The national Republican., 1861-12-09
NATIONAL REPUBLICAN.
THE ARMY HOSPITALS AT WARRINGTON
WHO MAS CHARGE or THIN.


A correspondent, over the signature Of
" TRurH" gives the New York Times some new
aud interesting statements In relation to tbs
management of the army hospitals in this city.
Frequent enquiries are made Of us touching
the operations Of Miss DIX, whom the country
was disposed, in the beginning, to regard a.
the Florence Nightingale Of the war. Ths
letter throws some light upon her movements
ss we'll as on the operations Of the Sanitary Com
mittee. We subjoin few extracts:
Miss DIx-Tbe people of New York are labor,
ing under the delision that the Sanitary Com.
mission ard Miss Dix have the charge Of the
hospitals here, and take very active pat 4,
their internal management. Simple truth anG
justice to the medical officers Of the Goverr-
ment make 1t necessary that facts should an
pear, which, however unpalatable, will rob
both those parties of great deal of their news
paper glory. The Commission and Miss u y
are simply occasional visitors TO the hospitals ls
weeks, and even months intervening between
their calls to some Of them-calis which AZ
seldom Of longer duration than AN hour or two.
Miss Dix does not live in the hospitals, but in
her comfortable house in Washington and Ia.
never nursed a sick soldier, nor folded shrou
over dead one. since the war begun. The
greater part Of her time is spent in writing g.
Governors of States, and having her " com.
mission" copied and sent to them and tn I" As
sociations," and instead Of imme lately distrIh
uting the supplies sent her for the sick, sb-
has even now large quantity: of things sem
to her as long ago as June, which are piled VI
in an old barn in this city-jellies spelling and
leaking, ard shirts and linen never unfolded-
unused, while many need them. So much for
Miss Dix.
The SANITARY COMMISSION As TO the Com
mission, 1t is well knOwn that IT enrolls among
it, members some of the hest men in the coun.
try, who have no more to do with its operations
than the Sultan of Turkey, beyond getting y
copy Of its reports" The thing is managed
by few ambitious personages, who, unfortu
nately for themselves, and perhaps for the sol
diers, began their work wrong.
They made the mistake in the beginning, o'
debating Its duties to the Medical Bureau OF
the army, which brought uAon them its cold
ness and reserve;" for 1t is not strange that y
distinguished medical officer who has been in
more battles than one, should object to follow
the lead Of two or three individuals who have
neyer been out of private life-know nothing
of Tie management, and probably never saw
military hospital until now. As a proof Of the
ignorance Of the Commission in this regard
will state. that once told one of the phys
clans belonging to it, that every military hos
pital was conducted on a system which pro
duced a fund whereby 1t supplied itself witt
delicacies. and even luxuries for the sick. HI
was greatly surprised. This WAS In September
The Commission had been here three months
and yet did not know that there was such ;
thing as a military hospital fund-one of ,h'
simplest and well'known things about them
They distribute some Bibles in the camps
which the chapans of the regiments nigh
very well attend to-and they send white cotto
shirts, sheets, and pillow.cases to the differen
regiments. Now, the distribution of the la,
items will serve to prove their wise system
working in war matters. They refuse to Civ
sheets and pillow cases any longer to the hos
pitals. know not that they ever sent any I
them, but they distribute them in camps wher
there are no means of washing them, wher
they serve little purpose-for there are n
beds to put them On-and where they must b,
left behind when the troops move. They bav,
avery slipshod way of doing their little bit &"
work Of distributing jellies, &C., though III.
secretaries, operatives, agents, and all that art
engaged, get rather good salaries for the times
and all out of the pockets of the "generou.
public" Has any one ever thought of appoint
ing a" board Of inquiry" as to whether the
porting it,
One thing the public ought to know. Ths
Government hospitals are well managed, snt
get no help from the Sanitary Board. Govern
ment provides every needful comfort for th.
sick, and it is the fault of the head surgeon il
any Government hospital if he lacks such