Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1862-11-27

properly prescribe that the applicant Tor Appointment
shsl be ex lmined by q Medical Board. II he stands q
fair examination and produces evidence of good moral
character, the board is authorized to commend that he
be commissioned and yet in three months, under the
demoralizipg iri fences in the army, he may be the
"drur ken, conceited boy s~urgson"-mentionsd b your
editorial Of the lO:h. There Is a legitimate way % reach
not only the "drur ken boy surgeon" but the drunken
man surgeon. It Ii not the young surgeons slcae that
must carry all this odium, many of these young men
have acted mob y, aud others would have done 90 had
they not have "fAllen by the ~wayside," through the bad
examtls aud association Of older officers, aud they not
always from the Medical Department. We believe the
only remedy for these evils to be-not BY universal De
nunciaion, bu. by taking hold Of individual casee, and
Diminishing those that are culpable from the service-and
that right speedily. 1t does not require additional ieg'
islaion by Congress, nor orders from the Secretary OF
War, and hut few from the Surgeon Gtneral, but arigio
enforcement Of those that We have. Il must not be
taken for granted that because an tficsr entered the
service with ALTERING prospects Of success, that the
hopes Of himself and friends are berg realized. This
war is a fiery furnace, trying mons souls, and 81 Is not
all that can endure its heat. Whenever the onsaaer Is
found let him be a~rraigned and dismissed BY the proper
authorities. II he Is found, who u such . slave 70 ns
own appetite as to drink to excess, or 10 % insensioie 70
the wants of his PROSTATE fellow soldiers as to drink the
hospital brandy, let him be dismissed. If thu medicA
odOsr who was in charge Of the sick train from Winchee-
ter to S Aunton neglected the poor soldier, who 10 said
to have died ct Hlrrisonburg 10 the ambulance, without
any one to minister to him In his dying hour, let him be
dismissed. If the surgeons we're responsible fof the
tufsripg recently Of returning wounded soldiers o.
Atkins Landing, let thsm be dismissed, and put them
al in the ranks as conscrip.s- A few examples OF thu
kind will do more to rsctity and prevent these arons'
than all the abuse that has been hsapsd upon the msdi
cal fraternity since the commencement oil the war. II
| officers high in authority-both Of the line and medical
do not act promptly, let the Surgeon General appoint
a committee to visit each hospital and surgeon In the
field, being sure to send such as have no whisky blen-
ishss in their own syes) and cause them to make a tho
| rough investigation OF how each surgeon has discharged
bis duty. The war has continued eighteen months, and
every medicL eff ser has had an opportunity to sho"
what he is practically, and let him be judged according
". If this were done, soon this great outcry sil eelse,
the profession will stand in its uonted place. confidence
| will be res oad, and parents ard friends Of soldier and
soldiers themselves will find that in the day Of their I'D
ysrsity and EFF ring they will be cared for to the bs
| of the ability Of the Government and surgeons. 4.