New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-08-07

have these things occurred. We hear one loud and
long rem0nstrance coming mp from all sections OF our
army MIR. President, you who are made Dy the
Constitution Of your country the Conn ander-in'
Chief u the army and navy, comnsnd imperatively
that the strength and manhood of patriotic army
shall longer be undermined by such policy as that
have traced in words far feebler than facts would
justify. Let the fiery and impetuous valor Of our
perform the duty which summoned them to the field.
Speak the word and nuadreds Of thousands of faces
now darkened with discomfort, will brighten with
that confidence which is the unerring barbnger Of
victory"
sickness in the Army-Thc Causes and their
Remedies.
Too much cannot be said or done to enforce the
observance aud adoption of well-known measures
for the protection of our army in the field against the
decmatipg effects of disease. Men differ in opinion
upon almost every subject, and doctors proverbiay;
but believe most enlightened men will admit that
sleeping in the confined air of close tents, and living
on salt meats and breadstuifs, without fresh escuent
vegetables or sub-acid fruits, are two prominent
causes of the large amount of sickness affecting our
army at the present time.
If we start with the proposition that fresh, pure
air ia more necessary TO preserve health than the
quality of the food we eat, and then observe the
habits Of an army in the field in the use of tents,
we soon discover the destructive cause Of vast
amount Of sickness. Sibley tents, which do not
afford breathing room for two men six hours, are
often occupied by eighteen, and other kinds OF tents
in about the same proportion. Without entering
into particulars which were recently fully set forth
i'm hi official report it will be perhaps sufficient for
my present purpose 10 merely refer to the fact that
our soldiers during the Winter and Spring months
are almost entirely deprived Of that most essential
life giving element, oxygen during the eight hours
usually allotted to rest Instead OF being strength
ened snd refreshed by sleep, they merely gain mus.
cular and mental rest at the expense Of the vital
forces from the deterioration in the quality Of the
blood, the oxygen of which becomes exhausted.
The effect is insdious, and hence escapes the CON-
mon observer.
The cause operating to break down tho constitu.
ton i. precisely that which induces typhus fever but
not sufficiently potent ~ produce that result Enerya
ton, sssitude oss Of appetite, and impaired dses.
ZION are the most perceptibs effects, until the time
when exposure to unusual hardship brings them
down, and they pass into the hands of the surgeon.
This is the fruitful source Of typhoid ,er, which
term means, simply, like typhus. A moment 3 re-
Election will satisfy any mind that exposure TO wet,
cold, forced march, or the faiigues Of battle are
not sufficient cause Of specific disease. There
must be ia the system special condition. or poison,
l
while the immediate cause may be ANYTHING tina,
overta=es the VITAL powers giving the pre-existing
opportunity to develop the form OF disease
These are the phenomena which l bave every
where witnessed in pretty extensive survey
through different divisions Of our army. In an in-
terview had last Winter with the late Gen. Lander,
bite his army WIS stationed at Patterson Q Greek,
Va. found he had arrived at the same conclusion
with regard TO the of tents cause Of sickness
which at that time duciDg the strength OF bis
force to an alarming extent. tie recounted some OF
his experiences in the Rocky Mountain passes In
Winter, when he and his men bvouacked nightly
with nothing bnt India-rubber sheets, lined with
thin flannel, and blankets, for beds and covering.
He informed me that he never lost man from
sickness in any Of his expeditions for the Govern
careful examination of this subject will show that
our army bas been weakened more by this cause
than by all that has been inflicted upon it from tue
enemy. The system thus weakened a. the source OF
its vitality, Is subject TO every form aud variety
of dsease the eXieences and exposures OF war are
likely 10 induce. The tend ncy OF every form OF
aiment TO run into TYPHOID state which has at
trced the attention OF the mort casual observer III
the army finds Ali explanation in the above facts.
Now is the time, during the warm season, 10 dis
ense with tents for sleeping quarters and substitute
he smple tent root, or shelter by bending square
piece of over "A horizontal pole resting on
Two crotshes about eight feet high, and attaching
the opposite edges by stakes, in tue form OF roof
with both ends open. There are many advantages
TO be gained by tue adoption OF this simple pro:ec-
ZION, other than such are conducive ~ health,
which every army officer will readily appreciate.
The next cause of sickness which / propose 10
treat of in this paper, viz: the disuse Of fresh veg
etabes, is already, am happy TO see. attracting
much attention. Scurvy Is rapidly becoming the
disease in the army, and probably no.
" here have troops suffered more from ths DIS
ease than in Tennessee this Summer Much OF the
country is almost barren of fresh vegetables this
season. About Prtsburg Landing, Savannah, and
Corinih nothing of tie kind could be obtained.
AT one time, | received into the General Hospital
at Savannah 500 disabled men, one-lsf of whom
were suffering from more or less aggravated symp-
toms of rcuryy. In frequent instances, have seen
mems teeth loose that they could be picked oit
With the fingers This condition was often attribu-
led 10 the use Of mercury VIII n, probably, not
gram had b, en- administered We were lucky 10
receiving from benevolent societies IN OHIO, Illinois
aud through the Rev. Mr. Thorn, an agent from
BROOKLYN, n. Y, large Quantities OF lemons; and
while they lated we gave daily, without discrimi
patton, the whole hospital population Of 600 each
glass of lemonade.
Much OF the so-ealled rheumatism in the army is
nothing less than scurvy. Toe general idea that 1t
10 rheumatifm, and occasoned from exposure causes
he soldier to close his tent with great NJ night
by which means no encourages the development Of a
worse malady, namely, typhoid fever, which, when
engraf,ed upon constitution already afflicted by
.corbutic symptoms, is masked that It battles the
kill of the most experienced surgeon.
/ trust that what have said already will prove
sufficient TO stimulate efforts now being made the
part OF bene yoeut societies send into the field
lar as possible sufficient supply OF fresh vegeta-
lies ward off the further progress OF this already
formidable malady. Potatoes, cabbages and onions
are rerhaps, more desirable to the soldier than
almost any other vegetables yet there is scarcely
ANYTHING of the kind eatable but what the accus- |
omed feeder on " hard tack will not thank God
,,,i, IA hap ant mr. enl Ia
,ny one of the most nutritious vegetables especially
shen eaten with pork, but it has the advantage OF
rot necessarily requiring to be cooked.
c. ID. GRlSwOLD. NJ. D.