Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1861-10-04
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Military Hospitals Of Richmond.

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For the Enqgirsr.
Military Hospitals Of Richmond,
Mcssrs. Editors:-Of the military hospits.
that which is most complete in its appoip,.
is, decidedly, the Main Street Prison
Here DR.. H~igginbotham has enforced persona
cleanliness by discipline. 1t is the only Cir
Of the large hospitals Of its class which hs!
been furnished with bath tubs. The St.
prisoners, when refractory, are compelled %
make use Of them, and such as engeider 20.
min are made decent in spite Of the.nsc!r*.-
One Of their own number is made to hes,
watch over each bath tub, to prevent the
rest from abusing it. The relays Of nurses
arc thoroughly organized, and rigiIant care
maintained over the sick. Five hundred pri.
scnnrs have been treated here from June aSth
to September 9th. OF these, 800 wounded
experienced 4 mortality Of .09S, and two hun.
bred sick, not wounded, lost a per centase Of .06,
thu two catcgories together. 0S2;beins Il deaths
of which - were from sickness, without
wounds. Probably as favorable a result as
care and discipline. unaided by feminine pro
videnc". c"nl'l guarantee, under the cIrcum.
stances.
DR.. U~i..;nbotham showed us some haui
J s.,,nc pieces Ok iurniture, made for him BE- bis
, coavaicScrniS il relieving their own ennui.
Frclin, alive ID the Importance Of occupation
in r~ccallin. that ascendant Of mind over mat.
| ter upon which health depends, DR.. II. wished
to organize in this prison a system Of useful
cmploylncnts but the war office under Mr..
Walkers administration oppoScdit.
Pare air and water and wholesome food be.
ing supplied. industry is indeed the true bass
Of health, and the sickness Of our own camp;
is mainly due to their tedium and Stagna;ioH.
No organ can sustain its vigor without tie
exercise Of its natural functions. Nan is q
social and industrial organ Of Nature
he is no exception to the universal law,
and every regiment unoccuplcd either With the
practice Of manosuvres or other exercises, vii
infallibly become the prey Of disease. Con-
p~u!sory cnnui is the great enemy Of life.
The Byrd island Hospital at Gilham's fac
tory, which, as well as the Almshousc, is beau.
tifilIy situated, airy and capacious, states CT,
It's boaks a mortality Of only three per cent, C!
Is deaths to 500 patients between Angus:
18th and September Goth, or rather to 400 pa.
ticnls, rs about 100 were sent away during
their llatsS-increaSing the per centagc G!
lGIlllS 10 .UDiD. w Z al Sih S"'0
account nor iInpcach its accuracy. Serious
complaints are current concerning dclIEii"N.
cies in the service Of nurses at night. Va
hope there is no longer ground for repr"ach
on this score. This hospital, like the Aims
house, lacks bath rooms and convenienceS ior
personal cleanliness. They might be added a.
Il very trivial cost; but to keep them in orit'
constant vigilance would be needed.
The Aims House hospital book has go n
tries for the month Of August, and 80 dca'h'
recorded; making a per centasc of .o9i6"
%T3i, the whole number Of patients trea%:.
By reports rendered to Surgeon General Moor,
however, which we were permitted to see, t't
aggregate of Confederate soldiers treated IL
August was 269. and that Of Federal prisoner
3~Tl--iogcther 540--which, after subtractio1
of those sent away to other hospitals. sc,
leaves still nearly 500, and reduces the pc;
centagc Of mortality to CTS.
Bellevue, DR.. James Bottoms hospital, l:n't
cd, from May .lih to Sept. 25th, l27 soldiers
had returned IS to duty, retained 81, and hsi
buried T.. Male service only is employed
here.
The Medical College Hospital, the property
Of Il corporation, which boards a large nrmhrF
Of Confederate patients, shows entries Tor The
months OF July, August and September, Of
4S6, and deaths 3S, or .0IS per cent. The
actual number Of patients ut one time, la'riy.
was 100. The relative mortality is due. III
part, tn the number of almost dying men
brought in from the camp ground Of the ION
Louisiana Regiment. This is only q p~ariicu!ai
instance OF 4 neglect excessively frequent, and
10 which thousands u! precious lives have Ltt;!
sacrificed.
~'Tie average mortality Of the large hos
| uitals cited i: moie than double that 81 lhe
lplics' private hospitals mentioned in the
'EnInirrr' Of yesterday. But grea; Is the
! power Of human endurance. The PropoT'"t
,t deaths but family indicates the dii'srcH''
uf suffering.
The Hospitals are naturally classt! ~ =
| scale, the grades Of which rise in proportion
, to the ascendant Of EtminiHf inuucac" IN them
As might be- anticipated in a sphere Of employ
ment so peculiarly woiHan's, as is the care OF
the sick, whose capital virtues arc gcntlenes'
and assiGluity, and which makes so large 4 de
mand upon pcrsOur! sYmpathicS. RcpeI1e"
from the military hospitals by a system "H
ciusircly mascnlin". ;Ic ministry ofwolncn h&>
saurht, by pcrs onal contributions Of every dc
/ %scr;p,inr, 10 pallia:e sufarings which la be-
yonl It's pale, and has secured or completed, the
r,nvaIcscencc ofsuch as could obtain per!nl>Sl"N
Ito leave the camps or general hospitals. Aces
sorry hospitals for the sick or convaiesccn'
have been established at many country place
already mentioned in precious issues, and aIso
by the Pollard family. Mt Hanover c. II.
The illness Of an officer in charge Al tn" ~
Charles Hospital has rendered it too dh1itr''
e. obtain statistics 81 that institution--a non's
charity ri tue city Of E:chmoud, managei1!
M assncia,ion Of gentlemen, and which h'
extended its protection to from 800 to 100 :"
HERS ut once, within the last three monta-
The attendance and nursing here has been III
great part spontaneous or Tree, though 4 resn.
lar corps Of salariHl nurses, of both SrSe'' !
constantly maintained. y. r. j.
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