The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-11-21
Chief Surgeon Sernbere Details the
Conduct Of Ills Department.
MUCH SICgNESSCOULD NOT Be HELPED
Inexperiences Of Volunteer Officers One Of
the Chief Causes Of Complaint.
a GENERAL LACK Of DISCIPLINE APPARENT
This, However,, Was Later Overcome
and Good Results Toliowed-Credit
Given relief Associations.

Given Relief Associations.
Washington, November 20. - Surgeon
General George Stcrnberg has made his
report to the secretary Of war, 1t relates
mainly to- the work OF the medical corps
during tho war Tho following are the
most important features OF the report.
The nunrber Of MEDICAL offcers-1a2 all
lowed by law to the. army is Inadequate IN
time OF peace The insuffici6nny In time OF
war was met by 1.-THE assignment OF over
$50 contrIct suigeons, The very small
proportion OF medical officers having AN ex-
perience OF a military character Impaired
phc efficiency OF the department at the out
set. though many OF the saif surgeons
from ciyil life showed great aptitude for
The service and speedily became OF value
as administrative sanitary officers.
No provision was made for hospital corps
men for volunteer troops except that which
empowered The secretary OF war 10 enlist
as many priSates Of the hospital corps as
the service may require
The number OF men enlisted aud trans
ferred daring the war was approximately
5000.
Tho want Of q sufficient body of hospital
CORPS men neceSsitated the detlil o. en-
nsteu men from The regiments for hospital
lutles M several Of the camps and fhe en-
ployaneni OF trained nurses at The general
hosaNtaAs Over 1900 female nurses have
oeen employed, at FIRST at the general Aos-
ntais, and later az the hagd aiy5sion h s.
pAeass' when Ut became eyslene that the
nsla service purposes for which the latter
mad been Organized would have In give
place 10 the imperative aeed of caring for
ene MANY SICK inen coming from the regl-
mental camps.
liiiiledlately upon the declaration of war
April II, steps were taken 20 obtain mod
iaii supplies for the new volunteer ARMY
inc msnqtiaoguTc was expedited with THO
UTMOST dGspaooh
On May 3, foreseeing that II would h,
impossible TO have ready for lssua 10 TIVE
voian1eet regiments as soSa as ubey weT,,
mustered In, rhc necessary nrticles of mold
eq'Aidnens, L telegralshed die royernora ~
sessisal StaHes for authority 10 use the med
itSii equipment Of the National guard In ina
saIVsce OF tae STATE until our army meiioal
SupPl.es were ready for issue. Mos OF the
governors who had field eqitpmnnt re
spolden promptly and SAT lsfactoriiy. ht,t
uSiioiNpnauesS many OF the Stale uedical
departments had no sarch eauipment
Meaq.@hale tho officers In charge OF med
lcsAi Supply depots were directed 10 make
nrt,nx einenls SO that supplies could be i'm
mediatefy Obtained for 100000 men for II.
months. vi ~ sAN
whenever notice was received frn,n ,he
aniuaant general'sA office that commando
VIE 10 pc removed or camps formed, | en-
oesVored to anticipate the wants of the
troops by telegraphing 10 the officer IN
charge of the nearest supply depof 10 fnr.
ha toll
men. Va
IN my opinion the reduction of the age
UNIT from u 10 is years and the haste
win which the volunteer regiments wrro
enlisted and mustered into the ser,ica
were responsible for much of the sickness
when was reported in the early days Of
their camp life All military experiences
SHOWS unat young men under 81 years break
break down readily undor the strain OF
war service, ana every regiment had many
Of these youths In It's ranks. Medical ex-
aminers were appointed TO testify 10 the
physical qualifications II each man before
acceptance. but, notwithstanding this. SO
many men were afterwaid found ON ina
SICK ihsto of the camp unfit FOR service
from causes existing prior 10 enlistment
that special arrangements had to be made
for their discharge
Soon after the newly raised lcvIes were
aggregated in large camps sickness began
10 increase progressively from causes that
were so general IN their operation that
scarcely regiment escaped from their
harmful Influence. These causes may
largely be referred to ignorance on the
barL OF the officers OF the brlncipeg OF
camp sanitation and of their duties and
responsibilities as regards the welfare CT
me eniisted men in their commands.
Ihe site OF certain camps have been In
b'aneed in The newspapers as the cause
Tue sickness which was developed in
them. but review Of the whole situation
shows that II was not this site, but the
manner of its occupation which must be
held responsible for the general spread OF
aisease among the troops.
April 20, 1898, foreseoing the likelihood
OF unsanitary conditions In camps. ! is-
sued circular No. !, tmpressing upon med
icai officers their responsibility In sanitary
matters, and the necessity for q stric,
sanitary police, particularly in the care
OF the sinks and the preservation OF the
camp area from contamination.
bnt the density OF the military poptlla-
lion ON the area OF these contracted camps
prevented the possibility OF good sanitary
conditions. Camps of this Character may
ne occupied for n week or two at time
withoipt serious results as In the case q
N9fionai guardsmen out for ten days field
practice during the summer, but their
continned occupation will inevitably re-
suit In the breaking down OF the command
by diarrloea. dysentery and typhoid fever
2 fractically nothing was done to make the
men comfortable or to remedy the un-
sanitary conditions until they were brought
% the attention OF the secretary OF war
by inspectors sent out from the war depart
ment. Then the camps held for 10 lsng were
abandoned, bit not before the manifesta-
tons OF typhoid infection were rife in them
New sites were carefully selected regi-
mental camps were expanded, company
smEage increased and hoard flooring pro-