The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1864-04-12
SMALLPOX Hospital No. q.
Correspondence of the Nashville Union


Seemingly devoid of all knowledge
or else preiudiced by ignorance Of the
disease in question, the populace of this
city, in an unwonted and unjust
manner have caused Hospital No.
l to be stigmatized and otherwise de
nominated as the Plague" or " Pest
House" whore fumes of stencil, pollu-
ton and corruption reign supreme; in
other words, no patient, either soldier
or citizen, ever lives to see the eight Of
anot her day" when once they enter the
confines Of this worse than tpis inJec-
tor. Physicians, stewards, nurses, all,
more or less, are included in the cate
CORY of practicing brutality ordering
coffins hourly, that they may the more
readily get rid of the Internal disease.
Appealing to the intelligence Of a
community proverbial in times gone by
for its liberality of thought-liberal in
rendering aid to suffering citizens, both
at home and abroad-permit me, Mr.
Editor, through the columns Of the
UNION, read, as it is, by over twenty-five
thousand persons daily, to correct, in
part, the erroneous impressions gone
forth upon the wings Of the winds, and
repeated so often by individuals alto
gether ignorant Of the manner in which
this much dreaded disease is treated.
Smallpox is treated at this Hospital as
in private practice; not according to
the old plan of treatment, but upon
general principles, viz: In the first
stages or that of fever, Diaphorcttc and re
frigerant measures have been found the
most efficient, certainly the most agree
able and in the latter stages attention
is given to all the functions Of recrea-
ton, DC. Also, stimulation is found to
be very beneficial in severe cases; but
good nursing Is found to be the most i'm
portant of all That the patients receive
that attention, care and solicitude so
requisite for their recovery or comfort
in general, is an every day illustration
at this Hospital
The surgeon in charge, DR.. G, W.
France, though scarce two months in
stalled in Office, is the right man in the
right place He is a graduate Of the
first Medical College in the United
States, and has treated hundreds Of
cases of smallpox prior to his connec-
ton with this institution He combines
all the essentials of a refined and feel
ing gentleman, courteous and affable to
the lowest, rendering all the aid and
assistance to the inmates Of the Prison
House within his power He acrer re-
linquishes his post to engage in the
frivolities of the day or the gaities of
the night, but, like faithful sentinel,
his tramp can be heard at morn, noon
and night, alleyiating the sufierings of
tho sufferers
No less conspicuous in the galaxy Of
death-dealing' foes belongs to this re-
ceptacle of the dead than Mrs. F. and
Mrs. r., stationary IN tie house Of the dead
Could some Jo,,-ton female, as she sweeps
the streets of Nashville,
"Furred below and aounced around,
With feet too delicate to touch the ground"
see the angelic forms of these two tronaea,
and soothing the sick, they
would certainly stand appalled, al the
Of their own forgetfulness
of the sufferings Of Hospital No. H.
Such are a tao of the peculiarities at
tending this institution, which, under
the fostering care Of the General Gov
eminent, and hourly supervised by high
authority is, in the same breath, de
nomced unsparingly as the leprous
basin.
Ia future let traducers examine facts
before pillaglng the helpless OF an IN
stitution so liberal in its principles, and
one which should meet the hearty APP
probation OF every citizen of Nashville
more especially when its tendency is
to stop the rayages of a disease so re-
pusnant to the human kind, and save
their kindred from its appalling touch
DR. France is assisted by the best
medical skill Doctors Conover, Roope,
Hall, Campbell Griffith and Briggs, each
having the control of a Division, seldom
meet with rest from their labors Every
hour Of the day and night they are to
be- found on the beat, attentive, as
5iduous, kind in the extreme to every
patient placed under their charge
Understand, there is no fulsome Gu
ogy intended for any man or set Of
men. so far as conducting this peculiar