Boise Barracks, Idaho 4 troops cavalry
Ft. W.H. Harrison, Montana 4 companies infantry and hdqrs. 1892
Ft. Walla Walla, Washington 4 troops cavalry and hdqrs. 1859
Ft. McKenzie, Sheridan, Wyom. 8 companies infantry & hdqrs. 1898
Ft. Logan H. Roots, Arkansas 4 companies infantry 1892
_VETERANS’ BUREAU CASES TREATED IN MILITARY HOSPITALS_
“Now, with reference to assistance rendered within our own hospitals, in
an interview with the Director of the War Risk Insurance in 1919, I
heard the former Secretary of War say that he considered it an
obligation on the Army to assist in caring for the discharged World War
veterans and that any vacant bed in Army hospitals was always available
for the treatment of these men. To carry out this policy, the Bureau of
War Risk and later the Veterans’ Bureau was from time to time advised by
the Medical Department of the number of available beds in our hospitals
in which we could accept for treatment veterans of the World War. The
number of beds thus offered has varied slightly from time to time, but
has always been on the increase, particularly since last July. Last May
1450 beds were available to the Veterans’ Bureau; in October 1752 beds
were available, and by November 24th 2200 beds were available. The
following brief table gives the exact status on January 5, 1922:
Hospital │Beds as │ Patients in Hospital │ Total │ Vacant
│ signed │ │ Cases │ Beds
│ to │ │ Under │ B.V.B.
│ B.V.B. │ │treatment.│
│ (1) │ │ │
───────────────┼────────┼────────┬────────┬────────┼──────────┼────────
│ │ T. B. │ Neu-P. │ G.M. & │ │
│ │ (2) │ (3 │ S. │ │
│ │ │ │ (4) │ │
───────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼──────────┼────────
Army & Navy │ 150│ 0│ 2│ 85│ 87│ 72
───────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼──────────┼────────
Beaumont │ 200│ 43│ 5│ 18│ 66│ 134
───────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼──────────┼────────
Fitzsimmons │ 600│ 787│ 0│ 74│ 861│ 338
───────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼──────────┼────────
Letterman │ 250│ 7│ 7│ 58│ 72│ 237
───────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼──────────┼────────
Ft. Sam Houston│ 300│ 139│ 11│ 63│ 213│ 87
───────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼──────────┼────────
Walter Reed │ 750│ 26│ 24│ 334│ 384│ 366
───────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼──────────┼────────
TOTAL │ 2250│ 1002│ 49│ 632│ 1683│ 1234
───────────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴──────────┴────────
Within a few days we expect to open up several hundred beds at
Fitzsimmons General Hospital for veterans suffering from tuberculosis.
This last large increase has been made possible by funds transferred by
the Veterans’ Bureau to the War Department for the specific purpose of
enlarging this hospital. When the construction and alteration made
possible by these funds has been completed (and the completion is
expected almost daily) 700 additional beds for the tuberculosis will
have been provided in permanent structures for a little over $1000 per
bed.
In addition to the buildings turned over to the Public Health, which
have already been enumerated, the Medical Department has turned over to
that Service supplies approximating a value of $12,336,000.00. It has
been a source of gratification to the Medical Department, and I am sure
to the War Department, that the Army was in a position to assist in
rendering aid to the American soldier disabled in the World War.
The total number of all cases treated in our general hospitals during
the last year was approximately 30,000; of these 10,000 were local cases
and 20,000 were general cases, and of the latter 15,700 were our own and
4300 pertained to the Veterans’ Bureau.
A brief summary of the Veterans’ Bureau cases treated in our hospitals
may be of interest. Of the 4,300 cases treated during the year (October
1, 1920, to October 1, 1921) 180, or about 4% were suffering from either
nervous or mental conditions; 2195 or about 51% with tuberculosis; 770,
or about 18% with diseases or injuries of the osseous system; 75, or
nearly 2% with heart or vascular diseases, and the remaining 25% was
made up of all other conditions combined.
In addition to this work, much assistance has been rendered in making
physical examinations for that Bureau to determine the right to
compensation or the necessity for hospitalization. Over 2,000 of these
examinations were made during the year, many of which necessitated
admission to hospital for varying periods to permit a thorough survey in
order that correct diagnosis or physical condition might be
established.”
GENERAL SAWYER: “I am sure it must be gratifying to you to obtain a more
intimate knowledge of the conduct of these affairs. I have pleasure in
introducing to you Rear Admiral Edward R. Stitt, Surgeon General of the
United States Navy, who will inform you as to ‘The Navy’s Part in the
Hospitalization of the World War Veterans’.”