The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-19 00:00:00

THE SICK AND WOUNDED.

new

Colonel Lindsay presents his compliments to the
Editor of the Sun, and requests him to be so good
as to insert the accompanying letter in -his paper.
Sept. 17, 1870.

Wednesday, 7th Sept., 1870,
St. Barbe, N.E. of Metz.
MI DEAR have been so very busy for the last
few days that, although I have had plenty to fill a doze°
letters, I have not written one. The truth is, that the
Johanniters at Pont-h-Mousson were at first misinformed
as to the commencement of the bombardment of Metz,
and seeing from a height some English miles ofi
streaks of fire and smoke just over Metz, it was nattr'
to suppose the Johanniters were right. On being sent,
post-haste to the scene of action, we found it
had been a sanguinary battle, commencing at four one
afternoon, lasting through the night, to twelve or one tb°
next day. We arrived at the above named place last
Friday the day after the battle. The danger of passing
round Metz in this manner can scarcely be imagined. A",
one place one found oneself at the outposts of the Prussian
lines, within gunshot of the balls of Metz. We slept
soundly at a place -one English mile from one of
the forts of Metz. However, we got at last torough Pang°,
to this place. A Pc,nge we were hospitably received
by the General Doctor Darrest, who shewed us over the
Lazarettes, which were clean, but the sickly smell of the
gunshot wounds cannot be well imagined. Of course the
first few days, the wounds being new, is not offensive, but
at the end of the first week each bad wound is almost
enough to breed a pestilence. I must mention that at
this place my fellow-traveller, who has had some coramti"
nication with the society to which I have the honour
to belong. I mean Major Leech, who generously
contributed forty thalers to forty poor fellows who had
lost through their wounds some part of their wearing
apparel in order to help to set them up again. On or"
riving at St. Barbe, the distress for medical assistance
beggars description—men at the point of death lay In
straw in sheds, others with badly broken
limbs, men hopping about, leaning on carts, or
sitting on the wet ground. One of the surgeons
had- 180 poor fellows for his day's portion, gYi
services were most gladly accepted, and the first day I had

about 60 patients to make every arrangement as to room)

&e.: for to set their legs or arms, of course in such dales
the villagers have to put up with a great deal. Fret
these poor families I was compelled to take all but one
room each. It seems hard, but it is of course vastly harder
for those who would otherwise have died on the wet ground•
close to comfortable rooms. My duties begin at half-Pas:
six in the morning, and often at twelve at night I go round

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for the last time to, every single patient. I dress (the
wounds) twice a day with my own hands and as severe
of these sixty have two and some three distinct wounds
each with two openings, you may fancy it is
pretty hard work. On Sunday last' I was sent
to another village • also crowded to excess to
assist at an amputation. A couple of Government
horses were supplied to us, and I was very well receive('
by the authorities, and none the less so as I had severe'
instruments and silver wire, which the surgeons had not.
lam thus, you see, compelled to blow my own trumPet'
which I hope will be excused, as, otherwise, you would hs
kept quite in the dark as to my movements; our fame hes
spread since we came on this charitable mission. To-day
am to have the honour of dining with General Manteuiel.
the commander of one of the divisions of the first Armes
Corps. Firing goes on pretty briskly, but the wounded go
to swell the numbers of our surrounding villages, as we
have quite enough. The number of bad cases under the
care of an "Ober Stabts Arbzt " (Over Staff Surgeon),
who does nothing except at amputations, and two surgeons
and myself • amounted to 195, all of which were
wounded on the 31st of last or the Ist of this month
Of my patients I fear seven will die within the nest
few days their wounds are perfectly diabolical. One 1:00
the whole side of his head taken away; he remains logo'
sible—the brain can be seen pulsating ; another has 9
compound comminuted fracture of the thigh-bone, but
who refused to have his leg amputated ; now it is
too late, and gangrene is rapidly setting in;
another is shot through the abdomen, and on
keep nothing down. Others are shot through the
heart, and are slowly bleeding to death ; at every breath
drop of blood oozes out, at every movement a gush, but
I cannot write more as I must begin my morning's work.
Accept my best thanks for your kindness and that of
the Society, in enabling me to be placed where it
is no bravado to say lam useful. The surgeons here have
all promised me certificates, and one and all press on pie
all the courtesies that one can possibly expect or get In
war.—Believe me, dear sir, yours faithfully,

" BURTON SMITS•„

THE LOSS OF THE CAPTAIN.

Messrs. Laird, the builders of the Captain, have con-
tributed £5OO for the benefit of the families of the crew
Mr, John Laird, M.P- also writes to the papers to state
that a subscription for the same object has been coo;
menced at Birkenhead. He suggests that all money raise"
should be sent to the central committee at Portsmovth,
it can be more abvantageously and judiciously expended
rby gentlemen of such high standing, who can make in-
quiries on the spot into the various cases.
The Army and Noiy Gazette says we must be permitted
to say a few words respecting one who was nearly to
enthusiastic in carrying out Cowper Coles's views 38
was he himself. We allude to Hugh Burg*Yl',°
—the only cherished son of one of England
field-marshals, and who has met his fate in the flower
of his manhood. He was a good sailor and.,
officer, popular without courting popularity, and
will be more missed, professionally and privately, than
any one else probably in the service. Under his corn'
mand everyone (eels that there could have been 11°
neglect. He was on deck to the last giving his seams'!"
like orders withh energy but with coolness, and his read'.
ness and activity were exemplified by the circl
stance that he was one of the few of the whole ship
company who struck out for the launch. We h.av°
arrived at the conclusion without fear of contradiction,
that the fault which led to the terrible event lay with
the ship, and not with him who so ably commanded
her.

The Times says the Captain was lost, beyond all doubt,
because when the force of the gale caught her masts and
forced her to heel over, the lowness of her side afforded
no protection against the sea. Her hurricane deck and
the top weight of her turrets contributed to the disaster.
The heavy masts and the low freeboard, practically speak;
ing, caused the wreck, and neither would have been fats'
without the other.
Speaking of the perils of May and his seventeen coin-
panions after they set out in the pinnace for the shore,
writer on board the Minotaur says :—" The sea running
high, on nearing the land the party mistook some roclie
for houses, and the boat was nearly swamped in bearing
away round the rocks to seek a landing place south of
Cape Finisterre. One man had been washed overboard
from the boat and lost. Finally they landed about noon 115
a small village, where they were kindly treated."
A subscriber of the Broad Arrow suggests that efi
another Captain will certainly replace the ill-fated ship
designed by the lamented Cowper Coles, it would be
graceful tribute to his memory, and only an act 0'
national gratitude, to name the new turret ship the
Cowper Coles instead of the Captain.
Casualties in the combined fleet in the gale off Calr,
Finisterre on the night of the 6th and morning of the nil'
September :—HAL 's ship Captain, foundered, 18 hands
only saved; Minotaur, split fore and main topsails ; Agin-
court, split main and mizen topsails ; Northumberland,
fore topsail and fore topmast staysail blown awa9;
Monarch, main topsail blown away, life buoy blown away'
Bellerophon, main topgallant mast, three topsails, fore'
sail, and fore topmast staysail all went ; Warrior, fore-
sail and fore topsail blown away, and a boat stove ;
Inconstant, main topsail and fore topmast staysail blown
away.

HOLLOWAY'S OINTMENT AND PILLS. —lndisputable Face'
It cannot be too frequently impressed on tha sick that thi
merits of these remedies have been, and are, acknowledged
in both hemispheres, and few would presume to impugg
the experience of the whole world. Testimonials from e,"
parts vouch for their efficiency as curatives. The Oinv
went soon displays its virtues, in overcoming abscesses,
swelling of the joints, enlargement of the glands, entail°.
ous eruptions, sores, ulcers, and in allaying inflammation
and pain in rheumatism and gout. It heals by cleansing
all it comes in contact with, and promotes a sound all
permanent cure. It removes all obstructions to the free
circulation through the minutest vessels, and repairs
mischief by constantly securing pure blood.