The San Francisco call., 1898-11-08
NURSES WORKED TO DEATH
OFFICIAL INSoLENCE AND IN
 COMPETENCY.
Water Bad and Food Unfit to Be Fed to Dogs-A Mothers Lament
 Over the Death of Her Boy.
Special Dispatch to The Call.


 in Chicago to-day and immediately be-
 gan the examination of witnesses at the
 Auditorium Hotel.
 Dr. Louis Schooler of Des Moines, Ia.
 was the first witness called. From
 July to July IT pr. Schooler was sta-
 toned at Camp Thomas as camp sur
 geon of the Second Division, Third
 Corps. Questioned by Dr. Connor, he
 said that during the time he was there
 the sanitary condition in the hospital
 was not very good. Sink holes in the
 whole division were bad, owing princi-
 pally to the character of the ground.
 The discipline was rather lax.
 At the opening" said pr. Schooler,
 there was practically no facility for the care of the sick; we were short of
 medicines and had no apparatus by which the stewards could prepare the medicines that we had. The regimental hospitals. all but one or two, were as poorly supplied with medicines as the division hospitals. Acquisitions were made for more, but they were generally disapproyed at the camp headquarters The supply department had certain hours for issuing supplies. and at other times nothing could be obtained. There was a scarcity of beds in the hospitals and practically half our nursing force were sick or in the guardhouse for in- subordination."
 pr. Connor-Why was not a demand made by somebody that better or more nurses should be sent to that place?
 Dr. Schooler-I don't know. I wrote the surgeon general once protesting against the difficulty of securing SUD- plies. Part of the blame rested upon the Quartermaster's department. In the first place the Quartermaster and surgeons could not agree as to the number of tents that we should have. Colonel Lee contended that we were limited to a certain number of tents, seVentee9 l think 1t was, in the begin ming. We afterward prevailed upon him to give us twenty-one. His con- tention was that he could not issue tents beyond the prescribed number. I think he based the number of tents up- on 150 patients, and when the numoerof patients became greater we could not make him understand that we had to have more tents. It was his refusal to increase that number of tents that made the overcroWding. The lack of medicines, the lack of trained nurses and the lack of a sufficient number of surgeons was material difficulty
 Dr. Connor-So far as you know was there on the part of any medical off, cer or surgeon any willful neglect in the care of the sick?
 pr. Schooler-No sir. The great diff ficulty was in obtaining supplies, and think the hitch came between Colonel Hartsuff and the medical supply de- partment.
 In regard to the water supply at the camp Dr. Schooler said he did not think any surgeons in his division con- sidered the water fit to drink And again there were not the facilities at the disposal of the officials to enable them to bring sufficient water
 He gave as his opinion that the medical officers were hampered too much by officers of higher rank. but who had no medical training. In re- gard to division hospitals the doctor said: Il think there should have been hospital at Chattanooga, where a class Of patients could have been taken who were going to be sick any length of time. The division hospital" he continued, lis never intended for cases where patients were going to be sick any length of time."
 When questioned as to the lack of nurses the doctor said he thought both | the nurses as we'll as the doctors were overworked
 Mrs. Virginia F. Betz of Chicago was the next witness. She entered com- | plaint in regard to the death of J her son, Frank M., who enlisted with Com | pany L, First Illinois Volunteers. He was taken sick at Santiago and was | taken to Montauk on the transport | Berlin. From there he was allowed to | go home on furlough when he should nave been Z mt to the hospital. He was sent home entirely unattended and was compelled to ride in a day coach instead of being provided with a berth in a sleeping car. He arrived home September and September 19 he died, |
 Dr. Miles B. Ward of Kansas City. Mo, who was brigade surgeon at Camp Thomas from July 12 to SeDtem- per I2, when asked as to the condition or the hospitals said that there was a great lack of medicines, only the very simplest kinds being on hand.
 The food which was furnished the men, he said, T would not want to give my pet dog. The food would have oeen oe all right had it been properly cooked, but in the shape in which it was brought to the men it was enough to make them sick"
 Dr. Conner-What was the reason that the Second Division hospital of the Third Army Corps had, as 1t cer- lalnly did have, the worst reputation of any hospital during the war?
 Dr. Ward-The first reason. in my Judgment, Is that the hospital had for it's corps surgeon man who never paid any attention to it whatever. His name was Hoff. The next reason is nat the man Tn charge Of the hospital he surgeon, very seldom visited the hospital or paid any attention to it. His name was Jenny. The next reason s that there were not enough doctors It any time to take care of the patients without overworking them and making hem too i'll to get out of bed. The lext reason Is that the nurses were never competent in any sense of the word, but they did the best they could Vhen you consider their ignorance. some of them could not even read. 1off had no respect for individuals. It made no difference what an individual wanted he was only one of thousands. )nce when l was physically exhausted md not able to do the work he said I don't care a for you. sir: you're only one man. You're invalu- Lble in the hospital and I cannot spare rou" But I told himsI was not able md must be relieved for two weeks. II AccEC TurM AT Eo