The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-19 00:00:00

AY EVENING, JUNE 19, 1886.

distance from the army, ships should be fitted for the tran-
sport of the sick and wounded.' This application was not
attended b.
" Before the army left England the most experienced pur-
veyors were assembled by order of the Secretary atWar, and
after consultation with the Director-General of the Medical
Department, they drew up a report in regard to the stores
required for the medical treatment of the troops.
" Dr. Smith states that he issued orders to the druggists
for the supply of medicines ; ho made requisitions on the
Ordnance for the hospital stores, and through the Ordnance
to the Admiralty for the supply of medical comforts. The
system pursued as to medical comforts was altered after
Sept., when Dr. Smith provided this supply. Respecting
the hospital stores. Dr. Smith says, that when he had made
his requisition on the Ordnance his duty ended. His office
had no further information on the subject; that he occasion-
ally applied or sent to ascertain what had been dome, but
that this was outstepping the functions of his department.
"The strict economy enforced (luring a long period of
peace, by means of a rigid system of audit and account, may
doubtless, at the first outbre .k of war, have still fettered
Dr. Smith, ES well as otter public servants, who dreaded to
incur responsibility for any expedition, however urgent,
which was not guarded by all the forms and documents
usually required. An excess of caution, in the first in-
stance, led probably to some evils, which a lavish outlay
could not afterwards repair. The letters of the Secretary
at War, read by him in his evide',ce, forcibly illustrate
this observation. In many cases instructions in this mat-
ter might have been useful to public servants, whose expe-
rience was wholly founded on the methole, rightly. insisted
upon during peace.
"THE MEDICAL DEPARTMENT IN THE EAST

"The army, when sent to the east, had a greater num
ber of medical men in proportion to the number of the
troops than ever before accompanied a British army, and
the witnesses generally concur in testifying to their zeal
and efficiency ; many of these were, however, disabled by
sickness before the descent on the Crimea, .so that after
each of the actions, at Alma and Inkerman, some regi-
ments had not the requisite number of medical men. The
ambulances for the conveyance of the sick and wounded
wer
"e too heavy, and ill adapted for their purpose.
The treatment of the sick and wounded in the camp at
Balakiava and Scutari has already formed the subject of a
lengthened report by commissioners specially appointed
for this purpose; further information upon this point will
be found in the evidence already pfesented to the house.
The condition of the tent-hospitals, as clesz.ribed by Mr.
Parker, chaplain to the First Division, was, from the 28th
of November to the 23,1 of January, tho period of his stay
in the Crimea, so wretched and painful to hear, that your
committee gladly avoid repeating thosa deplorable details.
The medical men, it is said, were indefatigable in their
attentions; but so great was tho want of the commonest
necessaries, even of bidding, as well as of medicines and
medical comforts, that they sorrowfully admitted their
services to be of little moil..
" The hospital at Balakiava had an advantage, inasmuch
as it was nearer to the limited supplies which were on
board ship but the uncertainty whether or not Balaklava
could be retained, disconcerted the arrangements of this
hospital, and upon one occasion thepatients were removed.
In regard to its subsequent condition, there is a difference
of opinion, depending probably upon the dates of the
several visits ; but the prevailing testimonfis to the effect
that this hospital was for many weeks in a discreditable
state.
"Allowance must be made for the circumstances in
which the continued possession of Balaklava was held, anti
for the difficulty of establishing a hospital in such build-
in.'s as were found- there. The want of proper orderlies,
the insufficiency of medicines especially of opium; of
medical comforts„ some of which were essential to the
health of the men, and the great want of purveyor's stores,
have been so fully set forth in the report of the commis-
sioners, that your committee deem it superfluous to adduce
further evidence in corroboration of their statements. They
will, therefore, proceed to observe upon

" THE HOSPITALS AT SCUTARI.
" When the army arrived in. the EIA various places
were suggested for hospitals, but Scutari was eventually
decided upon as the fittest for the purpose.
" The sytsetn of regimental hospitals was adopted in the
first instance, and the general hospital was not established
until the army moved to Varna.
" The Duke of Newcastle says that he did not issue any
instructions as to hospitals ; he left that to be executed
by the medical board. Dr. Smith, the director general of
the medical department of the army, says that he had
nothing. to do with these hospitals, and that his interfer-
ence could only have caused confusion. He selected medical
men forihe hospitals, and he sent to the Ordnance a requi-
sition to provide hospital furniture proportioned to the
amount of force, and there his duties ended.
"Your committee, after hearing evidence affirmin3 the
disgraceful state of the hospitals at Scutari, endeavoured
to ascertain by whom the chief authority was exercised,
and on whom the responsibility must rest.
Major Sillery was commandant, and had sole military
charge of all the hospitals. Dr. Menzies was superiuten-
dent of all the hospitals, having immediate charge of the
Turkish Hospital, with Dr. M`Gregor under his orders, in
charge of the Barrack Hospital. Dr. Menzies was Ap-
pointed by Lord Raglan, on the recommendation of Dr.
Dumbreck and Dr. Hall, and remained superintendent
from the 26th of June, 1854, to the 2d of January, 1855.
He alleges that during a portion of this thee he was placed
in an anomalous position, by the arrival, on the 4th of
November, of Dr. Cumining, his superior officer, who had
been sent from England as member of the commission of
inquiry, and to supersede him in his office when the in-
quiry of that commission had been brought to a close.
" When the expedition sailed for the Crimea Major
Sillery gave iustructions to Dr. Menzies, in pursuance, it
is said, of directions through Rear-Admiral Boxer, from
the Duke of Newcastle, repeated by Lieut.-General Sir
George Brown, to report the-accommodation that could
be provided in the hospitals for the sick and wounded who
Might be expected front the first operations of the army ;
Dr. Menzies' report, dated the 7th of August, will be found
in the evidence. Dr. Menzies in this report impresses on
the local military authorities, as Dr. A. Smith had before
done in his letter to the military secretary at the Horse
Guards, the necessity of providing fit transports for the
conveyance of the sick and wounded.
"Dr. Hall, the inspector-general of the army, was sent
by Lord Raglan to iuspect the hospitals in October. He
remained at Scutary about three weeks, and then reported
them to be in as good a state as could be reasonably ex-
pected.' Dr. Menzies repotted periodically to Dr. Hall,
as his official chief. Dr. Menzies, although concurring in
the opinion of Dr. Hall, appears subsequently to have
made several appeals to the commandant and to the pur-
veyor for means of improving the condition of the hospi-
tals ; but either no measures, or no efficient and adequate
measures, seem to have been adopted for the purpose.
"In juetice to Dr. Menzies it must be admitted that he
was engaged in incessant and onerous duties. He was con-
sulted in all difficult surgical cases—he performed the most
serious operations himself. His time was occupied in in-
validing men, ho:ding boards, making monthly returns and
quarterly returns, daily reports and weekly reports; reports
to Dr. Hall, who was satisfied with the hospitals ; reports
to Dr. Smith, who could not interfere ; reports to the
Duke of Newcastle, who was never informed, of the real
state of things. Amid all these labours ho had no time
left for that which should have been his principal duty—
the proper superintendence of these hospitals.
" Dr. Menzies states ' that he was overwhelmed by the
work of the three deputy inspectors when he gave up his
charge,' ` his health being then broken down.' This state-
ment is confirmed by Dr. Dumbreck, who, having heard
Dr. Menzies' evidence, says, `the clashing of responsibility
and confusion that existed in the admiuistration 'of the
hospita s was not crediteble to our system ; we seem to
have fallen into a state of inanition ; we had no purveyors,
no orderlies, no hospital corps. Dr. Menzies I believe to
have been clearly overworked, and put in a position no
man was able to cope with.' -
"The duties of Dr. Menzies was 'further obstructed by a
conflict of authority with the purveyor, who claimed to act
independently, under the instructions of the Secretary at
War. When one purveyor had been pronounced by a me-
dical board unfit for the active duties of his office, and was
about to be removed, he was retained in this responsible
situation by superior authority. All tioubt as to the autho-
rity of the purveyor woald have been removed by proper
instructions from the Secretary at War. These were Lot,
however, Sent until the 11th of November.
" Your committe ;oust declareit to be their opinion that
blame attaches to Dr. Menzies, inasmuch as he did not
report correctly the circutnstauces of the hospital ; he
stated that he wanted nothing in the shape.of stores or
medical comforts at the time when his patients were desti•
tute of the commonest necessaries.
" With this confirmation by Dr.• Dambreck, deputy
inspector-general of hospital's, of the whole testimony re-
lating to this painful subject, your committee are totally
at a loss to comprehend the report of Dr. Hall, more espe-
cially with rog.srd to the Barrack Hospital, the scale of so
much misery and suffering. The Duke of Newcastle states
• that the disgraceful condition of the hospitals was first
brought under his notice in the middle of October.' Dr.
Hall was at Scutari from the 3d to the 23d of that. month.
Dr. Hall's report seems to have misled both Lora Raglan
and the Government at home, awl' to have occasioned
much delay in measures taken afterwards for the remedy
of the evils, which might have been arrested earlier in
their progress.
"The office of purveyor had been,, with four exceptions,
discontinued for many years, and there was difficulty in
finding a-person competent to perform these duties. The
selection of Mr. Ward for this post was not fortunate ;
among other proofs of his unfitness, it appears that when
an inquiry was instituted into the amount of the pdrvey-
or's stores, no account could be produced of any stores
later than the end of August. When it is remembered
that the insufficiency or these stores was a source of much
suffering, if not of more fatal results, it must be observed
that heavy .'responsibility attaches to the commander-in-
chief of the forces, who, acting on the representation of
the quartermaster-general, retained Mr. Ward in his office
after he had been pronounced unfit to discharge its duties.
The Secretary at War had said, There can be no objec-
tion to try Mr. Ward, as I will promise, if he is not effi-
cient, we will remove him.' When, however, the appoint-
ment had been made the commander of the forces had the
sole authority, and overruled the decision of the medical
board.• The appointment of Mr. Wreford, who was sent out
as purveyor
.in chief, did not remove those difficulties.
The distinct duties of Mr. Wreford and Mr. Wardi
waswere
increasednot understood
bynew
by
uncertainty.theso off ce rs ,
3ainr.
.d
Maxwell,the confusion
he
ee
commissioner, who was sent to inquire, seems to ha
two
returned undecided in opinion as to which of these
officers was answerable for the supply of stores.
" The apothecary's department at Scutari
better condition. His store was the
aware under
only for the hospitals, but for the army ,
usie an entry
he had no account of his stores, and never t
t the 28th of
in his books from the 11th of September
under what
depot,ru aasst ; in
yetnnc rot
November. Your committee are not
admitsinstructtihoants
suchhe was
absuat
gross
roGovernment had been
It is, moreover, manifest that thetel
stores, since Mr. S.
o n actingdne conduct w;
There
hf
oe
rr
ee
deceived in regard to these hospital athesslattateSreelcieretit:nryonftdWutyar.
ogfo nCeo Int
hmroonu sal
hava Herbertb ebeen
nh hadl
statedmanner
to
eds.bee
necessary for the purposes of a
these stores could bo issued. "With plenty of materials,
cl that
It is now proved if there were
thoforinvisthwteirieo sroapciudnirtbyronuesctsh.at. they never could be pro-
duced '
military hospital.'
t'ng the sufferings o t e patients, there
tal, and aggreva
protect the
cumbrous forms inconveniencing thefserhvice of the hospi-
t least no forms topublic purse against
were a
negligence or peculation. The distress in these hospitals
world
if
11avebeen more severe, and the sufferings more
acute, private charity had not stopped in to redress
the evils of official mismanagement. Assistance which
had been discouraged as superfluous was eventually found
to be eseential for the lives of the patients.
" When the quantities of hospital stores which were sent
from England are contrasted with the scarcity, or rather
the absolute dearth of them at Scutari, and when the state
of the purveyor's accounts is remembered, it is impossible
not to harbour a suspicion that some dishonesty has been
practised in regard to these stores. From the returns in
the appendix it appears that before the 24th of July 5,717
bedsteads,
sde;o9o,oolliOnbenedasnadini
flannelpailla sssehsi,r7ts,l4o complete hospital
d
tion of other articles; and utensils of ; withdldcs a full
. crirtporopweorre-