The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-02-13

80. That as a result of the action,
/ through generation of contracted and
I contracting methods of administration,
il was impossible for the department
to operate largely. freely and without
undue regard TO cost
''3. That in the absence of a special
corps of inspectors and the apparent in
frequency OF inspections by chief sur
Seons, and of official reports of things
in camp and hospitals, there was not
such investigation of the sanitary con-
ditiOns of the army as is the first duty
imposed upon the department by the
regulations.
Il. That the nursing force during the
months of May, June and July was
neither ample nor efficient, reasons for
which may be found in the lack Of
proper volunteer hospital corps, due TO
the failure of congress to authorize its
establishment and to the non-recOgni-
ton in the beginning of the value Of
women nurses and the extent TO which
their services could be secured.
70. That the demand made upon the
resources of the department in the care
of sick and wounded was very much
greater than had been anticipated, and,
consequently. III like proportion these
demands were imoerfectly met
&c. That pOweTless as the department
was to have supplies transferred from
termediation Of the duartermaSter'
department, it was seriously crippled in
its efforts to fulfill the regulation duty
of furnishing all medical and hospital
supplies
-. That the shortcomings in admin
istratiOn and operation may justly be
attributed in large measure 10 the
hurry and confusion incident 10 the as
sembling OF an army of unframed Of
ficerS and men, ten times larger than
before, for which no preparations in ad-
vance had been or could be made. be-
cause of existing rules and regulations.
IS. That. Notwithstanding all the
manifest errors. of omission rather than
of commission. vast deal of good WORK.
was done by medical officers. high and
low, regular and volunteer, and there
was unusually few deaths among the
wounded and the sick"
Under the head. What is needed by
the medical department in the future
the commission says there should be a
larger force of medical officers: a re-
serve corps of selected trained women
nurses: an increased quantity of medi-
cineS. hospital furniture, etc, to be held
constantly at supply depOts: legislation
giving army surgeons more latitude;
more liberal TRANSFORMATION for conval-
escent soldiers. etc.
ARMY CAMPS.
Camp Thomas, Chickamauga: The
report is TO the effect that Chicka-
manga park is not adapted 10 the ac-
commodatiOn of more than 10000 at a
time On June 80 there were 1855 men
in the camp. The water supply was IN
satisfactory. the water itself reDug-
nant Some of the wells became con-
The sanitation of the.
camp was very imperfect, and, at
times, decidedly bad
The troops were not well located,
many being permitted to camp in the
woods Sinks were not deep enough or
removed from the mems
quarters. Six hundred licenses to ped
dlerS and hucksterS were issued by the
general in the early days
and the grounds swarmed with vendors
Of unwholesome trash. Passes to Chat
tanooga were issued at the rate of from
two to six men per day per company.
This was a fruitful source of injury to
the men. On the whole the camp was
Camp Alger.-The commission finds
that this camp was undesirable and
that it was not abandoned too soon.
Camp Cuba Libre, Jacksonville, Fla
The commission found much in this
camp to commend, but suggested that
Florida is not an ideal climate in which
to camp men during the summer
months.
Fernando, Fla--Charges of corrup-
ton in connection with the location of
this camp were found to be without the
east foundation The conditions there
we're most favorable v
Miami Fla--Thfs ground was select
ID by the major general commanding