The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-01
LACK OF NURSES.

The report states that in times when
this hospital was crowded there was a
lack of nurses. the deficiency being
supplied by details from the Regiments,
which We're not as satisfactory as
trained nurses.
LAS a result of this inadequate force"
says the report, the force provided
were hard worked. but in all cases they
have stuck to their posts and perform
ed their work with great energy until
SICKNESS overlook a considerable num-
Der. The places of the sick have been
filled by nurses from the surgeon gen.
erals department. The exhausting
character of the work performed by
these nurses is shown by the fact that
about one-eourth of them have thor
oughly exhausted their strength, and
I are now resting in quarters"
General Boynton shows that there is
full refrigerator capacity for this
hospital, porcelain lined baths. steril-
lied and iced water. and every conven-
ience. IN the malignant typhoid ward
there have been but two deaths out of
80 cases in three weeks. He says that
both the medical officers and the hos
Dltal attendants at this hospital have
undoubtedly performed their duty with
energy and efficiency
The next hospital inspection was the
third division hospital, first corps, in
Nlidi &c u lddJOI 11dTh. mere
the attendants were found sufficient,
though not enough surgeons
The grounds were in excellent condi-
ton, the tents clean, most of the tents
hoored. and all of the space between
the cots and aisles. For a time the
hospital was q week behind in order
ing its medical supplies. but this was
before the government had collected its
medical stores in great quantities.
AS in other hospitals the force of at
tendants here. both officers and men,
have worked with great persistence,
and still over . Der cent of the hos
pital corps have fallen sick from its ex-
haustive labors. For the last six weeks
there have been no difficulty in obtain
ing medical supplies of every charac-
ter. The Red Cross has made liberal
donations TO this hospital. and friends
in Minnesota have sent great uuanti-
ties of delicacies
The hospital fund for July amounted
to S415. and with that amount it has
been possible TO obtain all the milk
needed.
Taking up the last of the field hos
pitals that of the Third corps, Second
division, under Major Smith, the re-
port says that the % tents are at pres
ent not all occupied. During the cpl |
demic of measles they were crowded |
There were no Red Cross nurses. and !
detail of 20 ladies from the Chatta- !
nooga association have visited the |
hospital daily to cook the lighter food !
for the sick
When the hospital was crowded the !
number of attendants was insufficient. |
There were also strong complaints of |
the failure to get medical and surgical !
supplies in the early days before the |
government had been able to furnish /
itself, and when it was impossible to |
avoid delays incident to rushing out /
supplies to great army camps.
The requisition papers on file. how
ever, show that the hospital officers
made every effort to obtain full sup
plies. Leaving the details about the
hospitals, the report proceeds to treat /
the whole subject generally. as follows:
SENSATIONAL STORIES.
"In two of the hospitals opportuni-
ties occurred for discoveries of what /
originated many of the
nsational stories which have been
printed over the country to the effect
that patients in the hospitals lacked
sufficient food, and in many cases had
been on the verge Of starvation 1t
the ward where the convalescent ty-
phold patients were found, many of
the men were constantly asking for
food and, as a matter of consequence
were as constantly denied everything
except the lighter forms of food which
can alone be safely administered to re-
covering typhoid patients. This stood I,
the hospitals for which
care alone, as is perfectly understood,
can the lives OF typhoid convalescents
be saved, has been distorted into the
report which has been spread through
out the country that patients were
being starved in the government hos
pitals. There has been no lack of per
feet food in the hospitals and compe-
tent cooks for preparing it have been
present, and the only reason for de-
oriving patients of what so many of
them clamored for has been the neces-
;ity of such dieting as the disease de-
nands. 1t will be easily observed that
he conditions set forth in this report
are mainly present conditions
Undoubtedly there have been Sc
-ious inconveniences and at times of
he greatest crowding there was a lack
If conveniences and full attendance
which go to make up that painful con-
lition of affairs, which, as every vet ]
,ran knows, are inseperable from the
ield hospitals of great armies, even I
when all concerned exert themselves to
secure the comfort of the patients. J
These are conditions which, in times
~.