The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1902-07-03

with instructions to see that he was ac-
tually placed on the bunk and not to leave
until he was certain the man was properly
cared for. This custom | followed to the
end, though things became very much
better after q time.
The difficulty, as l was given to under
stand by a Surgeon, was that the policy
of the Chief Surgeon was to save all the
expense possible. He would not buy
things needed, because somewhere in the
stores not yet accessible those things eX
listed already in stock. 1t was another
case of consolidated reports against actual
conditions, and the consolidated reports
won the day. The reports showed that
these things were on hand-cots, lights,
oil, erything-somewhere in the holds
Of transports; therefore they should not be
bought.
l have referred to the utterly filthy and
disease-breeding condition of the Quartet
de Espana when the Oregons took pos
session. The Surgeon of the regiment
went to headquarters and reported its con-
dition and made request for chloride Of
lime to disinfect the fostering area of sew
eral acres. He was told he might have 10
pounds, an insignificant fraction of what
he desired, being told that the Government
could not stand the expense.
When the popular Indignation was
| aroused little later in the United States
by the disclosures of the weakness and in
capacity of the Medical Department in
Cuba, instructions were cabled to the
Philippines, so l was informed by one who
claimed to know. to spare no expense in
the hospital service and see that no new
scandals or cause for popular indignation
was given. Whether this is true or not,
| there came a great and sudden change
about that time in the policy of the De
partment in Manila, and from that time
| on there was no expense spared to make
th.. fnl
| Die, with the exception that this Depart
ment, like all the others, made no special
| preparation for the war that broke out
with Aguinaldo, and was caught entirely
unprepared to handle large number Of
wounded men, having but one operating
table in the receiving ward.
1t was at this early period Of inefcency
of the hospitals and while at Cavite that
found use for special sum of money
that had been intrusted to me as an 'emer-
| gency fund" The patriotic and loving
| women of Oregon formed, Immediately
| upon the breaking out of the war, the
Oregon Emergency Corps, subsequently a
| branch of the Red Cross Society, and from
various sources, chiefly from a dress pa
rade given by the regiment, raised enough
money to give each company 500 to be
used for the benefit of the men when
needed.
| / spent n little of this in San Francisco
| to buy fresh meat and vegetables for the
company when we We're living on timed
goods and bacon while in the midst of
plenty. / also bought large supply of
tobacco, because the men had no money
with which TO supply themselves for the
voyage, but this was charged up to them
and the money collected and returned to
the fund on the first pay day.
At Cavitc l bought for the sick of the
company canned soups, jeilies and such
] things as the Sales Department of the
Commissary carried in stock after it was
| opened and few things from
the market for the company at large. |
remember We had very sick man, typhoid
fever having run him down, and there was
nothing nourishing he could eat. There
was no beef extract to be had in the Com
mlssary department, and the little the
Surgeon had started with had been used
up long before. ] made Il skirmiSb of
every store in Cavite, and at last | dis
covered III d sort Of drug store lust one
little jar of a beef extract put up in Eng
land. II was the only one to be had, and
l paid So for it. / also found about two
pounds of tapioca in little shop and paid
good round price for it. There was joy
IN the slck-room when these things ar
rived, and the man always declared that il
was only this that saved his life.
PROSPECTING FOR MILK.
|
to be had for the sick. In the Commits
sary there was to be had sweetened CON
densed milk. This was well enough for
US TO use in our coffee, and we bought il
FOR that purpose, but the sick did not like
It,. l had young Filipino muchacho who
reloiced in the name of Juan, rather
bright but dark-skinned fellow, whose duty
IL was to sweep out quarters, get the mess
Tor SIX of us, smoke cgarets, and sleep
de learned little English in a few DAYS
ana also LEARNED little Spanish, and /
managed to ask him if it were possible to
get any fresh milk. He said it was. and
mat he knew a man who could supply it.
impressed him with the fact, so ftbompht
that L must see that man Immediately and
to go for him. He went, but | did NOT
see the man till the next day, when Juan
came IN and said the milkman was wait
| ing outside, as indeed l found him ma
tiently squatting near the gate.
made deal with him to bring me a
quart OF milk every day for half a dollar.