The national Republican., 1862-03-24
THE nEploAL DEPARTMENT. OF THE

'SSuPpos - hhtotves8 u0 hotiSo VI SSn6i0s
bill, simsle in IL provsious aad elIsctive in
ia rasaprss for adding TO the stzsasth and
.facisncy Of the medical department. wss lu-
Iroduced In the House, BY the chairman Of the
Committee on Military Affairs, on January 18th
ult. This bill, as first introduoed' should be
passed immediately. The present hssd Of the
bureau should have bis hands strengthened as
much as possible in the arduous duties Of his
ofise. He has managed II in way that has
preserved the health Of our troops under all
the changes Of winter and exposure In the
field; and II Congress, calls upon him to do
Herculean labor, let II elevate and strengthen
him for II. Why should the House debate and
object 10 making distinguished and faithfu
officer Of the army brgadier general, when
they are placing the straps on the shoulders Of
many who have rendered no servicev Con
gress cannot efficiently increase the surgeon
generals force without raising his rank. As
proof Of his care and thoughtfulness for the
sick, he has already submitted 10 the Secre,
tary Of War a plan for removing such Of our
soldiers as may fall sick in the South during
the warm months, to N ,rthern climate.
Tee bill which passed the Senate week or
two ago had some Objectionable scctions. One
was that admitting the promotion Of volunteer
surgeons to the highest rank in the department,
thus opening way Of carrying them, through
political and personal influence, over the heads
OF experienced regular surgeons, who have won
their positions by long service. II is well
known that in irregular promotions = uchich
may aI,oays be reached by political influence -
MERIT is the very last thing considered and
Mr.. Nesmith's objection to this measure, that
II would disorganize the medical corps Of the
army and allow any one to be selected, "even
mere politicians and medical quacks," was just,
and should have had more weight with the
Senate The volunteer medical corps con
tains many brave and talented men, but many
of the surgeons are men who had no promi-
nent position at home. and who will not,
without the most constant watching, attend
to the sanitary or medical regulations OF the
army, or take the trouble TO make out prop
erly the simple permit necessary TO admit a
sick soldier into hospital. In many cases
they are utterly ignorantly Of, and incapa
BILE of making cut the proper diagnosis Of
the patients disease, and often send to the sur
geons in charge Of hospitals, the most comcal
illustrations Of their innocence In this regard
In view Of such iacts--wbiCh may be verified
on inquiry--it is both mischievOus and danger
Gus. TO say nothing Of the injustice Of the thug,
10 make provision Tor tho Instant promotion OF
volunteer surgeons over those examined by q
medical board Of experienced army surgeons,
and who are NO, permitted 10 enter the regular
corps at all uu'css properly accredited and
approved. The labor oi the surgeons OF tho
regular corps has been enormous; and they
have in almost every case the utmost difficulty
in getting sick soldiers discharge papers, OF
in learning anything whatever Of q man after
he is dismissed to a hospital from bis regiment.
Voluneer surgeons had charge Of the wound.
ed at Fort Donelson, and Mr.. Blake, Of Ohio,
should put upon them and not on the officers
of the medical department here, the blame ol
any neglect Of the. wounded. 1t is simply i'm
possible that the heads Of the department can
be in all places at once, and able to prevent
all abuses and neglect. But II has not been
proved that any real neglect occurred at Fort
Donelson.
The sanitary regulations, which have beer
talked, and continued to be talked, so much
about, have been for years in full operations
under the regular medical corps Of the army
aud no surgeon can by any means pass the cx
amining board, appointed by the Surgeon Gen
eral, without being perfectly conversant with
the same. The enemies Of the bureau and IL
officers have brought every foul charge agains
il that malice could devise. But we have
surprisingly healthy army, as the result oil thu
abors Of the bureau, and we hope that il may
continue intact and efficient as II is and ha,
been.
The Senate bill adds eight medical inppec
tors to the corps This Is all very we'll, ant
they will have plenty OF workout there ar
numbers ol " Inspector" already in The tielt
I engaged In their proper duties, Every brIgad
surgeon is an inspector. lie insltcls an
Directs" and does, properly, nothing else. II
| has uuuel oS'ohoi
surgeons The head surgeon of every miitar
hospital ia an " Inspector He iospscts an
directs, aud does, properly, nothing else. II
!, has under his orders several subordinate sui
geons. These surgical inspectors, followed
their subordinates, are required 10 txamin
y every day the "qusrters" Of the patient
{ cook houses, wards, quality OF diet, &c, AZ
d Then, even after all this, they themselvt
1 have an inspector"-the " medical director
n of the division Of the army in which their ho
v pitfalls and brgades are included. Over Il
!. medical directors and all other surgeons Is th
:, surgeon general, who is the director OF Il
whole corps. Some time since there was
. , movement on foot TO have "director' gene
" al " appointed" whose duties " should 81
these Of the surgeon general" Thus changir
VI the title and removing the man, but not alte
" ing the duties" The gentleman who was
wear this new title was already selected an
has been waiting expectant for many monti
70 It has been currently reported that a. the pri
J, of bis elevation he was 10 take certain col
mission under bis special protection, and if
lie were necessary, recommend that Congre
make an appropriation paying large sums