Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-10-31
The Report Of the Citizens Investigating
Committee on the Military Hospitals.

We have either a wonderful hospital or q
remarkable investigating committee or we
are an extraordinary people. The town is
boiling with indignation meetings over the
mistries Of the sick, wounded and neglected
soldiers at the amphibious Marine Military
Hospital. Some of our "best citizeus'-a
class which seems TO be large-get up and
testify to cases of suffering and horror by
wholesale. But an investigating committee
is appointed, and behold at once there is a
great calml They are unable to hear of a
single complaint, or of any evidence, though
they advertise for it. Singular that an in
vestigatiDg committee should be appointed
without charge to investigate. An in
vestigating committee advertising for a
charge to Investigate, like a doctor aivertis-
ing for diseases is a novelty; however, the
novelty is modified" in some degree by ad-
vertising in way to keep it profound
secret.
Butthe committee are not to be baked by
the want of answers to their advertisement.
So they proceed to classify for themselves
what might be charges The first is rude
treatment of citizens offering aid"
The committee think this can not be
true, because in every interview they had
with Dr. Lindsey he treated them with the
utmost "manlness and civility."
This reminds one Of Mr.. Sgueers, Of Dothe.
boys Hall, who exhibited the sleek condition
of his SOD, little Wackford, as evidence oil the
high feeding enjoyed by the boys at his
academy. "He has the fat of a dozen boys
remarked the excellent Squeers to the clerk,
Newman Noggs, whom, for want of Gus,
toner, he was practicing upon, to keep his
hand in. "More," replied the queer clerk,
'he's got it all; God help the rest" Perhaps
the committee got all the civility.
The chairman of the committee showed in
10 hnx ba n oh tl,oE
condition of the patients was raised Fevers
produce hallucinations. One patient had an
idea that his face had not been washed for a
week OF month. He begged every visitor to
wash his face, and every visitor did carry.
ing awsy the story that the patients had not
been washed for a week or mouth. From
this came the accounts of the neglect and
tlthiness of the patients that so Mortified our
citizens. Fevers also cause loss of memory.
One patient had an idea that he had had no
medicine He begged every visitor for
medicine, declaring he was dying for want
Of it. Every visitor carried away the ac-
count of this pitiful scene as a sample of the
whole. From this arose the horrible ac-
counts of the neglect to administer to the
patients.
Thus all the charges are disposed of, and
at the same it is shown how reasonable
the Indignation of our people was. 1t will
be very reasonable, also, if our citizens
will be satisfied with these wonderful COIN
cidences.
The committee state, from personal inquiry
of the patients, that no one was left more
than half an hour after arrival without treat
ment. Was this, like the charges founded
on the want of-medicine case, and the want
of washing case, generalized from single
instance? Had the patient who was at
tended to so promptly sound memory, or
was it the hallucination of fever2
But this shows remarkable performance
in hospital which has had such extraor-
dinary and unexpected accsssions to the
numbers of its patients. If it can dispose Of
such great emergencies in half an hour,
there really can not be any more to desire.
If this is the case, it hardly shows the neces
sity which the committee assert for addi'
tional aid.
But the report is not all sweetness. 1t cen.
sures the Medical Director for not having
provided additional hospital accommoda-
tions; having first shown that the control of
this matter is entirely with General Mitchell,
who is quite exonerated from blame on
account OF his delicacy toward the Medical
Director.
In their classification of the current COM
plants, the committee do not regard that OF
harsh treatment of the patients, which was
quite prominent before the meeting which
appointed the committee, as of sufficient
consequence to mention. But the medical
man was so manly and civil to the committee.
Really, this committee, absorbed in It's
own Importance and treatment. forcibly re-
minds one of the excellent Mr.. Bundle, the
parish beadle, whose asperity in regard to
the dirty and starved condition of the "paro.
chial orphsns" in the charge of Mrs. Mann
vanished under the influence of hot gin
toddy, administered by that estimable ma,
tron, and together they lamented the ingrat.
itude OF the "parochial' children, who would
complain, although the board had added an
unlimited allowance of water to their Cruel.
After showing such admirable hospita
management, why should the chairman o
the committee desire to have it continued
Has the thing been done so thick that it il
liable to crack, that chronic whitewashinG
committee is required2
Mr.. Editor, know nothing about the hos
pital, except by this report; but l must say
at the close, as at the beginning, that w
have either remarkable hospital, or won
deIful committee, or we are an extraOrd!
| nary people.