New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-21


plying every division Of the army, SO has the
Medical Bureau. Yet from every portion Of
the country to which our soldiers have beer
sent-from Hatteras, Port Royal Missouri, and
Kentucky; from Arlington flights, and from
Gauley Riyer-comes the universal cry: "De
I" fciency Of medicines and of medical stores y
For instance, the Hilton Head correspondent
Of Tie N. Y. Times itself says, in the same
sheet that testifes to the energy and expert
euce of the Medical Bureau, and protested
against any attempt to improve it:
The health Of the troops is not all good and there are
no symptoms Of Improvement Remitent and consesye
feyers the principal diseases The mortality Is much
greater than il would be If there proper hedhosps &C
odsons supplies, &c. OF these there are plentiful
lack bu. upon whom the responsibility should rest sm I'M
ebe say Dr. Cooper the Meoical Director here was or
dered join TIE expedition only few days before IL started
from Annapolis and consequently compelled to tIus that
everything required for bis department had beer shipped be-
fore the transports LEFT NowYork He is therefore free OF
blame but somebody has been guilty of shocking neglect and
upon him. whoever he may be. may inst idgoaon fan.
equson been made upon the Medical Purveyor or ell
that wanted aud until has been filed aud the articles reach
have been prevented"
Our special correspondent ct Port Royal, IN
one of the letters we publish this morningI de-
votes considerable space to the sanitary con-
dition of the army and fully confirms these
statements of the correspondent of Tile Times.
Why in the name of humanity are our SOL
diers when suffering from " remittent and con-
" gestiye feyers," left without "every thing
" required for their medical treatment, and
who is to blame unless it is the Medical Head
of the Army officially responsible for the sup.
ply Of all its medical and surgical wants
Such complaints of deficient supply from the
Quartermaster, the Commissary and the Ord
nance Department are seldom heard. The
bulky and costly stores they furnish might often
be expected to fail. Hospital bedding and med
lcines for an army can be provided at cOmpar-
atiyely small cost of money and of Transports
ton. Yet for some reason or other they are
never forthcoming when and where they are
wanted. Even at Washington, regimental sur
geons are daily applying to private charity Tor
medicines and supplies the Bureau cannot or
does not give them. Why are not Colonies
and Captains appealing to tie public for tents
ior food-or for heavy artillery The only
answer that can be given Is that the Quarter
masters Office, and the COTlmissary's Office, aud
the. Ordnance Department are eficient-and
that the Medical Bureau is not efficient.
immediately ON the receipt of Intelligence OF
the battle of Balls Bluff Cat which there were
not even stretchers provided for the conveyance
of the wounded), the Quartermaster.General,
with most commendable prOmptitude, placed at
the disposal of the Sanitary Commission wagons
and horses which left Washington at midnight,
laden with hospital supplies and clothing, and
reached Edwards's Ferry in time to save many
lives The Medical Bureau is not known to
have done anything. 1t sat still and awaited
the arrival of acquisitions. If any were re-
ceived, they may have been bonored, if strictly
accurate in form, and if the supplies they
called for were on hand. But an insignificant
skirmish not long before had compelled the
Medical Bureau to ask the Sanitary Commits
sion for the Int and baudases required by
halfa-dozen wounded soldiers.
The n. j. Times objects TO the bill now
pending in Congress for the reformation Of this
Bureau because it provides for retiring medical
officers at lie age Of sixty. The experience OF
the British army has demonstrated the expc-
diency Of retiring army surgeons at the age OF
fifty-fye. Such is the rule now established in
the British service. 1t objects 10 giving the
President power of appointment to certain
offices in the Bureau, instead Of filing them
by promotion, according to seniority. The
country prefers the former rule, ard tie Com
mander-in- Chief OF the army, the Qlartermas-
ter.General, and the head Of the Ordnance
Department, Mcclellan, Meigs, and Ripley,
are signal instances OF its value. Seniority is
GOOD. but energy and talent are better. We
hope the national army may be protected against
disease by the highest skill and talent TIE medi-
cal stall can afford, and not by mere seniority
in service on some remote frontier post After
forty years of such service, the average army
surgeon has less professional experience aud
less capacity for economizing the lives OF SOL
ders than the average medical student of our
great cities, with his opportunities for disco
ton and hospital practice.
Let Us save the lives of our volunteers, even
should the official dignity Of the Medical Bureau
be hopelessly damaged in the effort.
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