department of the army
THE number of medical officers al
lowed by law is inadequate instimes of
peace. The total number allowed is 1872.
There are at present IL vacancies. The
administration of the surgeon generals
office andTthe Army Medical Museum
require six. Eleven are on duty at med
ical supply depots and as chief surgeons
of military departments; one ia at the
! Soldiers Home; Sc are at general hospi-
tails, on hospital ships and at garrisoned
posts four have been disabled since
the beginning of the war by sickness;
| five are on duty as chief surgeons OF
army corps. This leaves 81 medical off,
GERS available for duty with troops in
the field. OF these 30 have been appointed
! brigade surgeons of volunteers and are
distributed among she various army
corps. Since the declaration of war the
! loss by death has been two and 90 are
now absent from duty on sick leave.
This deficiency in regular medical
officers has made it necessary to em-
] 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 experiences, but il has been
| impossible to make a careful selection.
| owing to the great pressure of business
| in the surgeon generals office, and the
urgency has been so great that 1t has
not been practicable to nave examining
boards to pass upon their qualifica-
| tons. l have endeaVored, so far as
possible, to obtain satisfactory profess
| sional Endorsement before making a
contract with an applicant,
| I'm addition to this, there have been
| appointed by the president eight corps
| surgeons, with the rank of lieutenant
colonel Twenty-four division surgeons,
with the rank of major and Sc brigade
surgeons; also three medical officers for
| each of the regiments of United States
infantry, cavalry and engineers. All
volunteer regiments have three medicai
officers appointed by governors or
states. The very small proportion Of ex>
perienced medical officers has seriously
impaired the efficiency Of the medical
department, but many OF the division
and brigade surgeons from civil life
have shown great aptitude for the SER
vice and have already become valuable
medical officers.
Referring to the alleged deficiency
| of medical officers with the 9Th army
corps at Santiago, / would say that
this corps upon leaving Tampa had
with it IS regular medical officers, Is
commissioned volunteer officers and
contract doctors. total OF II, or over
four 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 with 20 doctors on board. There
was also some volunteer assistance by
DIR. Lesser of the Red Cross Society.
DR.. Rudberg Of the Swedish navy and
several surgeons of the navy from
ships in the vicinity.
1T has not been the expectation of
the medical department that wounded
men would Immediately receive the at
tention of the surgeons No modern
army makes provision for SO large a
number OF medical officers as this would
require. But attached to our army there