The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-12-09
He says They Are Asking for Bureaus,
Rocking Chairs and other Things
Not Requested by Males.
LACK OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES
DUE TO DIFFICULTIES OF TRANS
FORMATION AT TIMES, HE SAYS.
Neglect of Sanitary Measures and
Camp Caused Sickness.

WASHINGTON, Dec. S.-The conduct of
the medical service of the army was taken
up to-day by the war investigating commits
sion. and Surgeon General Sternberg was
rigidIy questioned about his administration
The medical department, he said. was
equipped only for an army Of %, 900 men
when the war broke out, and from year to
year the estimates he had submitted had
been materially reduced by Congress in a
policy of economy of appropriations. AS
soon as there was a prospect of war he had
begun preparations, though not making any
expense. He had models OF chests made,
he said, and equipment developed. but when
he suggested to Secretary Alger the pro-
priety of making purchases for his service,
the policy was to wait" He said at one
time there were as many as $50 contract
surgeons employed. The employees were
about thirty-five or forty years old, with
active professional experience, but when
permanent camps were established in this
country he did not know they were to be
permanent. He conceded it was a mistake
not to have appointed contract surgeons
from those who had experience in the civil
war, for their experience would have been
invaluable, but he was ignorant at the out
set of the permanency of the camps. 1t had
49, " AAAAAA OA0A " eau LllC
great volume of reports submitted, owing to
being overwhelmed with matters requiring
personal attention.
The regimental surgeons, he said, were
good, bad and Indifferent, but he recolIected
no instance of dismissal for INCOMPETENCE.
Threshing over the controversy between
regimental and division hospitals, he cred
tied the establishment of the latter to their
success i'm two years experience is the civil
war. AT the outset the maximum capacity
of the division hospital was $50 beds, but
this capacity was quickly found far made
quate. He could not r~ecollect whether the
chief surgeon at Camp Thomas had reported
that the sanitation there was bad. The de-
partment now, he said, has ample evidence
that typhoid fever cases during the war
were largely mistaken for malarial fever
until the cases reached the division hos
pitfalls, and that malaria also had been dag
nose6 as typhoid.
General Sternberg's recollection was that
prior to the inspection tour which was made
of the camps by Secretary Alger, Quarter
master General Ludington and himself, the
in his hands of unsanitary con-
ditions at Camp Thomas was unofficial. He
said that. with time, it was practicable to
secure a fairly large number of nurses, but
their training took time, and. he admitted
I'm war time might be at the expense of the
patients. He acknowledged the services of
volunteer aid associations. and said the
trained female nurses were satisfactory,
though he had received some reports to the
contrary.
SUPPLIES WERE DEFICIENT.
Witness admitted a real deficiency in med
zeal supplies at Santiago. Their landing
was delayed owing 10 the exigency
of the times; and railroads failed
to get them through in time at other points.
He commended. however, that there had been
very little lack Of medical supplies during
the war, the great difficulty being that sur
geons frequently preferred other than the
"held supply" and an unanticipated typhoid
fever outbreak had also considerably taxed
the field resources. Purchases, however.
had been made largely from hand TO mouth.
due TO lack OF storage facilities and lack
OF time for calling for bids. He thought ID
would save time 10 have medical supplies
shipped directly to the surgeon in charge at
destination, without depending on the quar-
termaster generals department for trans
portation, as waa now necessary.
There was an nimat discussion over a
delay IN quitting the John English. which
was purchased May u as a hospital ship.