Evening star., 1898-09-09

whose approval was necessary before the
goods could be issued. On leaving Camp
.Alger Major Pyles, chief surgeon, had been
informed at the surgeon generals office
In Washington that at Chickamauga a
rully equipped medical supply depot ex-
lsted, and he was ordered not to be uneasy
about supplies. At Camp George H. Thom-
as ne found very poorly supplied depot,
and great amount of effort was neces-
sary to obtain very little. But at this time
frlends OF the regiment in Washington
gave Major Pyles authority to draw on
them Tor assistance, which he gladly did
SO that the regiment was immea sura bIy
benefited by this additional supply. many
articles being furnished that were un-
known to the United States army pharma-
copaeia, and consequently permitted the
surgeons to better relieve the complaints
OF the men, which were now becoming
more numerous
In Shelter Tents
AT Tampa the men were forced to live
Tor some days in their shelter tents, erect
ed upon the white sand there and were
also compelled to drill and perform much
iaborious work. The army ration. with the
neat and the work, now began to make
the troubles of our men more serious and
IL was not unusual for the regiment to have
a SICK report of fifty men, which was con-
sldered quite large. Chills and fever made
their appearance, but a liberal use of uui-
nine Kept this most aggraVating disease in
aDegance. The difficulty in obtaining sup
pnes became greater here and great tact
and perseverance was necessary to get
anything.
One instance will show the policy pur
sued by those whose duty it was to approve
acquisitions for medical supplies ITnon
one requlsiton was placed an order for one
pound OF subnitrate of bismuth a most
.useiul article, and yet one of which it was
supposed the supply would be abundant, as
1t is an article of everyday CONSUMPTION
by the sick. 1t was known that it came in
one pound bottles, and Major Pyles had
been informed by the medical purveyor at
Chlckamauga that all goods were furnished
in original packages" More than one
pound was required.
Limited Supplies.
Major Pyles sent his hospital steward to
the proper officer to have it approved
This officer, as usual, took his pencil and
scratched off or reduced the quantity of
the articles ordered, as he saw fit, and
when he came to the bismuth he scratched
the one pound and made it one-quarter
pound. The steward knew too much of
military rules by this time to protest, so
and hied himself to the medical puryeyor
Here the hospital steward on duty put up
those articles which he found and coming
to the bismuth, said:
What do you want with one-ouarter
pound of bismuth?"
The doctor ordered one pound but COL
- cut 1t to one-quarter pound"
WELL, ;, answered the dispensing steward
III give you the one-Quarter pound, but
I've no use for the other three-quarters of a
pound, as I cannot handle broken pack
ages
Give 1t to me- said the steward.
No." was the answer. Your requisi-
ton calls for one-Quarter pound, and ons-
quarter pound you'll get"
Had 1t not been that the regiment held
q reserve supply of drugs donated by its
friends at home, which supply was further
increased by a second lot, the men must
have suffered much more than they did
The regiment was at this camp deprived
of the services of one of the assistant sur
geons, and many of the men best suited
for hospital assistants were transferred to
form division hospital corps. A month
later DR.. Pyles learned that this assistant
had been sent home with typhoid fever.
His loss to the regiment was greatly felt
Anxious for Action.
The men were anxious for their orders
conveying them to the front and were kent
for days upon a great strain, hourly look
ing forward to the time when they could
escape from the hot sands OF TAMPA.
They did not know what was beyond.
They did not care. They enlisted to f,sht.
and they yearned for g chance to show
their bravery and courage. So when the
order came 1t found every man well enough
to embark for Cuba. Upon their second
day out one Of the men showed signs of
yellow fever. which during the next day
dsvsiopsd into apparently unmistakabie fr-.