The Portland daily press., 1863-11-07


ters On time asked one Of these men,
what he thought Of the unaccountable dropsy
tha: afflicted this forlorn bird. He told me
mysteriously. that it was Potomac water aud
the whole hospital had it.
The main Office occupies the entire front of
the central building. A huge stove stands
opposite the door, absolutely menacing the
visitor with its red. open jaws. Beyond and
facing it, sits the officer of the day, in full sur
geon's uniform. On his right is the post
office, and the chief clerks desk. On his left
are still other clerks, all busy. The officer Of
the day is on luty for twenty-four hours. He
will not go to bed tonight. At midnight and
at daylight he will make general inspection
of the hospital. If any patient should exhibit
new or alarming symptoms during the night,
he will be called. During the day he will
carefully inspect every department, paying
particular attention TO the general police of
the hospital and scrupulonsly testing both
the quantity aud quality of food served up for
each meal. 1t is his duty also to receive all
new patients and visitors here lie cannot
leave his seat, even for inspections, unless re-
lieved by his successor, who is to-day's rcliev-
ing officer. At ten o'clock Tomorrow morn
ing he will be finally relieved, aud will turn
over 20 the new officer of the day, his written
notes, to be embodied in morning report
to the surgeon in charge. There are ten
medical officers, one TO each ward, and they
perform this duty in rotation. They are held
strictly responsible for failure TO note and re-
port Irregularities occurring in any depart
ment.
Inc uoor III tiie transverse PARTITION, Just
penllu .he oincer oi tne day, opens INTO long,
narrow passage, on eitner side oil which are
the dispensary, the spirit room, the library,
the linen room, the general ward masters
room, rooms assigned to the officers of the
suara' aru n III .he rear, the surgeons dining
room. me uoo, 10 tle riSht oi thls, opens
from iiie man once INTO the once oil the sur
geoI III cn'I2e. An ofaer1y SITS hard by.
over lne ooor Is inscribed III large letters tho
apopHthe2nl, order Is heavens nrst law"
IL Is certainly the law OF Arnory Square.
An array OF stiil more alarming inscriptions Is
Withlh over the desk oil the surgeon III
cnarge, Hora rult: vigila' land he Is vigi-
liant, be it observed; opposite to the door,
lime Is money: we have neither to spend"
ana this, which Is really personal, when your
business Is completed, please retire." The
room IS plainly furnished, but the walls are
covered with pictures; among them an excel
lent photograph OF group OF former patients,
each one oil whom has lost leg in the service
OF his eountry-of our country, too, remem
Der Iherc are nve oil them, all young, and
tue faces are filled with touching expression
Is written, The Fortune of War Besides
the pictures, the only ornaments are a small
aquarium and bronze statuette Of Jackson,
copy OF the equestrian statue in Jackson
Square, or as 1t Is still sometimes called, La
tayette Square, north of the Presidents House.
DIR. Bliss is the man you would expect TO flud
amidst these surroundings. The pungent
proverbs and the bronze Jackson justly fore
shadow his character. Spare, dark, perhaps
fhntph hnt ia ha IN tall
wiry and hardy, an iron man in look and will,
born discplinariaD, aud yet singularly com
panionable when of duty Ii the sovereignty
OF the States was conceded the doctors al
legiance, like that of many Northern men,
would furnish matter for very pretty dis
pute. he was born In New York, reared in
Oaio. and at the beginning of til war was es
tablished in the practice of his profession in
Michigan. As surgeon of the Third Michigan
volunteers, he was with the Army of the Po-
tomac till after the battle of Fair Oaks. Tenn
porarily broken down by the excessive fatigue
and exposure which followed that sanguinary
action, he was sent TO the rear, subsequently
reported at Washington, and on the 7th July,
1867, was placed III charge OF the general hos
pitai then about to be opened in Armory
Square. Ihe i1rst patients were admitted Il
month or Two later. The subsequent useful
ness of lne hospital Is largely due to the con-
'' ~'~ ,'"SS' ~, SoSi'S SuI'Si 'ioiou vi
the surgeon IN charge, from day to day and
~ " i,oitu ue'cens t,lis or tiat source
" os -; ,isn amsn. peinaps ~ ue.aii oat sefi-
49,, -, by as anu e'oirtely curing t.e
do~'r!, ~ .nI % ,iu otu.iion ., VI ne" netnoos
oi,,osa "aap'eu W .I1 ucslieu emu. ~
,ni, % l.o. ~ W aae, uia. nc 10 tlloI-
chsn,,in ~, ~. p'o.ess,on ssr' INC puiiy
o,ap 10 ,o,IJ mIJ , yS .oinesseu " nie tiaC
,oo,h ox,uan.ad "Vs s oua. W IJo % n,ucn Is "
ororeo,,e III ,,'. InI ~ ms chiiaIe"' mas
,ala fasrr,I n,aan,,, ;' -. 70 laL a. 70
80 col ,a,,id s,,;Ic,, i,,,'Ia' '"0 u'''
Eyerv ;,,n,p,,a' 81 sN,h"' .aa h.S;.ay; sui
,,o s,,r',,a -, ., .S .ospi'a' =, icPo. .cu W
i, ,bo eyn,,;,,, ~ Ia VIZ uai's az niue
ra,;n,,s "au oo.ch III .c noinins thc
soas cn,nIdrad i, ,ho ',,; .sn '"c Ion vi per
lice de,a,tnants III. asa;a,,,t ,Aumui VI po-
ali ,hd ali ~ ,,,,. ao ..1 "ai unlts'eis
~ ,,,ai,. ,o,.ovai "'teu'nls s auu patichIs
.s ti'aso ,,,;'a AZ e,she III tic morn
,,,i,, Ill iepol. " .he seherai ward
srr,,aa i"o =, e1iuenscu report 10 tne
h, e.J'r, " TT Ai ehauscs, oecasio,ieu
',h 80 -, :. .''ss.oi, .u, uiseiid, &c, Vi iut
,,.,h "'o hoteu ,l 'iese reports. Inc whole
ui,i, ,ho Iasr;,,i pe,lnaheu.iy cplheetea
No, or thola o. 'oiaeI aoout .Mo huhdteu'
va, st-a,,, .,,', .G oon.'oscune Pstiehts' not
80 ,s;.' ~ .nousn, vi Mno VIII perhaps never
ali thn ~ clo,l-' enTusn lor u9ty IN ,ne hcid.
ong to this class """ ''u'' "e-
A. oee;s..., .,.,.,
e,@ @ "aiuniastel Is respohslole lor
Vs.. p'"TH ~, ''iu E, SSne M al management oi eaci
,,'o H., . s',aa' apait'ncns m on the risht oil
s.s I'm. .nai alioe - nls. Inc corresponding
"t''' 'uien'' 9cPaiaoeu hoin Tue Wtruhasters