Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-05-10
TYPHUS FEVER
VICTIM TELLS Of
HORRORS ENDURED
Major in British Army Medical
Corps Makes Report on
Conditions Found in Ger
man Detention Camp.

| ther descriptions OF the horrors that
he encountered there. Major Priestly
1t will be remembered, was one Of six
British doctors sent to the Wittenbere
camp by the Germans when. It is al
legged, the German medical staff aban-
doned its post at the camp after the
ityphus broke out. Major Priestly is
| one of the three survivors among
these six British doctors the others
| having succumbed TO the fever.
we were pushed through the bar
| bed wire by the German guards, u
said the major to an Associated
| Press correspondent in describing his
introduction to the Wittenberg camp,
| land instructed to proceed to a GER
tain hut where we found our mat
| tresses on top of q stack Of collins.
ut was dusk when we arrived and
! IT is impossible to give you an ade-
quate impression OF the terrible con-
dition in which we found the camp.
We walked through the compounds to
| No. s, reserved for a hospital, and al
though fifteen thousand prisoners
were crowded into a space of ten and
one-half acres, we might have been
all the notice that was taken of our
progress The men seemed dazed
and apathetic. That night we be-
gan our desperate fight against typhus
! with all of the odds In its favor.
Complicated Oil Only Stlmulant.
"Our only stimulant was camphor-
ated oil which, although slow in ac-
ton, can serve that purpose when
other stimulants are lacking. But
that is only one indication of the
hopeless lack of facilities with which
We were faced from the start The
compound reserved for hospital was
such in name only, as 1t was not only
and sanitary conveniences, but uttr-
ly lacked the most elementary com
forts. There was not a regular bed
in the place and the mattresses were
filthy and uncomfortable. Typhus Is
essentially a filth disease and to COM
bat it successfully cleaning materials
and changes of clothing are prime
necessities. Many of the men had
only the ragged remnants Of their I'M
forms, their great coats having been
lost. or taken from them by the
guards while some had to go about
wrapped in a blanket with strips of
blankets in the place of boots. Soap
had been sent TO the prisoners from
England, but the men were not per-
mitted to receive any Of their pack
ages until Mr.. Gerard, the American
bassador, made his inspection of
the camp after the epidemic was
over.
1.-THE most amazing feature of the
epidemic from the standpoint of d
physician. was the number Of prison.
ers who recovered from the disease.
Their gratitude was pathetic and em-
barrassing as they gave the doctors
so much credit for their recovery, and
the heartbreaking fact was that we
had but little to do with it, for our
facilities were so limited that we
could not give them even the ordin-
ary comforts which fever patients
ought to have. Diet means much in
typhus and the best 7 could give my
patients after receiving certain con-
cessions in response to reiterated re-
quests was three small cups of milk
daily and occasionally some watery
soup for each patient The highest
death rate was among the devoted
men, who volunteered to nurse their
comrades. At the beginning OF the
epidemic there were only three men
of the medical corps in the prison
and their places were soon taken by
inexperienced prisoners, who volun-
teered for the terrible task with the
same cheerfulness and bravery they
would have shown in undertaking any
purely military duty.
"The physical misery and discom-
fort of the camp would have mace IL
a place OF horror without any cpl
demic. Many OF the huts went WITH
out coal for as long as week at
time in the midst of freezing weather
as the coal contractors. knowing there
was no authority within the camp 70
see that proper deliveries were mace
frequently failed to bring any iuei.
The lighting was always Insufficient
and this added to the depression al
WAYS felt in even the best managed
prison camps. The room for recre-
alton was decidedly limited and foot-
balls sent from England to the men
were withheld from them, and u was
not until March that the men were
able to get even the elementary eA-
ercise of kicking a ball about. me
first we got were three sent TO mo
nv Ambassador Gerard. He prom
ised to send these when he visited the
camp and when they failed TO arrive
on time / wrote to him asking why
and very shortly afterwards they ar
rived. / am sure that the delay was
due TO their being held up by the
nrison authorities. When / threw
these footballs to a group OF men
gathered about my hut mad rush
was made for them. and the prisoners
Tor the first time in over a year nad
a chance to indulge in a game OF any
sort. Later the footballs sent from
England we're released, so the men
now get some exercise as well as re-
lief from the deadly monotony OF
crowded camp.
There is but little that can aao