The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1861-06-15

yALUXBIRsANTrxAY SUGGESTIONS.
nepore Of Dr. .. q. Howe % the Governor
- Of massachusetts.
DR.. s. G. Howe, Of Boston, than whom there
il no better living authority in matters pertain
ing TO sanitary regulations, was recently appoint.
ed by Governor Andrew 70 inspect and report
upon the condition OF the Massachusetts, troops
at tine seat Of war. Having accomplished this
task. Dr.. Howe reports under date of May %,
many valuable suggestions for securing the
health Of the troops while In active service.
CLEANLINESS
The suggestions and recommendations which
have to make refer mainly to the matters OF
cooking and washing for our troops. IN Doin
these important items the present arrangements,
indeed the best arrangements provided IN the
United States army, are lamentably defective
Il is difficult, If not impossible, to enforce per-
feet personal cleanliness among the soldiers be-
yond that OF the head and hands. The rest must
depend upon the individual habits and inclina-
ton.
But it is possible to enforce cleanliness Of the
clothing. especially of tunnels and blankets,
which are the articles most liable to neglect in
this respect, and where insects OF certain kinds
first appear. 1t is next impossible to keep The
men free from lice, in the best disciplined Euro
pean armies while IN campaign ;and believe
that our troops will soon 5ecomcntested by
them indeed know that some are so infested
already
The ova of the insects seem to be omnipresent
and where the men wear the same clothing un-
washed, or mperfectly washed in cold water,for
several successive week sand when they are hnd-
died closely together at night, the lice are sure
| to appear Nor Can we rely upon the proverbl-
| al personal cleanliness Of New Englanders to
keep themselves free in campaign. The horrors
which they feel at first soon subside, and like
other soldiers they submit to what at home
would be disgusting and insufferable The reg
| ulations of the United States army are very I'M
satisfactory and insufficient for the preservation
| of the soldiers from this nuisance and pest.
Soap rations are allowed always to the men :;
and while in garrison full rations of provisions
are allowed to four laundresses to each company
But the soap is wretchedly bad; and when the
laundresses are present, each soldier is expected
| to pay fifty cents a month to them. The conse
quence is, that when in active service the men
| have to do their own washing or go dirty-gen-
orally do 20 dirty anyhow; because with bad
soap, bard water, and no proper mechanical ap'
pliances, man cannot keep his flannel clean,
nor prevent the termination of the ova OF the
vermin. The fact Of the appearance of vermin
already is patent; and the multiplication is Ger
tain,
| NO LAUNDREssEs.
Now l would suggest that the regiments shall
be furnshed,at all times with men instead OF wo
men, to do the washing, because men can &C
company the regiments upon campaigns, and be
cause men can perform all mechanical operations
| (savc dancingl better than women and because
upon pinch, they can fight as well as wash
| In order to make their services effectual, the.
should have light portable stove, with contr
not only for boiling water, but tor raising
= l. E. H. lrry, If he
| clothes Indeed a heat high enough to kill the
ova of insects would be desirable. With a proper
apparatus of this kind, the washing and cleaning
| of the clothes could be done effectually and un
der all circumstances Even if the men had bu,
one set of flannels they could be dispensed with
an hour or two, and that would suffice. This is
a very important matter, and earnestly com.
mend it to your attention.
REFORM IN COOKERY NEEDED.
| In the matter OF cooking there ia no need oi
as great reform as in shat of washing. As things
stand now, the companies are not only obliged to
extenporize cooks, but also ire-places and cook
Ing apparatus; because the complexities or other
scanty appliances furnished by the United States
are entirely inadequate. 1t is hard to conceive
why an article so essentia! for keeping our men
alive and in guod fighting condition, as cook
ing apparatus should not be carried about with
a. We'll anu OtHeI 6ppai atus
for killing the enemy or putting them out OF
lighting condition.
| It has been suggested that we need an increase
of our medical regimenlal force, but deem it OF
much greater Importance that sy stematic arrang-
ments be made for cooking. 1t is called for not
only by high considerations ofheath, bu. also of
economy.
Already great differences are observable in
different companies in the matter Of cooking
Beet from the same OK, served up 10 one com
pany, is juicy, tender and nutritious while to an
other company it is served up dry tough and in
digestible. The difference, too, in economy is
| marked,
The rations issued to one company for ten
days are, comparatively, well cooked palHtable
nutritious, with considerable surplus at the end
Of the time while those of anothef company are
| badly cooked, unwhoiesome, and sometimes even
| used ND at the end ofeighth or ninth day.
The rations furnished by the United States
are abundant i'll quantity, and under ordinary
circumStances, good in quality. So abundant
| are they that an economical cook can save upon
the staple articles sum sufficient to procure
| what would be considered luxuries in camp
| think that men specially adapted for cooks
by nature and experience copid be enlisted in
| each regiment, and then detailed for service, so
as to obviate the objections raised by the red
| tape men of the army.
| COOKING APPARATUS WANTED.
The principle want seems to be of strong
but light and portable apparatus, which would
answer both for cooking and washing. The gen.
ins of French has done much for the first,
| but fails in the second.
II the subject were properly brought forward,
Yankee ingenuity would doubtless soon produce
an apparatus that would do more for the health
OF our men than all that doctors can do.
If a 1.-THE of the science, skill and care which
are so literally given to improving all the means
of killing the soldiers of other armies, were de,
voted to the means of keeping our own soldiers
in health, the present fearful mortality of war
would be greatly lessened. l have the honor to
be, Respectfully yours,
|