The Pennsylvania packet, or, The general advertiser — Lancaster, Pa.;Philadelphia, Pa., 1779-06-24 00:00:00, page 2

DOCTOR MORGANA Vindication.
(Continued from la, Saturday's Paper.)
SECONDLY, I found the Hospital and Army with
) out medicines and necessary stores for the sick, but by
toy personal application an ample collection of both was
made.
To obtain an idea of the quantity of medicines in the
store of the General Hospital, at my arrival, exclusive of
those I ordered with me to Cambridge, I directed a re
turn to be made, which was accordingly done, and which
I now lay before you, fignfd by Andrew Craigie, Apothe
cary, December z, 1775. The number of medicinal ar
ticles include therein, amounted to one hundred and
twenty, of which many were useless, or in little demand,
and of no value ; and many, especially of the articles in
most demand, were but in very small quantities.
And firft, the articles in largest quantity were as fol
lows;
lb-
Of Aloes, 15
Jesuits Bark, 5^
Pearl Barley,'l2
ILapis Calaminaris, 44
Camomile Flowers, . 24
Cream of Tartar, 18
Ginger, 64
Gum Ammoniac, damaged, 44
juniper Berries,' 20
Manna, 27
Nitre, 16
Oil of Vitriol, 29
Bad Rhubarb, 86
Purging Salts,' 76
Snake Root, 62
S^go, 12
Ciftile Soap, 11
The weight of the above articles, few as they are, ex
ceeded that of all the other medicines in the General Hos
pital taken together.
The following articles, every person the r eaft conversant
with medicine, will allow, are of essential use in a milita
ry Hospital. The quantities of these were in general so
small, that except two of them, viz. the Flies and Qiick
filver, which are not in anygreat quantity, there was little
more than a fufficiency of them for one good regimental
medicine chert ; and of some of them, not a Efficiency for
even one.
These articles and the quantities were thus given in.
Of Alom, I pound,
Balsam Copaivi, 4 ounces,
Camphor, 1 pound,
Spanish Flys, 8
Gum Arabic, 12
G. Guajac, 4
Jalap, 5
Ipecacuanha, 1
Liquorice Stick; 5
Magnesia, 12
Oil,of Aniseed, 1-2
Oil of Amber, 1 ounce,
, Oil of Mint, 5 ounces,
Ouickfilver, 5 pounds,
Tartar Emetic, 1-3
, And these to supply an army of twenty thousand men !
Of Spirits of Nitre, or any kinds of volatile Salts, and
some other articles of the like essential use, there was not
any in the whole flock of the General Hospital.
The quantity of Spices, and the Cordial-waters were as
follows:
Of Nutmegs, 3-4 of a lb.
Cloves, 13 lb.
Mace, 5
Cordial-Waters, none of any kind.
Of Beds, Bed-Furniture and Blankets.
The blankets were brought in by the sick men, and car
ried out with them when they recovered. Of sheets, none,
or but very few: and of straw-beds, scarcely a Efficien
cy for about 500 patients that were at that time in the dif
ferent Hospitals.
In the whole of the General Hospital I did not find a
bove two hundred bandages, and but few dreffiags, or
materials for dressing of any kind.
In the Army. His Excellency General Washing
ton, on my representations to him for that purpose, gave
out in orders, February 25, 1% 6, that every Regiment
al Surgeon at Cambridge, should deliver a report to the
Director General, of whatever instruments, bandages,
dressings and implements of Surgery, and of whatever me
dicines he had on hand, in order to difeover the Rate of
supplies.
From the particular reports of twenty four battalions, I
drew up he general return now before you, and present
ed to the Commander in Chief, from which it is seen, that,
in those twenty-four battalions, were found fix sets of am
putating instruments, only two pocket cases of common
incision knives, and but three sets of lancets in the whole,
all private property.
In two battalions only were found a good assortment of
medicines : In the remaining twenty-two, none, or only
in a very small quantity ; for the truth of this I now sub
mit t@ your examination the original reports of each, from
which I drew up and presented one general return to his
Excellency, March 3, 1776.
Can any thing convey an idea of greater deficiency of
Hospital stores!
Doctors Ridgely and Crosby in their joint certificate
teftify : 'That when Dr. Morgan arrived in Camp, there
' were but fewbandages or J ^ngs for wounded men, in
' case there bad been a general iXio.n ; that he forthwith
: « applied himfelf to remedy that defeat, and by means of
' his public advertisements, and fending round the coun
* try, prodigious quantities of old linen, carded tow,
' flax, tape, webbing, and other articles were sent into
«the Hospitals by charitable persons, that could not easily
* have been procured for money ; that by Dr. Morgan's
1 orders to the Surgeons of the Hospitals, whenever the
* Mates could be spared from the immediate bufinefs,ofat
' tending upon the sick, they were employed in making
' up rollers, bandages, compresses and tourniquets, for
* flopping the effufions of blood from wounded arteries,
' and other implements of Surgery ; that, in cohfequence
6 they made at least near ten the ufand bandages, and some
' hundred tourniquets, so as not only to supply the Gene
' ral Hospital very plentifully, but to issue a Efficient
* number, besides old Eeefs, lint and tow, for every Re
' gimental Surgeon in the army at New-Yoik, which
' were delivered with their medicine chests, when called
' for ; —that at the evacuation of Boston, in March, 1776,
< all the Mites of the Hospital, that could be spared from
' Cambridge, and the fubferibers amongst the rest, were
' employed in packing up and fending off drugs, medi
' cines, and other Hospital stores, collc-Xtd by order of
' pi. Morgan in that town, the quantity of which appears
'edtous to be amazingly great, and that the Quarter
' Master of the Hospital, under Dr. Morgan's direction,
' with some Assistants, were also busily employed in col-,
' leXing rugs, blankets, beds, pillows and cases; that'
' we have been informed that the number thus brought in
' to the General Hospital, including every kind, amount
'ed to betwixt eight and ten thousand; that they were
' carefully packed up, and sent with the drugs and medi
' cines to New # -York by divisions, under care of the Sur
' geons and Mates of the Hospital; the transportation of
' which stores, we believe, employed about fifty waggons ;
' that by Dr. Morgan's orders it was part of the duty of
' the Hospital Mates, to give their assistance in the medi
' cinal store, in helping the Apothecary and Mate to
' make up regimental chests for the Surgeons of regiments,
' till some other method of Applying them, should bea
' dopted by Congress; that in packing and unpacking
' Hospital stores, and in supplying regimental chests, a
' great portion of time was employed by the Mates of the
' Hospital in general ; that to our knowledge a confider
' able number of regimental chests of medicines were sent
' from the General Hospital at New- York, to Lake George
' and the Northern Department, and in particularin the
' beginning of September, 1776, alarge quantity of me
-4 dicines was put up, and sent to Ticonderoga, under the
' care of Mr. Vickers, one of the Hospital Mates ; that a
' number of bales of sheets, amounting by eßimation to
' two thousand, and some hundreds of made up fliirts,
6 with a large quantity of lint and tow, were brought in
' to the Genera! Hospital at New- York, besides a variety
' of chirurgical implements Eid Hospital articles, for the
'ufe of the sick and wounded ; who were always well ac
' commodated and taken care of in the Hospitals under
' Dr. Morgan's direction, where we had an opportunity
' of feeing.
'EBENEZER CROSBY, ) Hospital
'FREDERICK RIDGELY." )Surgeons.
From the above it appears, that of the stores belonging
to the British troops at Boston, &c. I snatched from de
ftruflion or private appropriation, ten thousand blankets,
rugs, bed cases, pillows and sheets, federal hundred new
fliirts, as I also did a large quantity of splints, lent, tow
and other materials for dressings. Eefides those, from the
lifts I now lav before you it will appear, that I purchased
and procured to be sent from Salem, New-York and Phi
ladelphia, as well as Boston, other large supplies of medi
cines, &c. In the lift from Philadelphia, forexample, are
3©lb. of Camphor, 10 pounds of Ipeca.cuanah, 71b. of
Opium, 501 b. of Quicklilver, 4olb. of Jalap, 681 b. of Man
na, 186 pounds of Nitre, zoolb. of Cream of Tartar, 269
pounds of Bark, and so in proportion of other the like im
portant articles, brought to the General Hospital at New
ark, by Mr. Binney, whorfy I sent to Philadelphia on that
errand ; —that I turnifhed 50 regimental chests compleat
with medicines and dressings to the regiments at Boston
and New-York, besides twenty chests sent to the North
ern D partment and Lake George ; and a second large
supply to Ticonderoga, in September, is also manifeft
from the vouchers now before you. And besides those sup
plies, I furnifhed all the medicines expended in the Gene
ral Hospitals at New- York, the. Bowery, Long Island,
Kings Bridge, Newark, Hackinfack, Stamferd and Nor
walk ; all that were sent from New-York to Stanford,
for preservation from falling into the enemy's hands ; and
all the flock to which Dr. Shippen succeeded at Newark
and Bethlehem, amongst which was the chief part of what
I got from Philadelphia, and what I saved at the evacua
tion of New-York; and lastly what I delivered to the
care of Dr. Isaac Ledyard, Apothecary General, on the
east fide of Hudfop's river, at the time of my dimiffion,
according to the lift of, and receipt for the fame, also laid
before you.
From all which it appears that the General Hospital was
so amply supplied, during my Dire&orfhip, that I was able
to spare seventy chests and upwards to Regimental Sur
geons, who were not the proper objects of my care, and
yet leave all the Hospitals under my charge abundantly
furnifhed.
Under the third bead of vindication is contained an ac
count of expenditures tn the General Hospital Department,
for thefir, eighteen months, compared with the enormous
and almost incredible expences, during a like space of time
face, under the present Direflor General, from whence no
person need be at any great loss to difeo ver one princpial
cause of the amazing, rapid, and deftruEiive depreciation
of our currency, to be the exorbitant sums oj money entrufled
into the hands of afervant of ibk public, without providing
any check to secure against fraud, peculation or mifapplica
tion of public money ; especially if it should turn out upon a
careful inquiry, that unflead of confining himfelf to the busi
ness of his important fation he has tut ned speculator, and
amassed a private fortune for himfelf, without ever fettling
his accompts, tbo' he has long fhce, and often, been called
uponfor that purpose.
( To be continued. )
For the PENNSYLVANIA PACKET.
TO extend our views beyond the present moment, and
have our minds prepared for events which must
foon^r or later take place, is as prudent and necessary as
to attend to the cirevmflances of the present hour. The
conducing of the war is, it is true, the object of our more
immediate attention. But a peace must one day or other
succeed ; and it will depend altogether on the terms which
shall then be made, whether the lives which have been
nobly facrificed, and the millions which have been gene
rously expended, shall ensure future happiness, freedom
and security to these States. In our firft negotiations in
Europe, we have happily connected ourselves with a power
willing and determined to stipulate equal, fafe and honora
ble terms. The Monarch of France has entitled himfelf
to the character of the protestor of the rights of mankind,
not more by undertaking to defend America from British
oppression, than by laying the foundation in his treaty
with her, for the deriving t@ every other power equal
and reciprocal benefits. With fefpea to Great Britain,
a negotiation will be more delicate and more dangerous.
Whatever we shall obtain, the will seem to Idfe; every
concession on her part will affed the pride of that proudest
nation on earth. There are, however, some points which
cannot be forgot in a treaty, but must be most explicitly
fixed, otherwise independency will be bint a name to us,
and the sovereignty of these States but a Shadow. Of
these I fliall now mention, the free right of fifhing on the
banks of Newfoundland. The importance of this fifhery
is great. Our right to enjoy it is and ought to be made
inconteflible.' If there can be any supposed property in
the fifties of the sea, or any right to the emoluments of the
ocean, that property and those rights must be inverted in
the inhabitants of America ; for those fifrh swim on our
fllores, and that ocean washes our coarts. But uelefs we
have that right expreflly and unambiguously declared in
terms which can admit of no explanation, Britain will tell
us hereafter that she difeovered and used that fifhery be
fore we were a people. She will proudly claim the domi
nion of the seas, and deny us that food and those inmenfe
advantages which the God of Nature has annexed to this
Continent.
The importance of this fifhery is, in some measure, un
derßood ; but it is not easy to obtain an adequate view
of it. At this instant we feel the eff^s of that share
which our brethren of New-England have enjoyed here
tofore. It is with the men who used to nfh on the Banks
that the trade and piracies of our e^emy are so much an
noyed ; it is by them so many captures are made and dai
ly carried into the Eartern ports : And it will be by their
assistance only that we can have the least solid foundation
to hope for security and peace to this country. It was
from a forefight of this that the British Minifiry very
early in the present contest iuterdi&ed to the people of
New-England the use of the fifhery ; and not barely from
an impulse of unmeaning pifhon, as some have supposed.
The filling voyages are short and require many hands.
A small schooner, lam told, will carry out twelve to fif
teen. The employ makes the man hardy, strong and
adive. Hence we have an amazing nursery of seamen;
they acquire an idea of property and attachment to the
country, because they are interested by Shares in the
voyage, by which they are enabled to maintain families
on ihore, and spend considerable part of their time on
shore in curing their fifh. These circumstances make
them good citizens, and the reverse of ftilors employed in
other voyages.
With a long extended sea coast, and in carrying on an
extensive commerce and dirtant voyages, a navy only can
make us refpedable, and fafe from insults and injuries.
A navy may preserve ?c in perpetual peace, and free from
the horrors and expences of frequent wars, better than any
military force on shore can do. Having no particular
connexions with any one power, but allied and friendly to
all on terms of reciprocity and mutual advantage, the on
ly objeX of the ambition of these States can be to render
this country as free and happy as possible. The ocean
appears to be designed by nature, to bound our wants, and
as a barrier against all the world' besides. A navy is the
natural and only defence of that barrier, and the fifheries
must be the nursery and fupp®rt of that navy.
Those powers of Europe, who have in later times made
the greatest figure at sea, have owed it greatly to their
fifheries. Holland, without having any thing from her
lands to export, has established herfelf as one of the most
important commercial powers in a great means by im
mense fiflieries. Britain; by improving her fiflieritj on
her own coafls and in other parts, has long claimed to be
mistress of the seas. France was later in attending to this
great source of power and wealth, and could not contest
the pre-eminence of Britain on the waters till her (pojeXs
became fifhermen. After that, her contentions with Bri
tain, on what was called Britain's own element, were re
fp^able.
In short, whatever is obtained from the water, is as so
much clear gain. The preparations for procuring it em
ploy many hands on shore, and the persons immediately
engaged in procuring it, are a source of strength incon
ceivable, and not interfering with the culture of the field.
They will man your fleets and fight your battles at a
distance from your families and your dwellings, and, hav
ing put you in security, will return aghin to their employ,
and be ufeful in adding to the riches and strength of the
country they protested.
The situation of this country makes the fiflieries especi
ally important. The southern and middle States have
staple commodities which other nations require. Their
indigo, rice, tobacco, hemp and flour, are and will be
commanding articles of export. The eastern States depend
on the fiflieries for the most valuable part of their foreign
trade. Nature seems to have denied them, as it has other
northern countries, even bread for their support fr>m the
land, that they might be driven to improve the advan
tages of the sea. This they have wifely observed ; and
have been ever fatisfied to depend on the other States
for flour and bread, rather than employ their people in
the more laborious and less promising business of tillage.
This good policy they will doubtless pursue, should the
great article of,the fifhery be established by treaty on a se
cure footing. Hence the fifhery will form not only the
grand security of these States against foreign powers, but
be the great means of connecting in interest and cementing
them to each other. The eastern States, which from their
situation will more naturally, and from their circum
stances more necessarily, be driven to the fifheries, will
depend on their southern neighbours for provisions for
their fifhermen, tl^ir circuitous voyages and home con
sumption, and for far and hemp, and iron for their vessels,
and the whole union will feel much of its security and
strength in them.
Besides, the interest which these States themselves have
to enjoy the free right of the fifhery, something is cer
tainly due to our present and future allies in Europe, and
to the principles on which we have profeffed to conduX
the prefect contest, France, Spain, and several other na
tions in Europe, depend much on the American fifhery.
It is clearly their interest, not barely with a view to lessen
the importance of the Britifli nation, but for their own
more immediate advantage that so great a branch of com
merce and strength should not be left confined. It is their
interest to take the fifh they consume from the Americans,
because the Americans can supply cheaper, and by sup
plying them with fifh, will be enabled and induced to take
more of their goods in return. France has, it is true,
beea able in some measure to supply her own demands for