Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1861-1862, 1861-09-25
THE RICHMOND WHIG.
MILITARY oRGANIz ALTON or HEALTH.

MILITARY 0RGANIz ALTON or HEALTH.
The South has to-day In the f,ld army composed
ofthe ajwer Of youth and manhood full Ct epirit yet
doce TO discipline, better ecered than It's enemy and
nearly as wei equipped. Reasoning from its experience
victory against forces superior In numbers and mesrs
1t Is surely no mor. than modes. asrm ,.ion that
lack, only health to carry all opposition and conquer
peace OF its own terms. Blu. health Il has not end
not have until radical hyg MO reforms shall have been
effected 10 II. The problem of health, however dif,ut
o. scu ion for certain individuals. fer babes for the aged
and for collaborating women Is simple enough for
army, because an army Is composed Of young adult
males for whom health the nornsl state and whose
p,wer to resist morbifcinauence is a; drmun Our Ar
my has been Suffered lose its besh not because 1t
die it t) the Of disease hut because
atte-tion was paid to them, and the simple rules that
need to bs observed neglected. The great point
now to convince officers, medical and Others, Il q
they really responsible for the health Of their comrs
nes, that it is in their power to avert sickness fom the
camps, and that preservation is easier we'll
economical than cure.
An army plastic engine susceptible Of being hull
ed ike pr1ecile into tie enemys country or Of being
opposed to bin ike stationary fortress on our oKp
borders. Admitting the wisdom of the latter policy in
our chiefs, its adoption renders disease enemy ill
more formdi than the Yankee and gives the prob
lem Of heah an Importance transceuding every ether
Our camps, which ought to be schools Of nsining TO
f"m ahe;es are perverted mcrc nearly into wretched
hospitals ard the neglect Of preventive byeiee ,p:tes
the army to succession of pesilcnces, the realt of
which, II not promptly arrested may be TO deliver
beloved country manned and defeL ceess into the
hands Of tho destroyer.
The public heel IA affair Of system or oIganizs
ton. The soldier, already subj c. to personal authority
and discipline is b. that Tact amenabls to the laws
of health than any other cass of citizens 1t remains
to organ ze among his health officers motives fer the en-
forceneut Of proper discipline In cur civil life, unfor
tunaly the phytician Ia dot entrusted with the o.
the publ hestb. On the contrary ard to the abse.c
of re5ro sbily therefor, lie aided direct interest
sIirs, H. for be draws eli III, from the prevs
rce Of disesse. This system may not sec. tn, honor.
able and dsntereted conduct Of any individual paysi
clan, but 1t hiss erertdd over the medical pro
fess;on collectively the siaser naaercs of sealing
their eyes to all measures of preventive hygiene By which
the genera! causes Of disease would be obyiated and
although in the army. pb, sciius hsvs longer In
terest adverse TO the public hfahyet they naturally re-
main bound by the tramnels Of ilyeerate habit, and
limit their ion we'll ~ their sease Of duty to pre-
scrioing for the sick.
The function Of the medical faculty Is now restricted
TO the paiaon Of eec.s; t does not deal with their
eruses, bat sH,iaa sarss tollr ssst-., i-shs .fin
We desire 10 press home.
We are informed that some European mon archs, rs
well oriental nations alive the importance Of iden
dying the pbysicilns ineres, with the patients welfare
r,munerae proporIionay to ths days Of health ejoyet
and deduct for the periods of sickness Thus the
of most trouble also those of least profit TO the doc
tor aud powerful battery of motive, brought to bsa
on his intelligence the consequence Of which s to render
him vigiant in foreseeing and obradrg the probable
causes Of Illness and make him tle provideaia uia
i,ter Of health Equally effective might prove tyssm
Of distinctions aud professional honors to be decreed 10
surgeons proporonsly the health of their regiments
II il much the more neces ay to organize such mo-
tvcs for the crsdiable ulfment Of profe sona duties
as those which exist In civil life have teen removed
the pay of surgeons not icing 10 anywse dependent on
their patients Upon his honor and conscen,eusness
alone il depends whether DO: the military surgeon
becomes g providence or a scourge to his regiment
Honorary distinctions here, then, remarkably sppro.
prate Let US here pay nerited tribute OF grateful
pr,ise to Captain Thompson Bfown Of the Richmond
aowi,zers, to whose lib ,raty vigilance mainly due
the good health Of that corps Yorktown, while 30 many
others have been sorely tfll.cted
Let us hope that with the change now b,ing effected
10 our Oabiaet new era d medical responsibility and
hygie 10 providence viii te usbered In.
OR courtrys hte h,pgs upon this and without It,
our numbers will prove only source Of complication
and debility Arm o. are like horses in the habit Of eat
ing their heids of: tey hve besides. the more dsss
trous habit of engenieriOg infection, and self poisoning
10 army and tn, counry are en- the poilt Of being
sacrificed false pride ard iadolence en- the part OF
officers who imagine il beneath them 10 attend TO those
dsals IN whsh the health aud consequent efficiency Of
every amy depends Let srdy these under the b. ads
Of
CLUsIs coysEQrE ESCEs, AND RENsDIEs.
1. Ing.,'a: a. Causes: Food spoiled in Its prep,ra.
tiJA b. Def,ien: supply Of vegetables: c. Irregular
supply Of all food. COnssqusness: a. Vitiated gss
ioa and deterioration Of the blood b. Predisposiiop
co zymotc DISEASES the essential feature Of which Is
Kind Of fermentation in the bood. The camp measles,
typhoid fever scurvy, 60 Of this class. d. Discon
eat from the prolonged disgust OF uapalatats food.
perver.ng the natural pleasures Of tho table into pun
ishment and rendering cherries h, hour Of meals.
Diminution Of muscula- vgor and physical courage;
depression of the animal spirits ef the soldiers and Ct
III, social life Of the company; With diminished cspaei.y
for resistance fatigue to exposure and to the ord
M y c,u'ei If fdsess,.
Remedies a. Through the Qurrtsrma,tsr General:
By c,ntracts with manufacturers for supply Of eight t.
tslus gallon boiirs for making soups and s.ews-said
utensils to be furnshei to the comp at all statoL
I'll LII. r,,I knt~x far