The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1862-08-04
The Sanitary Condition OF the Army.


States Sanitary Commission to contemplate this momen
tous fact without profound feeling Of its obligation
to lend government whatever aid and counsel its
peculiar experience may enable TO offer as 70 the
safest and best method of getting these men into IL.
fed and keeping Them there In the most ssrvcssbe CON
don and with the highest attanabc economy OF life ana
health After studying for fifteen months the san,a
interests OF our great army, We have arrived 80.
conclusions rs to measures necessa- a'.''ise
new leyies against certain Of 49,. ~. ,s.a,
them AID i IS our pa'~ ssy ~ Commission q in.
tbs n,rss Sc regard to the ranitary interests Of
most resuse.> forces,n 70 submit these conclusions,
Comr .uiy, TO the coEsideratien Oh yourself, their
...ndcr in Chief,
TIE careless and superficial medical inspection Of re-
tscr army ranod last not only a,sry useless but
positive incunbrancc and embarrassment aliing
hospitals with invads, and tho whole country with
exaggerated notions OF the dangers Of that
seriously retard the recruiting u the levies
urgently need. The wise aud humane regulations OF
the United States Army that require minute and search
ing investigation OF tho physical condition Of every
crut were, during tia spring ana summer OF 1861 crim
nall dsrcgaraed by inspecting officers. In twenty nine
per cent II the regiments mustered service during
that period there had been pretence Of thorough
inspcctou Few regiments have thus far taken Tho field
that did include among thor rank and c many boys
Of from fourteen to sxteennen with hernia, varicoss
veins, consumption, and other diseases, wholly uniting
them for duty and which could not have escaped the eye
Of conpetcnt medical oIicerand others with constitu
tions broken BY inemperance disease long past the
certain amount OF money intng ia the aggregate
millions dollars Not one OF hsn able however well
doar's worth OF elective service ii the field Some re-
gents left ten por cent Of thor in hospitals the
road before they reached the Of war No national
crisis can excuse the recruiting of such material. II
creases for time tho strength Of tho army on paper but
dnjnishes It's actual efficiency. 1t Is OF
weakness decentralization and was,efu expense and Of
manifold mischief 10 the army and to the national cause
rhe frequent spectacle OF immature youth and of
diseased enesbled constitutions returning to thor
shattered and broken down after month camp
lfe destructive to themselves and useless Tho coun
try has depressed tho military spri. and confidence Of
tho people How escape repetition Of this mani
fest evil except by more vigant and thorough in
spectcn Of now evssG And how such inspection
be sccured9
We respectfully submit th.t recruits should be
accepted until they have been examined by medical on,
Of the United States Army entirely without personal
interest in the iing Of any regiment And these
dca men should have had some experience il the hard
should be allowed 10 serve a. medical inspector Of
cfns Who has not passed regular army board named
by the Surgeon General himself ana convened
Of the great centres O; medical science.
large per centago OF the disease and weakness Of
many millions Of orr national resources) has been due
to Tho lnexperience or medical and military officers
alike as 10 The peculiar dangers and exposures that
surround the soldier in camp and on the march, and
which render the money tho nation has expended in
putting HIM into the field far preclrious invest
ihaa ycgd DO ne KEPT under strict subjcc
tion TO sanitary Laws The liability OF soldiers disease
should be far less than i. II would be they
required 70 observe tho aws OF health They and their
officers and the people ard the government have thus
far generally overlooked these laws. But the last
twelve months have tangh the army ami tho people the
immense Importance of sanitary science in Onr
school has been costly but has already taught much
For he las. three months thousands and thousands Of
and wasted forms brought North by railroad, and
hospital Transports stricken by rebel bullet but by
far deadler enemies Of the naonmalaria fever and
camp dyscntcry been mprcssng tho people the
lesson the sanitary Commission has been ensayofipg
teach tho began--yiz: that soldiers
were IN far greater danger from disease thar from the
violence their encas and that lose ten men use.
esy by prcscn'ablc discasefor every destroyed by
the enemy.
VIC have 5eca learning rapidly during the past year.
II have learned anything IL has been that IL was
mistake to keep the regular army and tho volunteer army
separate. Had the regulars been from Inc first utter
mingled with the volunteers they would have ieavencd
tho whelc lump with their experience camp police
cplne, slUordnaiinn and the sanitary conditions OF mill
tary o. We should have Bull panic blush :or.
Our little regular army dsed anong tho volunteers Of
last year would within three months have brought them
up to its standard Of discipline and efficiency
As il s the greatest efforts have been required TO- in
spre officers AMI en with scnse Of the nature and i'm
portspce OF sanary laws and with the practical applica
on OF hygianic principles TO their tents their camps their
persons and their habits and food In this work tho
Sanitary Commission, through its professional experts
has liborod methodically ana with marked success
But IL Cannot contemplate the needless Of it's
painful experience without warning that the
loss Of lilo by debility, disease and mmaturityten
times that BIZ our boodios batlless wholly unneccssa-
ry that Of every ton lost by the army during the
past year have been neccessy wasted that by pro-
per medical inspection OF recruits the material Of disease
can oe reduced 70 te lowest possible sum and then BY
ments already formed, and OF all officers among
existing regiments we may at once communicate that
mos. Important IN the sanitary experience Of
army TO the levy OF 800 600 men, and thus save
them from scyenty-hve per cent Of the mortality TO
which they will Otherwise be inevitably exposed.
From sanitary point Of view, the urgency OF this DO.
Icy Is clear. all the 700 COO DO recruited
recruited without single new regiment being form
ed IL would the country later thousands
OF lives and millions Of dolais. Wc shouh get far bet
ter class Of nen They wca,d have thorough medical
inspection, and every ild to be raw
rccrais when absorbed into veteran regiment Thus oil
years costly sxncrence wolld be saved and the
pers OF ignorance inexHcrnce and crudty be avoided
This process, too, il that by which present army
can be most rapidly reiaiorccd since the raised
might be ser: 70 the field fast they collected,
and dgcsted into the body Of the army day by day
without delay, and without scpsbly dutng It's dsci-
pllns Where's raised BY regiments as al present with
Of instruction iii the pressing want of their has
gone BY or tho opportunity q their usefulness Lost.
If il be said sshat the stimulus to recruiting win DO
taken away the aspirations Of officers rep essed
We do no, hesitate 70 meet that alternative by saying
yisws Of enlightened pabc sentiment better 70 ivs
te who's soc ,o0o cen, WITH distinct understanding
the army OF vc-pns las ibecome reduced than 70 have
them raiad, without drafting by volunteer process
which raw oicers aud uisked medical men would
municste their own iknorancc anil biadequacy.
Although II Is purely on sanitary grounds that We
urge this Plea Il wond be easy show that military
sanitary requirements in rsyoriDg such q plan.
But wo do NOT venture beyond our own
sphere 70 urge considerations OF which others
II government win call On tic medical department Of
the army Tor ls Official judgment on this grave and
urgent question: feel doubt that these views will
be aOuudantly confirmed aud forcibIy argued We
have the be- with great respect your c0edient
servants, HENRY VI BELLOWS
W. II. VAN BUREN,, N. D.,
Z. R. AGNEw, ~ ~,
WALCOTr GEES. NJ. n.
FREpK. LAW 0LMsrFD,
GEO. T. sTgDSG
Executive Committee G. the s. Sanitary Commits son
The following - Al extract from report to the SAM.
tary Coanisson ~ us actrsry, Mr. h. b. Elliott which
Il now in press
since ors hundred and four 1o4 a. ont of sverv
Thousand (clscrfs aud privaes geiher) In the
entire army Ia the constant proportion Of sick il follows
that 10 secure IN the fcd coDsan. force or Ave hun red
thousand ttCo ,oo0) effective or healthy and abo) men,
the naon mast constantly maintain in hospitals else
where, additional force OF fifty eight thousand
(5s COY sick men, making The entire force maintained
botn sick and effective, 10 consist Of Eve hundred
and hsty eight thousand l55s.000) men; four
par cent, twenty-five thousand Of this entire force
would be commissioned oslcets and nnety six ner cent