The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1900-07-05
BRITISH HOSPITAL SCANDAL
THE SCA7HING DENUNCfA7ION OF
BURDET1-COUTTS.
Declares Mon in tho Worst Stages of
Typhoid Were Neslected-stOres and
Sick.

Equipments for Everyone hut tho
Sick.
London, June 27.-Many complaints aud
criticisms have been shOWercu upon the
war office, but no more scathing and prac-
teal denunciation of Its methods has been
written than the letter of Il Times CORE
spondent recently in South Africa published
to-day.
The writer, Mr.. Burdett- Coutts, NJ p,
exposes in detail the inadequacy of the
British army hospital system. In part MS
letter Is as follows:-
'On that night Saturday, the 2Sth of
Apri) hundreds of men to my knowledge
were lying in the worst stages of typhoid
with only a blanket and thin waterproof
sheet mot even the latter for many of
them between their aching bodies and the
hard ground, with no milk and hardly any
medicines.
without linen of any kind, without
single nurse amongst them, with only
few ordinary private soldiers to act as or
derles,' and all with only three doctors to
attend to $50 patients. There were none
of the conditions of forced march about
this. 1t was mile from Bloemfontetn.
which we had occupied for more than six
weeks, during which thousands Of troops
and countless train loads of stores and
equipment of all kinds for everyone but
the sick, had been moving up. convoy
of wounded men were being subjected to
nameleSs torture for want of any ambU-
lance transport or the simplest comforts,
huddled together in rough, ,springless OK
wagons, jolted over spruit and drift for for
ty miles. These are two typical instances
of the state of things here on April Is.
prom morning to night the gloomy pro-
ccssons followed each other across the mar
ket square at slow march, with arms re-
versed bearing shapeless figures sewn up
i'll blankets to unknown crowded graves N
the cemetery on the southern hill, day at
ter day and week after week in ever grow
ing numbers. Already typhoid opened her
deadly wings, and spread them IKE some
mighty vulture over march and camp ana
field and town, from front to base. But
typhoid Is the known 'scourge OF South Al
rica.' The danger was always patent.
Was 1t no ones duty to think, to warn TO
preparei'
Describing Il field hospital at Bloemfon-
TEN, Mr.. Burdett Coutts writes: with no
further equipment than two marques and
a few bell tents, no addition Of stan or any
half were typhoids Their condition was
almost describabe. In many of these tents
there were ten typhoid cases lying closely
packed together, the dying against the con.
Nalescent the man In his crisis pressed
against the man Fastening to it. There was
not room to step between them. Think of
this, you who know the sort of nursing
typhoid patient requires. There was
could have more than one, with water
proof sheet between his body and the
ground. The ground is as hard us stone,
and at night the temperature falls to freez-
ing point. The heat of these tents In the
midday sun was oyerpowering, their doors
sickening. Men lay with their faces Gov
cred with flies in black clusters, too weah
to raise hand to brush them off, trying
In vain to dislodge them by painful witch
ing of the features There was no one to
do 1t for them.
"By what Incredible ignorance of then
current facts, by what Bankruptcy of in
S,trn pp 81 IDiuU@
funeral baker meats permitted to furnish
forth that Ill timed feast cas- the, Reform
club. where the spirit Of congratuation
filled the atmosphere and where nothing
was heard but eloquent and highly author
itative statements that 1T would not he
possible to have anything more complete or
better arranged than the medical service
In this war.
The reputation of England for humanity
had been INDICATED, for all was we'll with
the sick and wounded. SO far as the sick
are concerned there. have been two plaques
in South Africa,--thc plague of blindness
and the plague of whitewash. Whitewash /
can easily he got rid Of but IL allowed to |
remain it doubles the danger of blindness |
when that supervenes.
limit of patients which the army medical |
could deal with etiiciently-say !
$4,000. There had been no sickness to |
ever occurred is. written in history and
carved on n million tomhstones-three sick |
to one wounded. Was there no place for |
reservation MS to the $4,000 and more to |
come, and how they were to be dealt with |
by nm organization suitable to 5000 aud |
already full? Was 1t fair for the British ar
my, was it Just to the british public, TO |
go humping the Tub Of perfection ana TO
began Seventeen orderlles had come |
with, or been asked for, the half section
Of the field hospital; ten had been taken
from It. the number being made up from
the bearer company: but they had other du-
tents faces. At night there were not
enough to prevent those in the delirious
stage from getting up and wandering about |
he camp hnlf naked in the bitter cold In
me tent, where some slept and others lay
With eyes open and staring. case of per-
oraton was grooming out his life huddled
lgainst his neghbor on the ground. Men
lad not only to see, but often to feel others
lie.
at was sad and sickenine spectacle
his which | describe exactly rs my eyes
Jaw It and without exaggeraton or excuse.
leave II and other similar fncts II will be
necessary to relate to the consideration, not
# wives md mothers-we will put them
mt of sght-but Of hard practical men.
accustomed to the hospitals of the poor,
# the medical profession. Of the great nurs-
Dg community, of the whole British public
yho ut the moment when this sight was to
,e seen out here were reading those com
orting words spoken mt Calais on April
G as mn ayant courier of the speeches two
avs later at the Reform club; Nothing
hat provision could suggest or that money
ould purchase was wanting anywhere.
he supply was simply lavish-here every
hing was sent up with the utmost prompt ,
-ude and medical stores and comforts were
lwnys on the spot.