Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-11-21
REPORT OF MEDICAL CORPS.
Documen, Submitted 10 the Secretary Of
War.


relates mainly to the work Of the medi-
cal corps during the war. The follow
Ing urc the more important features q
the report:
The number of medical officers. 1872.
allowed by law % the army. Is made
quatc In time Of peace. The lnsuin-
cheney In time Of war was met by the
assignment OF over coo contract sur.
geons. The very small proportion OF
medical officers having experience OF
military character impaired the cf.
hciency Of the department, at the out
set. but many of the stan lurgeons
from civil life showed great aptitude
for the service and speedily became Of
value rs administrative sanitary Of
fccrs.
No provision was made for hospital
corps men for the volunteer troops cx-
ccpt that which empowered The sccre-
cary ~ war to enlist many privales OF
the hospital corps as the service may
require. The number Of men enlisted
ana transferred during the war was
approximately 5000.
The want Of aufiiclenT body Of
trained corps men necessiiatcd the de.
tan OF enlisted men ffom the regiments
for hospital duty In several Of the
camps and the cmpioymer! ~ trained
nurses at che general hospital. over
I 200 female nurses have been employed,
at first at the general hospital und later
at she field division hospitals when II
bcoame evident thnt the Held service
purposes for which she latter had been
organized would have 90 give niicc 10
the imperative need OF caring for tho
many sick men coming from the rugi-
mental camps.
MEDICAL SUPPLY.
Immediately upon the declaration OF
wur. April 2isi, steps were taken to
Oh,ain medical supplies flr the new
volunteer army. The manufacture
expedited with the utmos, dispatch.
On May ard. foreseclng that Il would
be impossible to have ready for issue
20 the volunteer regiments as coon az
Shey were mustered In the necessary
articles Of Held equipment. ! seie.
Efuphed the governors az The several
states for authority 10 use the medical
equipment Of the national guard In
the service " the state until our army
medical supplies We're ready for issue.
MoHi OF the governors who had held
equipment responded promptly and sat-
isfaciorily, bur unfortunately. many "
the state medicG departments had no
such equipment. Meanwhile. The ofi-
GERS In charge 81 the medical supply
| do.pdts were directed TO make arrange
mcfrs 20 that supplies could be lm-
mcdlatcly obtained for 100000 men tor
six months.
whenever the notice wa, received
/ from the adjuiAn;- generate office mat
/ commands were 10 b. moved or camps
formed, endtavpfcd 20 anticipate the
watts OF The troops by tolcEraphlnR 70
the officer In charge Of The nearest sup.
ply depot 90 forward supplies for she
p,atcu number % men.
MEN TOO YOUNG.
In my opinion the reduction Of the
ng. snlt from y ~ ~ yscrH ana IN
/ hlae with which the volunteer rcgi-
merits were organized and mustered M
10 the service We're responsible for
much ~ she sickness which was re-
ported In the early days of the camp
life. Az millwry expcrlerce shows thN
young men under u years break down
| rapldiy under the strain OF war ser.
Vice, and every regimen. had many OF
these youths In It, ranks. Medical ex-
amlners were appointed 10 fef..fy 10
yhc physical condition OF ,ach man pc.
FORE acceptance. but Notwithstanding
This, 50 many men were afterwafd
found on the sick lists OF the camps
unfTt for service. from causes existing
prior " enlistment. thai special ar
engagements had TO be made for ihelr
discharge.
were aggregated " nfsc oai,aps S ,..,y
neaa began 90 increase pfogrcrrIeN
from causes that were ~ general u
| their operation that scarcely rcFi'
m,nt escaped from their harmful Ia
fiurnce. These causes may largely 10
referred 20 iHorance IN che part OF OF
nrers of the principles VI camp saiata'
tom aAd their dudes and rcHponslhlh'
tics a. regards the welfare ~ the en-.
listed men In their commands.
SITES NOT THE CAUSE
The ptes Of certain Of the camps have
been inHtanccd ga the newspapers ~
che cause Of che sickness which was
developed IN them; but . review ~ the
whole situation shows that II was no,
the site, hut the manner Of Its occu-
patton which mur be held responsible
nor shc manner ana spread OF disease
among che troops.
April 20, 1895. fofeseens the llkehhood
Of insanltnry conditions IN the camps,
l ISSUED circular No, l. snpfessins
uIs.n medical officers their rcsTonslblk-
~ In sanitary mGtcrs. and the neees-
rity for strict sanitary policy par
ulcularly In the case ~ sick ana IN
the preservation ~ the camp area from
contamination. hut the necessity OF
the military population ON the area OF
thrHr contracted c'ANilH IFtNfNtNi WV
Possibility NJ good sanitary conditions
Camps OF this character may be oceu-
ped for n week or two at time Win.
Out serious results, Ms IN she case OF
National Guardsmen out nor ten days
practice during the summer, but their
continued occupation will inevitably re-
suit In the breaking down Of the com.
mand by diirrheoea dysen,ery aHi ~
pho,d fever.
DISSIPATION OF THE MEN.
Practically nothing was done 10 make
the men comfortable or 10 remedy iha
unsanltary conditions until these were
brought 60 the httengson Of the secre-
thry Of war by inspectors sent out
ir"n the war department. Then The
camps held for 80 long were ahan
doned, but not before the manlfesla-
lions Of typhoid Infection We're rife IN
them. New stiles We're carefully fe'
leetoi, reglmrniai camps were ca
panded, company tentage Increased and
board flooring provided, Then. for the
hfst time, the troops went ln'p eampi
suitable for continued occupation.
one prominent Cuuse OF the increase
or sickness In the early camps has been
commented upon by only a few az OUT
medical Officers. These cite the pre-
Nhl"nce pf drunkenness and OF vonereal
disease due 10 the facilities and tempta-
non Afforded by the proximity OF oatlei
" the larger camps. They hold that n
we systems NJ the men had not been
Weakened by dissipation they would not