The Globe-republican., 1898-10-20
transfers from the line and by enlistment
to the number of 1000.

| udnsIers from tne line ana Dy enlistment
to the number of 1000.
stores Specially Prepared.
Medical stores for use of an army in the
held are not such as can be purchased in
bulk in Wholesale drug houses. They must
be specially prepared and specially packed
to economist space and Withstand the dan
gers of transpOrtation- to which they may
be subjected.
The number Of medical officers allowed
| by law 10 INADEQUATE in time Of peace. The
| total namber allowed is 1872. There are al
l present thirteen vacancies. OF the num-
! Der allowed By INV six are Fequired in the
! Surgeon Generals Office and Army Medical
Aluseum. Eleven are on duty ut medical
supply dep0ts Is chief surgeons Of military
departments. One is at the Soldiers Home,
whiIe hfty-six are at general hospitals on
hospital ships as garrison posts: four are
disabled by sickness. and I'VE are on duty
| as chief surgeons of the Army Corps. This
leaves ninety-seven medical officers avail
able Tor duty with troops in the field. OF
tnese thirty-fve have been appointed brig
ade surgeons Of volunteers and distributed
among the various army corps. Since the
declaration Of war there has been q loss Of
TWO BY death, and twenty-three are on sick
leave. This deficiency in the regular med
icai officers made it necessary TO employ
more than $50 contract surgeons.
Volunteer Medical Corps.
Steps were taken at once to organize the
Volunteer Medical Corps All appoint
ments were made by the President. and
every one on the Recommendation of the
SUPERINTENDENT of the army and Of other
medical men whose opinions were of value;
but the rapidity with which the volunteer
army was organized prevented many of the
contract surgeons from being subjected to
examination. the urgency being so great
that 1t was not practicable to have exam
ming boards pass upon their qualifications
Inc Surgeon-General. however, endeavored
as far as possible to obtain satisfactory
professional Endorsement before making a
contract with an applicant. Most of the
contract surs cons have displayed energy and
efhciency. though time was insufficient for
them to master the peculiar duties and re-
auirements Of military surgery and camp
sanitation. One thing. however. was strict
~ enforced. II a contract surgeon, after
reaching his post was found incompetent.
he was Immediately discharged and his con-
tract Cancelled.
Fault with the Law
The number Of medical officers was fixed
by Congress. and, if inadequate. the fault
is with the law and not with the Depart
ment. True. Deficiencies may be made I'D
by employing acting assistant surgeons,
but their GALAXY is but 500 per month. and
men possessing the great ability required
of military surgeons cannot be expected to
enter the service in great numbers for such
small compensation.
Notwithstanding all these difficulties,
acquisitions were promptly filed and stores
forwarded in abundance. In some cases
congested railway travel prevented prompt
delivery and early distribution.
Instructions for Camps.
The sanitary condition Of camps was
under the supervision Of the Surgeon-Gen-
eral. ard the surgeons of the corps. d.
visions and brgades. Four days after the
declaration OF war the Surgeon General
issued circular prescribing sanitary meas
ures TO protect the troops in the field. es-
pecially in tropical climates. The subject
was treated in detail, and instructions given
for the preservation of the health Of troops:
and again on August 8 attention was in
yited to the same subject. Camps were
disinfectants. and if not used it was the
fault OF the surgeons in the field. In view
Of the fact that the army was hastily or
ganized. and the flen put into service with
the briefest possible delay. the difficulties
of providing for their medical wants.
coupled with lack of special knowledge
of newly appointed medical officers. the
rates OF disease and death. as will be shown
by the statistics below. were kept at a
low figure. Delays and some
confusion were inseparable from existing
conditions. The machinery of the entire
War Department was working at high
pressure, and the human machine, like q
continuance. will, when work
ing at its fullest speed for a long-continued
period, either break down or occasionally
produce imperfect results.
1t is the history of all suddenly impro-
vised armies that men suffer greatly from
disease incident to their unaccustomed
mode of life. The prevalence of disease.
which, if occurring in civil life, would not
attract particular attention, under the
peculiar circumstances and the strong
light of public scrutiny, become matters of
criticism and comment.
Armies as hastily gathered together as
that which waged the war with Spain, in
!, great many instances, bring the seeds of
disease with them to the camps. as was
evidenced in the cases of many men dying
IN the State camps, before the regiments
we're mustered in, and many others within
week thereafter
4 Desperate Task.
The task of the Medical Department is
a desperate one. 1t is called upon to deal
and come face TO face with the horrors
Of war. in such places that persons entirely
with such sights and scenes
may visit and behold. but are helpless to
aid. 1t is no wonder that the sights Of mu-
tiiatiOn and carnage and the sounds of de-
Iirious moaning, shock the nerves and ap-
pal the senses Of those who have been
spared a view Of the dreadful flow Of hui
nan blood and merciless mangling of hui
man form.
No more horrible place can be imagined
han the battlefield hospital, with its grue- |
some pile of amputated feet and arms.
,uiyerinS, mangled and bloody. piled with
mt. while the victims within are groaning
ander anesthetcs or wailinS with pain in |
their first awakening moments.
such IL War. |
But such is war. and those who clamor |
'or il must expect nothing else. Possibly !
lfter a great engagement men may lie |