The national Republican., 1861-10-26
RE PORT

General Dix and General Banks, ior Septem
ber, 1851. IA
BY ". J. II. DOUGLASS, ASSOCIATE SECRETARY.
At meeting of the Sanitary Commission, at
the rooms, In Washington, October l6, 1861,
the secretary, in presenting the report Of in
spections for September, for the divisions Of Gen.
DIX and Gen. Banks, observed that the inten.
ton Of the organization of inspectors had been
more completely realized in these divisions
than In any others, mainly because they had
been during the month less in motion. The
Improvement in their sanitary condition since
the inspectors commenced their work 10 them
had been very great, and In many particulars
was known to be the direct result of their ad
vice. After the reading Of the report, 1t was
RESOLVED, That DR.. Douglasss report be
printed for the purpose Of exhibiting to the
public the character of the Information de-
signed to be collected incidentally by the sec.
retaries and inspectors of tho Commission
while engaged in the more important duty Of
directing the attention Of officers TO circum-
stances Of their condition unfavorable to health,
and advise remedies for them.
REPORT.
To F. L. OLNsTED, Secretary of the United
States Sanitary Commission.
Sir: The columns of General Dix and Gen.
eral Banks forming the department to which
| have been detailed by the Commission, com
prise two separate commands, extending from
Annapolis, on the southeast, to Williamsport,
on the northwest-a distance of over 100 miles.
All OF the regiments In General Dlx's column,
stationed at Annapolis and Baltimore have
been visited and reported upon by DR.. Win
slow. Most of those In General Banks's com.
maud, stretching along the Upper Potomac,
have been reported upon by either DR.. L. II.
Steiner or myself
The general hospitals attached to these col.
umns have been frequently visited, and form
the subject of separate report. (Doc. Az
from the various no spitals at Washington has
already been'reported upon to the Commission.
1t has been second time inspected, and found
to be In an improved condition. Most of the
regiments have been visited by myself, either
alone or in company with the inspectors.
The regiments inspected were from Massa
chusetts, New York. Pennsylvania, Indiana
Maryland, Wisconsin, Connecticut, Michigan
Maine, and Minnesota, with batteries from Mas
sachusetts and Rhode Island.
The predominating nativity Of nearly all Of
chiefly Irish, the Nineteenth Massachusetts,
from Boston, and the Second New York State
militia, from the sixth ward of New York City
In three regiments there was about an equal
number Of Irish, Germans and Americans.
The camps were located generally on hill
tops or hill sides. The exceptions were Fif
teenh Massachusetts, volunteers, in Brigadiel
General Stones command, and Nineteenth ant
Twentieth Massachusetts, volunteers in Genera
Lander's brigade. Military consideration
necessitating a position on plain. and 10 tn
last two instances upon clayey coil. Thes
regiments have not been long enough In thei
present location to have any decided effec
resulting therefrom upon the health of tn
men.
The arrangement and condition Of the camp
are mainly in accordance with the army regu
lations. In q few instances only, where th,
land would not permit m ore ample arrange
ment, were they found crowded, and in mos
Of these change was made subsequent to tn,
visit, and probably upon the suggestion of the
inspector. The artificial drainage was will
hardly an exception, quite sufficient, Tn.
camp comprising Brigadier General Lander
brigade, situated on clayey soil, were tho
roughly drained by deep and wide trenches.
As to tents, a great variety are In use. The
common wedge or A tent prevails. A few
regiments have the Sibley, with ventilator =
Second Massachusetts aud Thirteenth Massa
chusetts3 some the Bell and Eldrdge tent
with ventilator at the sides and end-(Twelfth
Massachusetts,, Nineteenth Massachusetts,, Fif
teenth Massachusetts;) and others the Bell ten
without ventllator- Fourth Connecticut and
Fifth Connecticut;) while one regiment had
conical-shaped tent like the Sibley, withou
ventilator at the top, but with q wall at tn.
bottom-(Seventh Maine.) The Sibley and tn,
Bell or Eldridge tent, with ventilators, are th,
best;' and of these two the Sibley is to be pre
ferred. The worst / believe to be the bell
shaped tent without the ventilator, such as art
used by the Fourth and Fifth Connecticut
Fourteen 10 sixteen men can be crowded int,
each of these tents, which soon becomes
source Of infection to its inmates. The wedge
shaped tent is like the latter, close, but canno
contain more than eight men, First Minnesota,
in its most crowded condition. think care
ful collection and tabulaton of statistics upol
the relative subject of tents and typhoid, wOul,
lead 10 come useful results, and would prob
bly, cause Government to pay more attention
to the form or character of the tents supple,
) to the army. The statistics of the army up T.
this time, would hardly be safe criterion upo
which to base judgment, for many Of the sol
diers, during the warm nights Of August, wer
, in the habit of sleeping out of their tents. Th
cool nights of September drove them unde
t cover, and the Ill effects are just beginning t,
show themselves.
8 will, for example, instance the Fifth Cor
necticut which regiment has been in servic
two months, and has badly ventilated tent
the Bell without ventilator. lis quarterly re
port furnishes the following statement Dul
J ing August, there were cases Of typhoi
fever during September, II cases. Ofrubeols
in August, 20 cases; in September, 81 cases
or dysentery in August, cases September
, l6 cases. OF disrrhsa, 1856 cases in August
lS9 cases in September. or acute rheumatisr
l. In August, 8 cases; Al in September The II
crease in September is particularly observabl
, in typhoid fever and acute rheumatism th
first, in great measure due to the close, in
perfectly ventilated tents; the latter, to tn
fatigue of a march or drill, and subsequent e1
posure. Both might be diminished, II not oh
Waited, by proper hygienic measures Bander
n In his work, LA Guerre de Crimee," says
lie plus grand nombre des maladies surtor
o la phthislc tuberculense, ct la fevre typhoid
s 81 frequentes dams l'armee nout pas d'autre