The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-26
HOsPITAISN PORTO RICO

| Ponce Aug 11.-Under the mana cement
! of such men as Maus, Riley, Hartsuff,
Sem, and others, our camp hospital sew
| vice has attained a high degree of effi-
cheney. The development of the division
hospital system. supplemented by the regi-
mental servicec, has simplifed and con-
| cecntrated our means and methods of
caring for the sick and injured in our MILL
tary camps. But this has been done
under conditions which were greatly fav-
orable for systematic work. Our NATIONAL
camps present a measure of fixity in their
establishment. They are in touch with
resources. Medicines of any and all kinds
are obtainabie and kind-hearted people
supply the delicacies. Even should the
camp be broken up. the patients may re-
main undisturbed and adequately cared
for, # it prove unsafe or unwise to remove
them to some of our regular military hos
pitfalls, such as that at Atlanta.
But conditions are different in field-hos-
pital service. The field hospital is not in
tended to be much more than atempor-
airy affair at the best. It is practically
only a transfer hospital, TO which sick
and wounded men are sent 10 remain only
until such time as an opportunity is Of
fered for their safe and reasonably com
Portable removal TO a more permanent
establishment II the field hospital be
on foreign soil, the adverse conditions are
greatly increased. The hospital authori-
ties cannot be expected to have any great
degree Of familiarity with the local con-
diuons. They are far removed from gen.
eral resources, and unless they are ade-
quately equipped when leaving home ii IS
wholly safe 10 assume that the causality
list VIII be greatly increased beyond its
normal. II must be admitted that, dur
ing the struggle which now probably be-
comes 'The late war" this suitable pre-
paratory equipment has not been fur
nished. or that Il has been unduIy de-
layed. The surgeons in the field have been
handicapped in their efforts. and evil re-
suits have followed. Tn eSantiago story
has already been told and the reading
public has been made fairly familiar with
the hospital conditions al that point
The campaign il Porto Rico. Il the mill
tary expedition on this island IS called
campaign, presents new features. Thus
far, in spite Of some rather 'spread-eagle'
reports Of battle and conquest, the en-
sagement with the Spanish troops has
been 50 trifiing that they are scarcely
worthy OF mention During the civil war
they would heve been wholly ignored
or dismissed with a brief notice OF the oc-
ourre1ce- All OF the men who have been
wounded. pto the time Of this writing.
could easily have been cared for By three
or four surgeons. VINO would have had
time 70 waste after their work was done
The enemy whsch the hospital corps has
encountered here has been typhoid fever
From its prevalence among certain troops
and its absence from Others i seems Z
wholly correct inference that he DIS
ease wzs brought here from the United
States. and was nor contracted after ar
r.vat. Il appears % be due 20 vars1-s
unSanftary co0dittc-zs existing OF per
nitted II the home camps. and Tor which
TIE usS1cAl department = rot rezporss-