Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-17
Hospital Ships Soon to Leave for
Manila.
WILL CARRY CARGOES OF SUPPLIES
How the Medical Department is
Looking After the Troops.
DELICACIES FOR INVALIDS

The hospital ship Relief, belonging to the
medical department of the army, which re-
Gently arrived at San Francisco with go
sick soldiers aboard, will sail for Manila
about the 2Sth of this month with full
load Of medical supplies and twenty female
nurses. The hospital ship Missouri, which
is now being retitted in New York, will sail
about the end of this month, via Suez, for
Manila. She also Will carry big cargo of
medical supplies and detachment of the
hospital corps, numbering 100 men.
Surgeon General Sternbers, AT the head
of the medical department of the army,
said today that medical officers in the
Philippines and the hospitals at Manila
now have the greatest abundance Of medi-
cines and supplies. Reinforcements of sup
plies are constantly going forward, and the
officers also have ample funds with which
to purchase in Manila anything that might
be neeued III an emergency.
There is a purVeyinS uepCt at Ma Mia, to
which the supplies ale sent, and which dis
tributes them To the regiments III tue ned
and the hospitals. The supplies are bought
in this country by the otncers of the med
ical depots at New York and San Fran
cisco.
There are two large hospitals in Manila
another at the CaViLe arsenal and Il con-
valeScent hospital ON Corregluor Island at
the entrance to Manila bay. In addition,
there are cots and tents in abundance, so
lndl lHe hospital can De expanded
almost Without limit 10 meet any demand
made upon them
The number OF medical officers duty in
the Philippines and under orders to pro-
ceed there for Quty aggregate about 200.
This includes acting assistant surgeons,
who are employed from private life, volun-
teer medical officers and officers OF the reg
u4ar army. The hospital corps consists of
enlisted VINO act as nurses and at
tendants, stretcher bearers etc, and there
is further corps of female trained nurses.
Surgeon General SternDerg says that the
medical service has been adequate at all
times during the Philippine outbreak, and
is being increased to meet the demands
which may naturally be expected from the
increased army III LuzOn. Every regiment
which Will go to the Philippines under the
recent enlistment of men VIII carry its full
complement of medical officers to swell the, j.,
force already on the scene of hostilities.
Recent Requisition.
An idea can be obtained of the amount
of medical supplies required for the troops
in the Philippines from recent requistion
which was made by the ranking medical
officer at Manila and which has been flied.
These were some of the $40 items in the
list: 100000 tablets of quinine, 100000
grains of quinine. 20 tons of EPSON salts.
900 bottles of paregoric, 5000 bottles of
iodoform dressing and 5000 bottles of col
lodium, 5000 bottles of chIoroform and q
800 tins of ether, 5000 bottles OF two kinds
VI DiSuulH, t,NC DOIIleS OF diCOAOl ana lp,
600 quart-bottles of whisky.
The mustard piasteTs are carried in tins
containing each four yards of plaster, and
there were 5000 tins, 1900 yards of
plaster, as we'll as 5000 yards of adhesive
plaster. There were 60o,OO0 compound ca
thartic pills, 1,0G0U0O tablets of strychnine
used as tonic; 100000 tablets of salicy-
late of soda for rheumatism, ZOO tablets
of salOl for typhoid fever.
An Immense quantity Of bandages for
wounded men went in that order. There
were 10000 yards of plain gauze, 5000
yards of unbleached muslin, so 900 steril-
lied bandages, 1000 pounds of absorbent
cotton, $4,000 roller bandages. The order
included 5000 pieces of each kind of crock
cry and cutlery necessary to equip the
hospital tables and 500 lanterns for use in
tents. Other orders will be sent as fast as
requisitions come in.
Food for the Sick.
The commissary branch of the army fur
nishes the food supplies for the sick men
upon requisition of the medical depart
ment. 1t is said that the sick soldiers at
Manila can have every delicacy they want.
An allowance Of 40 cents day made for
each sick soldier. This is for his food
alone; his medicine not being charged to
him. The money allowances of many men
are taken in lump sum, and with it the
surgeon in charge purchases whatever is
necessary for the men under his care.
1t stands to reason, of course, that
man with typhoid, fever, who is allowed
only a little milk, could not his 40
cents day. The balance of his allowance
goes into the general fund, and by it's use
the soldiers who need dainties can have
them. The men are given chickens, milk,
fine canned soups, ginger ale, fresh lamb
and beef good vegetables, when they are
able to eat them, and, in fact, anything
which sick man a convalescent should
have.
The articles which are bought for this
use are supplied to the men at the whole
sale cost price which the government pays
in New York or San Francisco for their
purchase.
The two hospital ships will continue in
service and bring back to New York or
San Francisco men whose condition ne
cessitates their removal to another climate