Daily Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1860-1862, 1861-10-16
The Health of Our Camps.

| BY PROF DARBY, OF EAST ALABAMA COLLEGE
| To the Editors of the Enquirer
Gentlemen:-Feeling,l like thousands of oul
fellow citizens, the deepest solicitude in re
gard to the health of our army, visited Fair
| fax aud its environs, to see if there was any
| obvious cause of the vast amount of sickness
! among our forces
| The causes, in my opinion, are most appa.
rent. 1t is now well established fact, that
for the atmosphere to rightly perform its of
| fee in supporting human health, it mustcon.
| tain ozone, the active condition of oxygen. II
is readily detected in all healthy localities
/ tested for it in the tents of our soldiers, and
| none could be discovered in the lower parts
| of the tents in the morning. The sleepers
| then were without this essential condition OF
| the vital air. The mere absence of this
| might, perhaps be borne by most constitu-
| lions for many successive hours; but it would
| be remarkable that the agent that neutralzed
| the ozone should just be sufficient to produce
| that neutrality, and not be in excess. Hence
| we tested, for what Saw calls pWeriae, and
| found it abundantly in a tent in which five
| of our soldiers slept. This is heavy pu-
tressible substance, without odor, and is gen
Grated in certain conditions of decaying
matter.
Its source in the tents is probably mostly
from the emanations of the bodies of the sleep
ers. Nothing puriies more readily than those
emanations as may readily be proved. An
other source is from the soil on which they
lie. The living vegetation, which would 9th
erwise consume those materials, is destroyed,
and the warmth of the body hastens its pro-
duction, and there is no ozone in the air to
consume it.
Ozone and puterine are antagonistics.-
Where one exists the other cannot.
The above are the facts--can they be rem
| edied? We think their conditions might be
reversed. The tents are too close at night.
They might be made SO that they could not
be closed only to shelter and keep off the
storm. One third of the tent should always
be open; the opening so arranged that it
| might be altered to different sides of the tent
so as TO be to the leeward in storms.
There are too many in tent as now con-
structed.
The tents are too near each other. There
should be at least one rod between the tents;
so that the sun may have its full effect on the
intervening space.
The contents of the tents, especially blank
cts, straw, &c, should be placed out in the
sun every day, when the sun shines. The
| tents should be completely rolled up or re-
| moved at least once week, that the sun may
have its purifying effect on the soil.
Much advantage, no doubt, might be gain
ed in the location of the tents in regard to
| each other and surrounding localities. Our
prevailing winds are westerly. All offensive
localities should, of course, be to the leeward,
| or east side of the camp; the tents being ar
ranged North and South, the cooking and
fires should. as much as possible, be on that
side, that the yitiated air may not be driven
| into the tents. The conditions are reversed
in the arrangement of many of the camps
The sickness is now somewhat subsiding for
want of material in subjects; but if no better
arrangements are made, pneumonia, pleurisy
and typhoid fever will appear with greater
virulence.
Many of the camps are kept clear from Of
fensive materials; but even this, we are sorry
to say, is not the case with all. But the ut
most cleanliness is not sufficient. The virus
has no necessary connection with filth, as ex
hibited to sight or smell. The most loath
some conditions may be free from the active
clearly, apparently, may produce 1t in great
est power. The tests are the only criterion,
and these should be applied
1t is said the conditions required are inn
practicable. However this may be, cannot
say. If army discipline so enacts and is in
flexible, she is in conflict with laws more in
flexible, and which will never yield. Human
beings must have pure air containing allies
sen tial elements, and the conditions OF supply
must be observed. or such results as are now
manifesting themselves in our army will fol-
low. so 5fs Il
i have m ide the above statements without
argument or proof, that your space might be
spared, and with the kindest feelings towards
all concerned, having no other motives than
the interest of our glorious cause, by promo
ting the health of our noble soldiers. f )
Very respectfully, j. @. D.