The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1862-08-16
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BURLINGTON WEEKLY HAWK-EYE
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Men differ in opinion upon almost every subject
ana doctors proverbially but believe mos
Naliehteled men will admit that sleeping In fht
yeon6ned cir Of close tents, and living on sal
meats and breadstuds, without fresh esculen
vegetables o. sublacid ffuits, are two prominen,
eseass Of the large ismoant Of sickness affecting
sur ssny at The present time. sIai gai fIsa9Tq
YaIN We ssart With the proposition thst fresh
epure ir 70 more necessary 70 preserve hesltl
cshan the quality of the fOd we eat, asd thef
observe the habits Of IN army in ths 6sld int Til
n ~ Of tsntG, ve soon discover the destsDctivg
eause Of Q vaak amount of sicknesGi Sibley
teots, which doinel afford SbresthiBg room fol
tvo men six hours, ono efssa occspiSd By 7eieh
tea, and other kinds of tents in.uabout "a.
aaue proportion. Without entering into pastic
vlass which ware recently fully cot forth in a.
olBcisl report it viii BE- perhaps sufficient 70,
my prsssnt purposs 70 merely refer 70 the fac,
dat our soldiers through the winter and sp,ius
moaths are almost entirely deprived of thai
most essential giving element, oxygen, durine
The eight hours usually allotted 70 fsat Instead
Of being strengthened and refreShed b. slsep
hey merely gain muscular and mental rest Il
The expanse Of the vital forces from the detsrio
ration in the quality Of the blood, the oxygen o.
which becomes exhausted. The effect 10 insidi
ous, and hence escapes the common observer.
The cause operating to break down the con-
stitution h precisely that which induces typhu,
fever, but not sufficiently potent to produce thai
result Eaervation, lassitude, loss Of appetite,
md impaired Digestion are the most perceptiblt
effects, until the time when exposure 10 unusual
hardship brings them down, and they pass into
The hands Of the surgeon. This ID the fruitful
source Of typhoid fever, which term means, sim
I ply, like typhua A moments reflection viii
atisfy any mind that exposure to VET. cold, 1
forced march, or the fatguss Of . battle are not
> sufficient cause Of specific disease. There
must Be in the system . special condition, OF
poison, which IL the primary cause Of the spe.
cifc disease, while the immediate cause may Be
anything that overtaxes the vital powers, givins
he pre-ezisting cause an opportunity to develop
he form Of disease. hi @ gs' s-tA
q These are the phenomena which I hsye eve.
rywhsrs Witnessed in pretty extensive survey
through different divisions Of our army. In an
interview had last winter with the late General
Lander, while bic army was stationed at Patter-
soas Greek, Va, found be had arrived 1t the
sane conclusion with regard to the use Of tents
y cause Of sickness, which st that time was
reducing the strength Of his force to an alsrm-
b ing extent. He recounted some Of his expert.
eooes 10 the Rocky Mountain passes in winter,
when b and his men bivouacksd nightly with
nothing bat India rubber sheets, lined with thin
flannel, and blankets, for beds and covering. "
Hs informed me that he never lost man from
sickness. in any Of his expeditions for the Gov
+ ssnuent, and Jet he made the quickest trips on
record. A careful examination of this subject
vii abow that our army has been weakened
more BY this cause than by all that has been in
aicted upon It from the enemy, The system
mus weakened at the source Of its vitality, ID
suclect 70 every form and variety Of disease the
exlgencies and exposures Of war are likely TO In.
aues. The tendency Of every form of silment
70 run into typhoid state which has attracted
The attention Of the moet casual observer in the
Amy finds An explanation in the above facts.
Now 10 the time, during the warm season, 70
dispense with tents for 6leepipg quarters, and
substitute the simple tents for quarters, and
substitute the simple tent roof or shelter, By
bending . square piece Of canvsss over horizon
~ pole resting on two crotehes about eight fee,
high, and attaching the opposite edges By stakes
" the form OF . roof with both ends opsn.-
There ais many advantages 70 bs gained BY ths
adoption Of this ample protection, other thar
such - Arc conducive to health, which ever
Any officer win readily appreciate.
The next cause Of sickness which propose Il
taeat Of in this paper, viz: the disuse Of fresl
Vegetables, Il ALREADY, am happy 70 see, ct
tracing mneh attention. scurvy 10 rapidly b
coming the predominant disease in the army
and probably nowhere have our troops suffered
more from this disease than in Tennessee thi,
Summer Much Of the country 10 almost bsrrer
Of fresh vegetables this season. About Pittsburl
Landing, Savannah and Corinth nothing of thi
kind could be obtained.
At one time, received into the General Hos
Ntal, st Savannah, 500 disabled men, ons-hal
W whom were suffering from more or less aggra
'ated symptoms Of scurvy. In frequent instan.
90, have seen mems teeth % loose that the,
eoald b picked out with the fingera. This con
dition Wa often attributed TO the use Of mercur,
when, probably, not grain had been admins
tered. We we're lucky in receiving from benev-
oent societies in Ohio, Illinois and through th,
hsv. II. Thorn, an agent from Brooklyn, N. 7.
iafge quantities Of lemons; and, while they last
%, We gave daily, without discrimination, thl
xnoIe hospital population Of 600 each glass o
Much Of Tie so-called rheumatism in the arm,
notnine iess than scurvy. Tho general ide,
tnas II fheumatism, and occasioned from OK
posure, causes the soldier to close his tent Will
great care at night, BY which means be encour.
eses the Development Of worse malady, viz
Uphold fever, which, when engrafted upon
constitution already aflicted BY Scorbutic symp
sems, 10 20 masked that Il ba6ss the skill Of th,
aost experienced surgeon. tsa 'a,i l@l
luust that What l have said already will prov
.emciens 70 stinulate efforts now being made o.
oe part Of benevolent societies 70 ssnd into th
eea, % for % possible, . suficisns supply Q
Aesn Vegetables 70 ward OF the further proeres