The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-10-15
ROUGH RIDERS FAREDwELL
WHT THE REGIMENT ENJOYED SUCH
|, COOP HEALTH.


Surgeon Donaldson Describes the Care the
Men Received in Camp aud in the Field
"A Glowing Tribute to Col. Roosevslts
Intelligent Interest in Their welfare.
Frank Donaldson. NJ. d.. Assistant Surgeon
OF the First Volunteer Cavalry trough ridersl,
has written a paper on the physical condition
Of Col. Roosevelts command at the date Of its
mastering out. The article will appear TO-
day in the Medical Necs. In IL DR.. Donaldson
says:
1T is difficult to judge at this time just what
will be the outcome OF the Army Investigation
Committee In Washington. but one fact has
been emphasized by a number OF witnesses
before Il, to wit, that the condition Of the
camps and Of the men OF the volunteer regi-
ments. apparently without exception. left much
TO be desired. The blame in each case has been
put upon the officers and the surgeons who
failed to compel compllauc5 with the more or
binary rules OF cleanliness and health. With
out crlticising the camps Of other volunteer
regiments which I have seen. it may be inter
estlng for the medical men to know that up
TO date there has been no fault found with
the camp or condition OF the troopers OF the
First Volunteer Cavalry. Though the men
suffered terribly In Cuba from fever. dysentery
and serious stomach and intestinal troubles,
no regiment cam back in better shape. with
the possible exceptions OF the Ninth and Tenth
Negro Cavalry Regiments.
In Cuba. of course. we were able to give
the sick men anything but satisfactory care.
owing to an almostt total lack Of a hospital out
fit; and in view Of our experience both in Cuba
and atMontauk. I cannot but sincerely trustthat
the Surgeon General will SEQ 1T to return to
the old system of regimental hospitals. Many
OF our men in Cuba hould have been treated
in q well-eQuipped regimental hospital, but
the division hospital was four or five miles
away, and II was. moreover. practically i'm
possible, to send the, men there against their
their own comrades at the front. !, wrote a
long. letter last spring 10 the Pnhaaetphls
4iMedieGl J2utnGGs after . some e. d days spent aoD WITH
sively proved that reRimental hospitals should
be done away. with. but experience has taught
about. l am sure to-day that had we had a
proper hospital outfit in Cuba we would have
ifiE Tss1 R %Sat s~ %e esfle ana 4 PSG SsSitsi S %Ss a
large fly under which. we put the men. We
had no cots. insufficient supply OF blankets
Government poncho. which never protected
any one from an"thing. certainly not from
Our troopers. however. did have, rather
| more and better food than most OF the regt-
ments; Thanks to Col. Roosevelt's 9Inete9sinS
contempt for red tape where their needs were
concerned. we were enabled to rustic quan-
klllCS VI lOoo II LID ~
purse was always open. and he often told me
20 stop at no expense in getting supplies OF all
| cellent condition. and with his permission we
Immediately established the despised .regi-
mental hospital. Here. in the course OF fouF
the satisfaction of sending many Of them back
to. their troops in fairly. good shape.
An interesting fact in connection with the
low form OF malaria. with which most ofthose
treated were afflicted. and the stomach and In
festival trouble accompanying it. was that
L nnininn without Anv aYnanfinn hrOnRhG on
in four weeks. / did not personally give twenty
low and the circulation SO sluggish that even
a few minims Of morphia given with an anti
Illumination. and 1 am sure that the combina-
ton Of Quinine and urea would have caused
troublesome some. s6sesfSes, Ny efforts ,Sw ere 81 d
Restive apparatus in working condition, and
with this purpose in view they were, fed fire.
ments; 1 used sherry and egg, port wine. milk
punches. champagne. and other stimulants
bered that most 81 these men had been for sew
taking from thirty to sixty grains OF %quinine a
day. aud six out Of ten men who anne to the
hospital were suffering with partial deafness,
and an with more or less constant nausea and
81 can give no better proof Of the care which
Col. Roosevelt demanded for his men and which
thirty men who were r really iy" too SICK to come
to Montauk to be mustered out. l make this
statement, advisedly. for / have q complete list
Of those who were not on hand when we finally
broke camp: This record is q source Of con-
siderable pride to us. Tor surely thirty ill men
out of a regiment of ]. 200 speaks eloquentlY for
the care which they had received
A / said before. we could not have OBJ
velt's constant help, moral and financial, and I
can truthfully say that 1t is to his unselhsh de-
yotion and personal interest in every mar that
this volunteer regiment has come out in such
good shape, Moreover, his interest did not
cease with the breaking up at Montauk. Act
ing under his orders. the condition and position
Of every man. sick or In need. have been looked
into by me and their necessities provided for"