The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-23 00:00:00

ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL COM-

MITTEE --(THIS DAY.)

.r.rrhe ingniry was reriutned. cLiB I

hour.

Tho first witness examined was the Hun. and Rev. Sid-
ney Godolphin Osborne.

In reply to the Chairman, he stated that he went out to
Scutari on his own account, having letters of introduction
from Mr. Sidney Herbert and Lord Clarendon. There
were only two chaplains there, and he (Mr. Osborne) acted
as assistant. He believed that nothing could be worse than
the state of the general hospital at Scutari, and he could
scarcely consider it an hospital in the condition in
"
which he found it. There was no system, and they
were short of a large proportion of everything
that was
wanted for the commonest necessaries. As regarded
medicines, tha chaplain was taken ill with cholera at
dinner ; it was proposed to give him one of the simplest
draughts, but there was no drugs for making it. Dr. Smith
told him he could get no prepared chalk for the patients in
his ward. Amongst the surgical requirements there were
no spirits to be found when wanted for a Russian prisoner
whose leg had been shattered. He had conversed with
Dr. M`Gregor on the state of the hospital, and told
him that he was supplying Miss Nightingale with
everything from the Times fund. Miss Nightingale
having come out under the auspices of the Secretary at
War, Mr. Macdonald, at the request of Miss Nightin-
gale, put a notice in the Times, stating that there was a
want of linen ; but he did not know that lint was wanted.
He could not say that he saw it was wanted by the patients
iu the hospital. He was asked to obtain sponges for ope-
rations. He usod to call upon Miss Nightingale every day
in order to ascertain what she wanted, in order that she
might communicate with Mr. Macdonald. Miss
Nightingale requested him to get her some sponges,
she having only two; and he subsequently sent her
some. There were no operating tables in the hospital, and
he and the surgeon had to assist the sick patients in their
arms during the performance of the operations. He made
objections to all the medical officers, but until the last the
operations were performed in the ward. Subsequently
two officers' tables, which shook very much, were used for
the purpose of operations. There being no head or system
in the hospital be could expect no discipline, and these
were wanting at Scutari. A larger staff and an efficient
responsible head were wanting. There was present
a military officer, the commandant, Major Selery,
who was head of the hospital. That gentleman
did his best ; but, taking such a crowded mass of
wounded without beds, as, for example, after the battle
of Inkerman—everything which was material and physical
was short-handed. After Inkerman he had to get the
sacking off beds, with his coat off, and he assisted in laying
out the wounded men. With a want of material like
this, with such a gigantic establishment, it would be hard
to blame any individual.
The Chairman—Did you see Lord Stratford do Redcliffo
at all ?

Mr. Osborne replied that he did, and informed him that
be had seen Dr. Menzies, who said that nothing was
wanted just as the Secretary at War had said before ho
left England—the fact being that everything was wanted
as the battles of Balaklava and Inkerman were over. Ho
did not consider that there was a proper authority in charge
of the hospitals there. Dr. Menzies was the nominal head,
but he was a head in a state of suspension. (Laughter.)
Dr. Cumming appeared to act as head sometimes, but he
was told he had no authority to act in that capacity.
Things became so bad, that he thought the position given
him by Mr. Sidney Herbert and Lord Clarendon demanded
that ho should attempt to get it remedied en the spot.
There was no improvement with regard to the transport
of the sick before he carne away, but knowing the instruc-
tions given to the Duke of Newcastle's commissioners
he sent to them a letter, in which he embodied all the
grievances existing in the transport ships. The commis-
sioners arrived two days before himself, but they did not
commence operations at once. The commissioners were
Dr. Spence, Dr. Cumming, and Mr. Maxwell, a barrister.
Dr. Spence went up to Balaklava in the Prince, and as he
was drowned there was some delay in filling his place.
They did him (the witness) the honour to ask him if he
would fill the vacancy, but he declined; at the same time,
however, offering to give the best assistance in his power.
The Chairman—Did you see anything of the food sup-
plied to the patients in the hospital?

Mr. Osborne—He had seen meat served out in a raw
state time after time ; and he called Dr. M`Gregor's atten-
tion to the fact. He believed that a great amount of the
deaths which took place were occasioned by the irregular
times at which the food was supplied, and the imperfect
mode in which it was cooked. Men who were brought
from the transport ships, who were not fit to walk ten
yards, were compelled, from want of stretchers, to walk
the whole distance up to the hospital. He attributed
these and other irregularities to a want of system.
The witness was still under examination when this re-
port was despatched.