, 1861-06-20
HOSPITALS AT CAIRO.
letter from Rev. w. III. Ryder. PsAtor
OF st. PouIss church.

portion Of nv time wbt,a +bara v,. -
fo nm erantno,,o,, oethn ras-Sa.1. ''lo'
-. ''A1'4eA " 1ae Aoeln1as, ono 10 COL
neuu9 tac's - 70 thelr condition aud needs
| hensfor, "a 4, tha -..s,,.,. e ~.
n rS-. 80 :" ae PROVISION Haoe al tna1 POM
tof tne tlcs, and no email measure Of anxiety
as to Lwhat has become of tbs numerous ar
| tlcles cent forwnrd With vonr ner,n,ssfon I
~, r,saa ,ona" .S.", n1.n yon ",-n pesou ~ ~
VIII place before your readers some OF the
results Of my observations, with snch facta
! and suggestions AZ seem important
M CO.. - -. 49, ~,..Ss,...-.,
Ane .oo' " ~ aae nlseappfeneaslon II TO
gard to the Cairo hospital question, lies In the
| general impression that there Is but one hospf.
fa1 at that military noet. wba,aaa. - +~.st
49,. -. -. - ' ~ - -. o.i' -
Iusle @e s<se.~nN y. Ga1so anu one At BIRDS
Poinf, on the M18sour1 &ide Of the Mississippi,
Ofthese seyen hospitals one is State institu.
tion, under the control Of Br,pade anr,ao,, .
.t,,a ntter ~ ors r. . ,s...,-..s ouieeon J
connected with each Of the several regiments,
I under the control of as many ditFarent
rsgimentd surgeons, and have no necessary
connection with each other, or the flst Of
there hospitals, Dr. Sim and DR.. Haven Of this
city, have the eare. It is: much tha laIgest
Cairo; and was established By Gov. Yates to
fuInish medical treatment to Ill Illinois Vol
nnteer6 at that post needing It's aid. For some
time after Cairo WAS occupied BY our troops,
it was the only hospital thers and dispensed
Its benefits, therefore, alike to oil; but as the
been mustered into the Q. s. service, they
have fitted up. quarters more spacious and
suitable for their oWn members, SO that now
each regiment has the charge OF most OF It's
oEn sick. Eay naost OF 1ta own SICK; TOR DR..
Sims hospGal = SUI u open @ 70 me SICK and
United States service, Or In the service Of the
6tate; 60 that at the present moment, nearly
every regiment IN the camp has It's represen-
tattSe within 1ts Walls. Every Chicago Volun-
teer that has needed medical treatment, has
1oand II aese. ltlsto th1s state, or Brigade Hos
pMM,that @ost o. me comforts lor the slek have
gone That nave peen sent from this city and
It gives me great pleasure to add my testimo~
~ to the expression which seems universal in
CAIRO that the articles SO forTarded have been
Put, as tas % possible, to the use for which
they h were intended, and that ~ who have
Peee been raa 1naff easment n TIT ssoshent
people OF this CITY Eno SO promptly renem'
oetea mem IN tnesr oistreeses, ana to The sur
geons anu tnelr eLlc1ens nurses 1or most IN.
t4;l 4liI4 cale. a. tnls time the storerEo OF
nus HosPltal Is quite vel supplied, with the
ssattepllon * dq p napnns, drawers, aad 1ags
nat q notn1hg required IN daily practice Is
lnele aeuperabundaoce, 80 g to enable Its
managere 20 dispense any considerable amount
~ ul1eis. euen aIncles es tney can spare they
saE see9tiuny 1 ao, toGE iu.e oelng 20 refuse moth
mg 70 any otnet Hospital, which they can part
VIII 1h mMAonl ln99stlce 70 thetr own patients.
4he appear made IN yonr paper Of last Fri
osy, ana IN part repeated this morning, asking
ala lor o1r e1ck SOLDIERS, Is strictly reliable,
When undersfood In the light Of these facts.
Mrs. Yates has been quite recently appointed
by @ Mlss u Dlx WHO E1s appointed BY the seero-
laly o. War 10 me honoFed and responsible
poslltlou OF ne5d nurse IN the western division
Of the army: Her duties. Of course; lie wholly
N ne olttcuon o. tne United States troops,
or q, Inose mustered into the regular service
1R1ung lae several hospitals connected with
me respective regiments, she finds them in
lne condition OF need she represents. Know
lng thet 10 immediate help Will con6 from
the General Government, ahe very properly
ASKS the people to aid her In furnishing the
hospitals as they should be. Her, address,
given by four correspondent can hardly be
correct, however. Mrs. Yates is not Ma:roR
9. 9..,na.ay Military Hospital for that name, If );
dDy applies to the institution Of which Dr..
SIN Is the head, and Who has his own private
nurees. Her address must aeem to be, as the
esse now stands, Matron Of the "RegimeutA
Hospital" note this error to prevent the
considerable harm.
On Saturday afternoon I visited With Mrs.
Yates three Of the hosnitsls nnder her snnar
vision, aud obtained from the snrgeon's "a
tiente. On personal observation, q list Of such
articles as are most needed. The rooms occu-
derly, and the people in charge eemed very
kind and willing to do; but the store rooms
were nearly empty, and should at once re-
ceiTe the attention Of the people Of this
State
OF the articles already forwarded ia tbe
=. =
some are wholly unsuited to the season, and
scme will not be needed unless msny of the
troops should be wounded ia an enrarenent.
Night ebi1ts made Of canton flsnnel. or Grii.
nrg, are Of course unfit for service at this sea.
son of the year; all such articles should be
mercy's name, friends, don't send any more
bandagee-thera are already enonph In Dr
Sims hospital to supply the whole army Rnt.
tonlees, cast-off shirts arc Of iittle Talne ev.
cept for rags, and In that case the sander wnnld
much oblige by washing the starch out Of
that the old shirts do not come amiss. Make
no more supporters for broken arms a. ali
articles Of that nature are abundant: work
not with reference to the comfort Of the men
ajtr an engagement, but with reference to the
ordinary .teeds of c elck room. And fhe best
rule by which to ascertain what Is needfni for
apatient sick in military hospital, IS to CON.
slider what he would need If he Were sick at
home.
~Hosc to supply The needs Of te several re7iuae,at-
q! HoEafals-Each regimeet is largely from a
given district Let the people of the several
Ulstricts zee that the wants Of their own
troops are at once attended to and the work
ls done. In this way all will be helped, and
the articles forwarded will 60 to those for
whom they are intended Direct, In such
case, to the care ofthe surgeon of the Regi.
ment. Another plan is to forward the pack
age to Mrs. Tates, and leaye her to distribute
as her judgment may dictate, Birds Point
Hospital must be made au exception to this
general statement Of provision by Districts,
for the people at that station are nearly ali
Germans from st. Louis. Mrs. Yates repre-
eents their condition ~ Worsc than that Of
any DINER regiment, and as calling loudly for
immediate attention They are bad1y in need
OF almost every necessary Of q we'll appointed
hospital. Send them quantity OF pillow
enps, and Of sheets, ono wldth muslin, suita-
Die for cot-bed a few calico dressing gowns,
not too heavy pa}m-le1 fans; old linen and
COTTON clolh; Books; napkins or WhIte hand
kerchaets ;3ioHels, eoarae and strong for wash
!ng ana ealAng. Whoever forwards any of
lhese asuc!es 70 Mrs. Yates, within the next
Mq Gays, 1or me nse ot the brave fellows at
~ p4u Io1nt, VIII 1e ooing an act OF real hu-
nam ;, ana De certAin to make glad the hearts
u loe 1eeoL
Nsph1nH, oeogo"Hs, ana 6hect8-cot slzo-
are neeaeo attne hospitals; 80 are pillow
shps, Pa.n-ieM 1a9s, and few white hand
kerco1els. 81 ~ oea dlaNess there are but very
lew. 3he7e a.on'd Dc f'eo hundred pairs n Tie
sexral hospitals At once. MIKE them Of bleach
u s;l. ;nusnn ioose a. urawn oy str1ng around the