, 1863-05-12

Of their soldiers, whom the sad chances Of war
have disabled and placed under the medical
authorities here, feel 1t my duty to throw
upon the subject the light Of my erperience,
there is one duty more important than anoth-
er, 1t Is that Of seeing that our sick and
| wounded soldiers are protected from the In
| competent, unfaithfu1, fnhnman and treacher-
ous surgeons, whose treatment Is more to be
| feared than the guns OF the enemy.
It Was because I had heard much Of this,
| and knew not how much to believe, that ac-
| cepted service rs Contract Surgeon last Janu-
ary, when was assigned to jackson Hospital
Of which Surgeon z. 81, Powers vas, as he
this mans evident uniitness for his place.
His red and b1oated flce, and sensual expires.
| sion were repulsive+ Of his fncapac1ty and
lack Of medical knowledge was not aware,
but have become informed BY subsequent as
ISOLATION. His heartless indifference to the
suf1etiDgs of the sick, and neglect to supply
their wants painfully impressed me. All the
power in this respect is lodgedin his hands.
| All that and my colleagues. the ward sur
! geons, could do was to represent TO him their
| necessities, and receive from him gruff reply
| that sick tenderness Was out Of place in mill
| tasy life. One instance will illustrate his
character aud conduct.
Soon after took charge Of my ward, tho
| hospital being not yet filed, q boat load was
sent from below, and brought to the hospital
- ~ LIZ Sfeu1n5- Lucy LII 6uueled Mulch on
the passage from the severity Of the weather,
and from want Of attendance, and were some
| Of them in q dying condition, and all silver
| ing with cold and 1amishing with thirst and
| hunger. They were ordered by DR.. Powers
| to be put in the upper rooms, where they re,
maipsd Ill night without nurses, without fire.
or Light, or attendance Of any sort. Of this
state OF things the ward surgeons we're igno
rant, supposing, Of course, that the new ar
rivals were properly provided for, By the sur
| gecn IN charge. On visiting tho hospital the
next morning, heard something which led
ne to 60 mp, where was shocked to find
them huddled in these comfortless rooms, un-
attended, some gasping in the last stages OF
disease and exhaustion, others begging for
water and nourishmeut, and all suffering with
cold: Al soon as the ward surgeons could be
notified OF the fact, aid was speedily rendered,
put ~. Powers. upon whom an the re-
sponsibillty Of this cruel wrong rested, treat
cd with Indifference. Instances might be
multiplied, but it is needless for character
20 notorious. The officers Of the Sanitary
Commission, which for causes, nnd from
which he has constantly refused. to allow ne
the hospital, are fully informed Of his charac-
ter, aud without presuming to dictate to that
wise aud God-helping institution any Of Its
duties, l cannot help saying that il By its
scrutiny and influence such Wretches as Pow
crs could be ferretted out and driven from
! lAG4i lOs1k4OuoN VI lllecAlElt LuG UEuGuLS TO LIE
soldiers will he more than tons Of clothing
and 1uxurfcs. will further add, as a suggcs.
| tion for the yerffcation of the above, that
Col. Allen, Medical Inspector Of this Depart
ment, has in his possession specification Of
charges, drawn up By responsible person,
and including every variety OF cruelty, coarse.
ness, llcentiousness and drunkenness, naming
time, PLACE and witnesses, which paper las
not been acted on, because drawn np By one
nut in the service. But the Sanitary Commits
sion knows how to cut red tape.
The ruling spirit Of evil, however, in this
department is Surgeon B. ]. D. Irwin; chiet Of
ho-pitals, By whose power or influence, the
surgeons in charge, aud other medical officers,
are made or unDladc, as they please him. and
whose only test Of qualifications is subscry.
iency to himself. A more arrogant aud inso,
lent fellow cannot be found 4 more unman.
ner]y, violent and uufeeling 1nah never dis.
! grated the medical profession. This the San
itary Com,fission, Of which he is the foe, also
knows, and to this Ill the loyal portion Of til.
medical staff will testify, it they can freely do
60. But he is feared as much as be is hated,
for he has power to dispiace any hospital sur.
nature to their account, prevent their recciT
ing pay. Most Of the surgeons aud nurseE
| hare come more than thoSsand miles to heir
| the sick, and choose or are compelled to suf
fer much insult rather than be driven away
| DR.. Irwin knows this and takes every adyan
| VI IL Lllitt ItGs1I1 IuH4!LuHu[ mtnu Il
CAPABLE OF. The violence and abuse Of t1t
sick is notorious. His passing through the
hospitals is efgna1 Of terror to the patients
who are surc Of curses, and fear worse things
He has siczed and violently shaken. with much
cursing. sick and helpless soldier, for nc
other offence than sitting for 4 few moments
uptn the side ola sick comrades cot, ofwhon
he had asked the favor to read letter. Tx
the female nurses furnished by the Sanitar,
Commission, in Gayose hospital, he has beer
disgr,crfuly abusive. Upon passing through
Adams hospital, III bleak day in March, anG
guish6d and the CRATES removed, SO as to pre-
vent the possibility of renewing them, at tht
eamc time ordering the windows, which wert
lowered at the top sufficiently for ventilation
to be thrown oren. By this cruel order man,
patients were much injured, and one wl'
therein into q relapse, terminating in death.
This ward was for few days under m,
charge, and, on observing its cold and cheer
less condition, vas informed of the aboy.
fact. There were subsequently n few yer1
warm days, when the air Of Adams Hospital
crowded at the time, Was sitting and oppres
siyc. Some Of the patients passed into thu
halls and eas upon the stairs to breathe more
freely. Dr. Irwin, coming In, assailed them
violently, drove them to their rooms, ani
ordered the guard to put the l,ayonct through
them il they appeared there again. 1t is iii
business to make their condition as abjcct
and hopeless as possible by every sign Of con
tempt and every resort Of petty tyranny. and
to prolong their Imprisonment. to the utmost
regardless Of public interest and Of humanity
and havincr i1anc m dntr ~ ~; u.san1I a;oI,,.
montGs anil nininr fi,r their distant ho1nns
where they n1fcht be coInfortef1 ana nnssihir
saved, ana bcgnsing for the dis charrc to which
by the rules Of tho service, they arc entitled
have hecn still kept, month after month. nj
Government EXPENSE. in the hosn;tals nj
Memphis by the arbitrary viii Of IF. irwin
until. at length. they lave died frnu snn1'
sickness as much as bodily disease. Every
week the ward surgeons have ciyen in lists of
patients clearly entitled to discharpe. not one
to see suffering sons and husbands have 3 heen
for days denied admittance, and when admit-
ted, treated In such a manner rs virtually r.
1pel them, One faithful Illinois mother. who
persisted for two or three successive days to
| come and watch her sick son. lin nv ward
was on tho last day of her visit repulscd by The
guard, bY order Of Dr. Powers.
Il is in vain for the ward surgeons to show
! sympathy, for they have no power to giye
relief, and are sure to incur loss BY InteFfcr
ence. One Of them, for presuming to write .
letter discussing the homeless disea.e M 4
soldier from Chfcoro. that lis yifc, who h,d
come c0 miles to Beg his discharge. and haf
been denied through the influenza of ~ irwin ;s
n,irht nrcsent thc easa to Con Tnrlh,t ~!
E,r that fnlfi1,ment NJ n dntv imnerH};ro1s "1s
renn;red hv instice and humnn,tr E;nian+iy
rsns;,nondcd ma d;sm;ssod Tro11 H. 'tulela'
Evcry wartl snroenn VIM man;f.sts interes,
ana EcJnase +ayerd +ha s;n' a,d er,;,,s ~;
onn,idannn aan tomatu ~ Luz slA anu cams tnel
from nr IrEtn. md fhnee 7rho iii 1;tn ~ ~.
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