The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-07
SICK At CHICKAMAUGA
MAI. CHARLToN's LETTER IN THE
INDIANA MEDICAL JOURNAL.
Different story from That of the Sem
satiOnalist, Chaplain Carsten-
seminal. Peterson Ill.

The next number of the Indiana Medical
journal will contain an interesting letter
by Maj. Frederick r. Charlton, who was
surgeon of the One-hundred-and-ffty-
eighth Indiana, and its tone is in sharp con-
trast with the yellow criticism of Chaplain
Christensen, Of the same regiment The let
ter, obtained from advance sheets of DIR.
Brayton's well-known medical publication,
is as follows:
In view Of the great concern now being
MANIFESTED with regard to our military hos
pltal service, l feel that a short statement
as 70 the real conditions may not be amss:
- Leaving indianapolis surgeon of the
One- hundred-a nd-fifty-eighth. with DIR. H.
!; Jones flrst assistant surgeon and DR..
raul Barcus second assistant surgeon, we
reached Chickamauga May Is, 1885, The
country was slightly rolling, with an al
most regular alienation Of wooded and
open land. Everywhere were the evidences
OF a limestone formation. with many verti-
cal outcroppings of the strata. In the nee
eSsary trenchings the soil was found to Oe
a clay so impervious to water that colec-
TONS in sinks, ETC., would evaporate rather
than seep away into the subsoil. Owing to
a rocky formation at about the depth of
seven feet, sinks were at that time a prac-
teal impossibility.
On May 25, only a few days after our ar
rival, L was ordered away from the regi-
ment and detailed as division surgeon, hav-
ing charge of the Second Division hospital,
First Army Corps. AT this time there was
partments nor could anything else be ex-
pected. With thousands of troops pouring
IN daily, few of whom were experienced in
the matters of government account. all
eager and questioning as to their individual
duties, 1t is a matter of wonder that the
service was conducted so we'll We were on
the line of a small Southern railroad. Traf-
tic was tremendously congested. The time
had not allowed of the building of switches
and facilities for loading and unloading
cars. For a short time it was a question of
doing the best that could be done until
these faults might be remedied and the
various departments maintained with some
system. saw no instance nor heard of one
where these temporary delays caused either
suffering or hardship.
EARLY in June l was ordered to begin the
formation and organization of the Second
Division, First Army Corps hospital. Police
details. We're made and acquisitions for
Warded asking for the necessary supplies.
These could not always be Immediately had
for the asking, but never was l told to
rustic for myself. The officers at the sup
ply stations were universally courteous.
and particularly Major Comegys, chief
medical purveyor. With certain articles not
at hand, the question would naturally fol-
low, Where can / get them? Whereupon
the reply would likely be, L cannot say
definitely. They have been shipped and as
to them Often the invoices would be
shown. showing date of shipment from
the contractors. This uncertainty was, 1
suspect, in large measure due to inadequate
railroad equipment and an enormous ship
ment of all sorts of supplies.
MEDICAL SUPPLIES AMPLE.
''As time went on these difficulties were
ohviated and delays became fewer and
fewer. The hospital was soon opened, the
regulation United States army hospital
tents being used. These were fioored. The
natural drainage of the site was good. Our
water supply came from distant springs,
being hauled in new, clean, sweet oak bar
rels. Later the Maignen & Birkefeld filters
were added to our equipment, and the ques-
ton of water supply was settled for all the
time we remained in Chickamauga. Food
was always sufficient and of good quality.
on rare occasions the milk supply would be
found sour, leaving US until the following
day short of this one article of diet, which
was invariably made up by soups, broths,
bOuillOnS, etc.
1.-THE medical supplies and surgical out
fits, so far as essentials were concerned
were ample. Men with pet remedies and
hobbies would probably have been disap-
pointed. Flies were present throughout this
great camp in unnumbered millions. but for
this the medical department refuses to as
sumo responsibility. We met this annoy
ance by the use of mosquito nettings. The
success of the measure was not complete
for this reason: Much of this time the
weather was close and sultry to an extreme
In going through the wards these MEETINGS
would be found wadded up and lying on the
foot of the patients cot or on the floor,
with the explanation that it was thought to
be cooler without them. that they sion the
breeze, etc. So in many and Nthe majority
of cases these sick boys chose what little
breeze might be finding its way into their
quarters and famed the flies away, in pref
erence to being covered by a mosquito bar
When we left Chickamauga, it was with
one hundred large, new, unused and I'M
called for mosquito bars
"AS to the criticism of there being too
many autopsies, will say that personally 1
remember of but two, and that there was
a universal feeling that where it could be
dispensed with it should be in considera-
ton of the folks at home. This criticism
is uncalled for, and absolutely cannot be
substantiated. Up to the time of treating
about nine hundred patients, there had been
but fourteen deaths, one of these a broken
neck, another a typhoid hemorrhage that
occurred on the night of the afternoon of
admission, still another of cerebral effusion
where death occurred on the same day.
These are just three of the fourteen that I
happen to recall, and when you consider
the seriousness of the class of cases treated,
the record can stand almost without a chal-
lenge.
inspectors from the medical department
at Washington were frequent In their visits,
and their reports gratifying to the entire
hospital staff. In the ne-hundred-and-fif-
ty-eighth Indiana during the almost five
months. there have been but five deaths,
and this organization of over 800 men,
living under new and perhaps adverse cir
cal and complete change in all their habits
of living. This, believe, will speak for itself.
Instead of indulging in cheap criticism, l
would rather feel the qualification of a
great work accomplished in wonderfully
short time and practically without any