, 1862-02-07
SICK SOLDIERS IN MISSOURI.
Sanitary Condition CT the Troops-Ten
per cent Of tie Entire Command on
tle Sick I4fst---Causes of tic PrcFn-
1cnce of the Disease,

The correspondent Of the New York Tsmst
writing from Rola, Mo-, makes some impor.
tant statements in regard to the sanitary con
ditlon Of the troops at inc time he wrote, ten
days ago. He says:
Ten per cent Of the entire army are on tic
sick list The prevailing diseases aru measles.
lypho1a lever, army dysentery, and pneumo-
MA In two Of the regiments here sInSlI.po
has broken out. but rs yet the eases arc few,
The mortality is very great prostratins and
fatal diseases are so prevalent tlIt the
subject should receive prompt and thorough
official Investigation
A favorable theory IN regard to it is, that the
climate is unhealthy but this is exploded bv
The fact that tho Arkansas and Missouri sol
dlcrs, who have been accustomed to it all their
lives, in many cases suffer more than the
troops from Northern Illinois and Iowa.
There is the no5s marked disparity, too, in
regiments c,lramped side by side. After visit
ing all the post and rcgimcntal HOSPITALS. and
the camp ofncarly every regiment. the follow
ing causes, in the order nasncd, impress me IS
the origin OF the alarming mortality.
l. Lack OF sanltary precautions. Catnp life
t1ht'cr Itnpef conditidGas, is the hcaltaie5t life
in the world; hut in tliis climate, if those cor
ditions arc neglected, death reaps a fearful
harvest; among the comforts and convention
cles OF home, it is comparatively easy to obey
the laws OF health, in cleanliness Of person
and dress and correct dict; but in caulp, SOL
diers will not do it, unless it is insisted upon
and made tic object Of ubrc,nitting personal
attention by their officers. At this post, for
instance, while there have been uppdrds Of 4
EunQTcd dfafhs II. the 35th Illinois, Gustlyus 4.
Smith, Colonel, the Cd Missouri, Col schoe1Ier,
has lost only four men by disease since it enter
Cd tue service, shortly after the war broke out.
Ibis regiment is composed exclusively Of
Germans, who show as 4 clas<hmuch less NOR
faiity than our troops Of native birth; but Col
schoetlcr is an old soldier, who cnforccs tue
observation Of hyglenic laws, and his hospital
Is III better condition than any other in the
entire command. The 18th Illinois (Col. J. B.
Wyn3an), which is one Of the best regiments
in the country, composed Of intelligent men,
who have gone through much lard service,
was mentioned to ms as another fortunate
command, which had lost only 1G members.
visit to its camp explained the cause.
The location is high and dry; the men are ill
provided with Sibley tents, properly warmed
and ventilated, and their quarters are dry,
clean and tidy. All their garments are wash
ed at least once week, and cleanliness Of per
rieidly enforced. Il the officers Of other
regiments exercised the same care in
these respects as Col Wyaman and his sub
ordinatcs, the results would be most happy,
On the other hand, We found tic men Of tic
regiments which arc suffering the most wal
quartcrs often in 81 condition which rendered
the prevalence Of the typhoid fever and small
pox Of easy explanation. The 4th Iowa, which
has suffered severely, having buried 50 men
within short time, should be excepted from
this category. It comes from sparsclY-sct-
tied region, and when measles broke out
among the men there we're upwards Of 100
cases within 4 month. The disease left the
systems dehilitated, and in many Instances
slight impr1dencc, il going out too soon in
thu raw, damp air, brought on pneumonia,
which soon proved iat:.l.
H. Lack Of proper medical attention and
supplies. The commander Of division said
to me: ~ needed and applied for five sur
geci1s, but have been abic to obtain only one;
and it is utterly impossible Tor him to give
my men the attention they require" The
Colonel Of one Of tic regiments which has
very large sick list remarked: "Red tape or
iineom.pcteney. or both, is killing my men.
in adequate quantities. When We require
and ask for cxpectorants, nc receive
little OF what VIC need, and a great deal of
c;lomel, or something else which we do not
need" The Surgeon Of the post hospitals
complained in the Eaane strain, that hc found
1t impossible to cbtain from the head Of the
medical department in st. Louis, articles iua-
pcrative1y needed ~ his patients. So far as
bedding and clols4g are concerned, there
seems to be no lack; butin medicines. there
is great cause for complaint
Ill Inaction. This has proved most injuri-
GUS to the health Of the troops. Accustomed
to active lives, when they are shut up in their
camps month after month, with no excite
mcnr, no stimulus to exertion, nothing TO fill
up the vacant hours but the tiresosne routine
Of their daily duties, they become careless,
1istless, and after they get into the hospitals,
ottenshopeless. But let an order for marching
be given, when there is the slightest prospect
for meeting. the enemy, and they receive it
with deafening cheers; their eyes light M
with new enthusiasm; the patients in the
hospitals leave their cots, inspired with fresh
lives, and the sick.list decreases marycIous1y.
health Of their men is much better in active
serSige than In the 1etbargY Of the nosts