The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1862-10-24
What a Woman Can Do.

ltQSe within day or TWO, Wnere New Eng
land woman, alone and friendless, achieved
great reform in one of our hospitals. The
surgeon having charge of this particular
hospital was brute, treating the men in his
charge. visitors, and indeed the surgeons be-
meath him with contemptuous cruelty. Hav-
ing political influence, it was not an easy
matter to remove him, though there were a
hundred acts of his, any one Of which would
or should be considered sufficient cause for
his dismissal from the service. But every
one beneath him was afraid to take the first
step, for fear the brutal man would turn
upon the person beginning the complaint,
and with his superior position and influence
crush the complainant. One daya New Eng
land woman came to the hospital to see her
sick son. She soon met the chief surgeon,
and was treated with coarse violence. If he
could have his way, he said, he would not
permit woman to come near the hospital.
1t was in vain that she urged that she had
not seen her boy for long months, and that
he was now very i'll, and perhaps dying. TIE
monster continued to revile her, but dared
not refuse her admttance to see her son.
She soon found the surgeon in immediate at
tendance upon her boy, and told him of the
treatment she had received from the chief
surgeon. He replied that he was not at all
surprised-the chief surgeon treated every
body brutally. "Why then do yo1 submit
to such cruel outrage ?" was the spirited wo-
mans question. 81 suppose, we are all of
US afraid to make the complaint against
him" was the reply. The woman found that
her sou was incurably i'll, and was the proper
subject of discharge. The assistant sur
geon so informed her. She then sought the
chief surgeon and asked him to make a re-
port to the Surgeon-General upon the con-
dition of her son. He refused with dread
ful oath. The New England grit in the wo-
mans heart took fire. "Iou stand there,
said she. "and jeer at my sorrow. You use
language toward me that a beast would be
ashamed of. But let me tell you, that poor
and friendless as am, | am more porerfu
than y0u, and / wW not leace Washtngto,
till l hare erposed yom brutality" !" She
was as gool as her word She went at once te
see Secretary Stanton. He referred her at once
to the Surgeon-General, with a request thai
he would look carefully into the case, and i
the facts would warrant her as ;ertions, thai
he would mete out rigid Justice to the hos
ptal surgeon. The tirS, act of the Surgeon
General was to order the Surgeon-in-charg'
to make report upon the case of the won
ans son. The report was returned the very
next day, and its language was insolent il
the extreme. The surgeon was angry at tn,
woman's Interference. This is enough" sale
the Surgeon-General "a man who will sent
me such report is capable of all you charg,
against hin. will not take the trouble t,
examine the case. lie shall be dismisse,
the serrice!' That very night, as the chic
surgeon of Blank Hospital sat with his as
si>tants around him, ndulging in his usua
buster. a pleasant faced gentleman appeare
at the door and inquired for Sargeon--
in charge of tie hospital. That person wa
speedily pointed out to him. 81 am directe
to hand this to you from the Surgeon-Genel
al said the stranger. The surgeon opened
it and found that it ordered him to hand owe
the hospital and supplies to the bearer, VIII
would take charge of them, and to conclude
dismissed the brutal surgeon from the SCI
vice. The New England woman had cor
quered at last - Washington Cor. of Ind
pendent.