Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1862-09-25

" VIC no'P''a's' ne also informed vors
committee that he was engaged IN 'V ~
work of preparing diet ist n, Tue
would soon be furnished to all hosn %a'SA
and that more liberal and varied " ~
should be insisted on hereafter u'e'
In relation to visiting hours 70 h..
tails, your committee were assured ,h. .'p,
hospitals should be open for the reca a' au
of those persons having passes from " ~
officers of the several State assoc;ass As
between the hours of IL o'clock noon n'' ~,
6 o'clock p. m, and that all spraaan p
should be instructed to respect such 9 na"'
es, of course expecting this priv f'S
should not be abused by the associates
who issue such passes, WV"
Your committee were also assured D.,
the friends of soldiers in hospitals sbon n
not be obstructed in carrying clothipg ~
the soldiers, and that they should alse9 "
allowed reasonable and proper liberty '.
carry in food and delicacies to the sick s'I
wounded.
In regard to certain complaints apaDs,
surgeons for incompetency and mal.nrao
tice, and also against hospital attepdans
who are charged with neglect and brutal
ity, your committee have been unabla ;,
make investigations sufficiently thorop,S
as yet, to bring them to the attention Of H.
surgeon General. Enough, however 10,
been ELECTED to warrant your commins.
that, in their opinion, these abuses have
an existence, and that they will receive
early attention.
1t is due to the Surgeon General IA
state that whatever fault may be found
with the quality of the tea and coffee fu,
nished for hospital use, (which h.
informed us was of miserable quality
that fault is not chargeable to the medics
department. these articles being fur.
nished by the cemmissary of subsistence
The coffee is of the poorest quality Of
Rio, and the tea is as poor as the coffee
The ambulance system was complained
fly the Surgeon General as being very
bad. The ambulances, horses, and dr.
vers were furnished by the quartermaster
and subject to his control. Hence itb
that the drivers are often careless, and
sometimes drunk and almost wholly in.
competent. To remedy this evil The
Surgeon General asks that the ambu.
ances, horses and drivers be placed under
his control, and earnestly urges all relief
associations to cooperate with him to that
end. As there is no law authorizing
this, or for compelling the commissary d
subsistence to furnish better quality d
tea and coffee, your committee woaR
earnestly appeal to every friend Of th'
soldier to urge upon members of Congress
from their respective States to provide |
by law such means as may be Necessary
to enable the Surgeon General TO carry
out his humane intentions in these re
spects-
An allusion was made by your COMM
tee to the offensive arrogance and sell
Importance of some small surgeons, VIII
have found their way into hospitals, which
will no doubt be corrected by proper les
sons on good manners or dismissal from
the service.
The time of your committee has not
admitted of thorough investigation Of
abuses agreeably to instructions by the
convention. Such, however, as have
been discovered. have been com /
municated to the Surgeon Gen
eral, and your committee are confident
that the proper remedy will be applied
speedily. The Surgeon General Informed
your committee that he would at all tims
be thankful for information relating to any
abuses which might be conveyed to hn
through your committee, and thai
he would at all times act on such infOr
nation.
As it is the design of this " Uniond
Association" to make thorough work
exposing all kinds OF hospital abuses,Wl
a view to their correction, and thereby
intro the condition of our soldiers who
are so unfortunate as to become inmates
of hospitals, it is earnestly desired by your
committee that all persons knowing OF any
abuse, or wrong, practiced against SICK o.
disabled soldiers by any surgeons, nurses
or attendants in any hospital, should pre-
sent the facts duly authenticated, hP~
sible, to your COMMITTEES, for their exam exam
nation and consideration. These ls SI
should be stated in writing, and If poS'lON
they rould be certified to by the WINES
Moderation and great care should W
taken in all such cases, lest injustice " "
done to hospitals or to persons, as IL n WV ".
determination of your committee, Hun
they would rigidly protect the rlgn' :,g
our soldiers in hospitals, to bring no uN'''
accusation against any one. ...l
All of which is respectfully suonl'''"
Fl. j. ALvoRD, Michigan,
r. Fl. STEELE, Connecticut,
H B. FERNALD, Massachusetts
JAS STEELE, Illinois,
R. j. PORTER, New York, az.
Committee,
During the reading of the report IN
Alvord stated that, in his assertions " 80