The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-21


lice of the strictest character.
1t is we'll known to the medical pro-
fession that this fever is propagated
by a contaminated water supply, and
it is now recognized that the great
prevalence of this disease in any ag-
gravated form in the camps of the
civil war was due to the use of sur
face and shallow waters infected by
typhoid eXcreta. To prevent the trans
mission by the water supply, I recon-
mended the use of boiled and filtered
water when a pure spring could not be
obtained and to enable an efficient fill
teration of suspected waters to be
male, field filters of approved construc-
/ ton were issued on my recosnmenda-
ton by the quartermaster's depart
ment.
The seriously sick were to be treated
III their division field hospitals, unless
their transfer to a general hospital was
advisable, under the care of the most
experienced physicians and able sur
gems On duty with each division. Med
ical officers left on duty with their reg
lRientS We're to exercise sanitary SUI
pervisiolI over the well men and to de-
| terinine whether a soldier reporting
himself sick should be sent to the
hospital, or that he remain as a trivial
case under treatment in quarters. The
consolidation of the medical force by
divisions. implying as it did the break
ing up CT the regimental hospitals, met
with strong opposition from regi-
mental officers, particularly from those
who were not detailed for special ser
vice Ut the division hospitals.
FIFTH ARMY CORPS.
Long before this corps embarked for
Cuba its field hospitals were in condi-
ton for efficient service. Subsequent
events have rendered valueless these
preparations of the medical depart
ment When the command embarked
or the transport vessels, the baggage
wagons and mules were left behind.
The ambulance trains of all the divi-
sionS, With large part of the outfit
of each Of the hospitals, were also left
behind. ,rhree ambulance wagons were
taken apart and stored on one of the
vessels. These did excellent service at
San Juan and Ell Caney. Ten of the
ambulances of the Third or reserve di-
vision hospitals were subsequently
shipped to Cuba, where they arrived
July and were of value in moving
| the sick and wounded to the hospital
at SiboneY and to the hospital ships
and transports. OF the property and
supplies carried to Cuba, a portion was
not available for service at the time it
was needed, to-wit: On July 1, and
s, when the wounded from FL Caney
front Tor care and treatment. This was
because, in general, no opportunity was
afforded to land the medical property.
Earnest Efforts were made by medical
officers to have supplies at the front
with the troops. During and after the
BATTLES al Ell Caney and San Juan
there was an insufficiency of tents,
cots, bedding and medicines, due to the
| causes stated, but all the hospitals
were well equipped for surgical work.
TROOPS BROKE DOWN.
After the capitulation of Santiago the
! troops at the front broke down rapidly
under the fatigues they had undergone
and the malarial influences to which
| they were exposed; but by this time an
amply supply of tents, furniture, bed
ding, clothing and medical stores had
reached Siboney, together with a corps
of trained nurses and a force of sur
| geons, who were sent to duty at the
| yellow fever hospital, being immune to
the disease. Meanwhile, to relieve the
pressure in the field hospitals, such
convalescents and sick as could bear
the journey were sent to the United
| States on transport vessels. This was
an emergency measure to relieve the
hospitals at Siboney and permit Of the
transfer to them of the men who were
sick in regimental camps. The transfer
troops 10 NlOlllduh
Point was also an emergency measure,
and the great responsibility of eXclud-
ing yellow fever infection from every
transport rested on the medical officers
who had charge of the embarkation.
Had they failed in this duty, the effect
would have been disastrous during the
voyage to the men on shiDboard, and
the risk of importing the disease into
this country would have been greatly
increased.
1t is needless to refer at this time to
the complaints of starvation which ap
peared almost daily in the newspapers
during the occupation of Camp Wikof,
for it is now generally understood that
the weakness. prostration, anaemia
and emaciation of so many of the
troops were the result of malarial, ty-
phoid and yellow fever. from which the
army suffered as a consequence of it's
exposure to the climatic influences and
to the infections of Santiago and its
neighborhood, pending and subsequent
| to the surrender of the city.
IN THE HOME CAMPS.
The method of hospital organization
in these camps was practically the
same, and there was much similarity
in the conditions affecting them and
in their history. Regiments brought
sick men with them, and these required
| immediate care. Provision had to be
made for division hospitals, in view of
future field service. and for regimental
! hospitals, in view of the immediate ne
cessity.
Chief surgeons, officers and divisions
began the organization and equipment
! of their field division hospitals and am
bulance companies, but they were met
at the outset by the apparent impossi-
bility of securing men for service as
cooks, nurses, litter-bearers, ambu-
lance-drivers, teamsters, etc.
AS a result, the hospitals were kept
in campaigning condition-that is, the
tents were neither floored nor framed,
until the increased prevalence of ty-
phoid fever attracted attention to their
crowded condition, when the object of
their existence became suddenly
changed from a school for field service
to a hospital for the treatment of a
local outbreak of disease. Special diet
kitchens. under the management of ca
pable individuals, were opened at most
of the hospitals. Money for this ptIr-
pose was sent to them by men from
funds contributed and placed at my
disposal. Money was also sent directly
by individuals and representatives of
aid societies; and the Red Cross COM
mittees supplied quantities of ice and
milk. chickens, eggs, lemons, etc. Pa
jamas. night-shirts and other articles
of hospital clothing were provided by
the Red Cross and other aid societies.
subsequently, the order authorizing
the Communication of the sick soldiers
ration at 60 cents rendered these hos
pitfalls independent of outside assist
ance.
About July 20 the troops for the in
vasion of Puerto Rico embarked and
sailed. The field hospital accommoda-
ton with this expeditionary force was
ample and the supplies abundant.
ON. THE PACIFIC COAST.