Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-11-24
THE MEDICAL CORPS.
Gen. Sternberg Makes His Report
to the War Secretary.
THE SITES OF CERTAIN CAMPS.
The Manner OF Occupation Responsible
for the Spread OF Disease Among tho
TroOps-The Statement About
the Hospitals.

Washington, Nov. 21.-Surgeon Gem
eral George NJ. Sternberg has made
his report to the secretary of war 1t
relates mainly to the work OF the medi-
cal corps during the war. The follow
ing are the more important features of !
the report:
The number OF medical officers TO-! allowed |
by law TO the army, is inadequate In time OF |
peace The insuni 3iency in time OF war was
met by the assignment of over $50 contract |
surgeons The very small proportion Of medi- |
cal officers having experience OF military |
character impaired the efficiency OF the depart
ment at the outset but many OF the stan sur
geons from civil life showed great aptitude for |
the service and speedily became OF value as adj |
ministrative sanitary officers. No provision |
was made for hospital corps men for the vol |
unteer troops except that which empowered |
the secretary OF war to enlist as many privates |
Of the hospital corps as the service may re-
quire The number OF men enlisted and trans |
ferred during the war was approximately 5000 |
Immediately upon the declaration OF war, |
April 81 steps were taken to obtain medical
supplies for the new volunteer army. The |
manufacture was expedited with the utmost |
dispatch On May g. foreseeing that 1t would
be impossible to have ready for issue to the
volunteer regiments Us soon as they were |
mustered in, the necessary articles Of field
equipment, l telegraphed the governors of the
several states for auth GRITTY to use the medical |
equipment Of the national guard In the service
OF The state until our army medical supplies |
were ready for issue Most Of the governors
who had 1eld equipment responded promptly |
and satisfactorily, but unfortunately, many OF
the state medical departments had no such
equipment Meanwhile the officers in charge
OF the medical supply depOts were directed to
mako arrangements so that supplies could be
Immediately obtained for 1901 OO men for six
months.
The sites OF certain OF the camps have been
lnstanced in the newspapers as the cause OF
the sickness which was developed in them, but
n review Of the whole situation shows that 1t
was not the site but the manner Of its occupa-
ton, which must be held responsible for the
manner and spread OF disease among the
troops April %, 1893 foreseeing the likelihood
Of sanitary conditions in the camps, issued
circular No. l. impressing upon medical officers
their responsibility In sanitary matters and
the necessity for strict sanitary policy,
particularly in the care Of the sick
and In the preservation OF the camp area
from contamination. But the necessity of the
military population on the area Of these con-
tracted camps prevented the possibility Of good
sanitary conditions Camps OF this character
may be occupied for week or two at time
without serious results, us in the case OF ma
tionHl guardsmen out for ten days practice
during the summer, but their continued
occupation will inevitably result in the break
ing down of the command by diarrhma, dysen-
terry and typhoid fever
1t wal yphoii fever which broke down the
strength Of the commands generally, the out
break becoming distinctly manifest in July
Sporadic cases appeared in most of the regi-
ments In May and June, these cases having
been brought in many instances from the state
camps. In fact, soma regiments, as the Fiji
teenth Minnesota, suffered more from this dis
case at their state rendezvous than any Of the
regiments in the large federal camp. 1t APP
pears from general review OF the sanitary re-
4 ports already filed that the prevalence OF the
dis ease was proportional to the insanitary
camp conditions which have referred to, The
probability OF its communication to soldiers in
camp through the agency OF flies was pointed
out as q reason for insisting on sanitary po-
lice Of the strctest character
| Earnest efforts were made by medical officers
to have supplies at the front with the troops
! During and after the battle Of Ell Caney and
| San Juan there was an insufliciency OF tents
cots bedding and medicines, due to the causes
stated, but all the hospitals were we'll equipped
! for surgical work. After the equalization Of
Santiago the troops at the front broke down
rapidly under the .fatigues they had under
gone and the malarfS influences to which they
we're exposed; but by this time an ample sup
ply of tents furniture. bedding, clothing ana
medical stores had reached Siboney, together
with corps OF trained nurses and force OF
surgeons who were sent to duty at the yellow
| fever hospital, being immune to the disease.
! Meanwhile to relieve the pressure on the field
hospitals, such convalescents and sick as could
bear the journey were sent to the United States
i /.
measure to relieve the hospitals at Siboney and
permit of the transfer to them Of the men who
we're sick in the regimental camps
| 1t is needless to refer at this time to the com"
plants OF starvation which appeared almost
daily In the newspapers during the occupation
of Camp Wikoff. for 1t is now generally UNDER
stood that the weakness, prostratiOn, an@mia
and emacatlon OF so many of the troops were
| the results Of malarial typhoid and yellow
| fever, from which the army suffered as con-
sequence of It's exposure to climatic influences
and to infections OF Santiago and its neighbour
hood pending and subsequent to the surrender
| of the city.
| Chief surgeons, officers and divisions began
| the organization and equipment of their field
division hospitals and ambulance companies
but they were met at the outset BY the appar-
ent impossibility Of securing men for service
as cooks, nurses, litter bearers ambulance
drivers, transfers, etc.
AS q rule, the hospitals were kept in cam
paigning condition; that is the tents were
neither framed nor hoored, until the increased
prevalence of typhoid fever attracted attention
to their crowded condition, when the object Of
their existence became suddenly changed from
o school for field service to hospital for the
| treatment OF local outbreak of disease Spe-
cal diet Kitchens under the management Of
capable individuals, we're opened at many of
the hospitals Money for this purpose was
sent to them by me from funds contributed and
placed at my disposal Money was also sent
directly by individuals and representatives Of
aid societies. and the Red Cross committees
supplied quantities of Ice and milk, chicken,
eggs lemons, etc