The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-10-20

Il
more perfect organization. but was vetoed
BY the President. !,
VALUE OF SOUTHERN MEDICAL PLANTS.
ltseemed useless to make further efforts
in this direction. Medicines ard hospital
supplies having been 'msde consraband Of
war by the Northern Government, and the
supplies obtained through blockade.runners
by land and water being at all times uncer.
Tain, 1t was very important to be as iude.
pendent as. possible OF this mode Of supply.
II had been my impression for long time
that many of the southern medical plants
possessed valuable properties, and that their
usefulness would soen be discovered in
many diseases il administered with care aud
attention. To carry out somewhat ibis idea.
| pamphlet was issued from Surgeon Gene.
ral's Office, 1862, General Directions and
List of Plants" This production did not
| meet the requirements Of the army or the
| necessities Of the people ofthe Confederacy.
II seemed incumbent to furnish the latter
with all the information and practical in.
struction possible.
A very capable medical officer was detailed
to prepare treatise on the resources OF the
southern fields and forests. This book was
of so much importance, containing great
large edition was published and the vol
umes distributed free to those who desired
them. To carry out still further this idea,
and to induce medical officers to prescribe
domestic remedies, and not to rely too much
upon imported articles of the Materia Medca,
three laboratories were established this side
Of the Mississippi river, and one in the Trans
Mississippi Department, for the preparation
of extracts. &C., Of the most known medicinal
plants. Specimens of these preparations
were transmitted to the Surgeon-Generaps
Office, Richmond city, at different times.
These articles reflected much credit on the
medical officers In charge Of these laborato.
ries. These supplies were issued by medical
puryeyors, and instructions given to medical
officers for reports as to the action of. these
medicines in disease. -.---..------- ------,
g.. TIECTuREs ISSUED Ls RATtoss. l. , !
Such favorable reports were received That
many of these articles of the Materia Medca
were added to the supply-table and issued to
the Confederate armies. There we're two
articles of great importance for which SUBJ
stitutes could not be obtained, especially
one. Allusion is made to the pre-
parations of bark and opium. To meet
the difficulty as regards the first arti.
the i'm portance of substituting as far as prac-
ttcable secondary remedies, and to obtain fur.
ther this end tinctures were prepared and
issued to troops, as rations, serving in mala.
rious regions. To impress yet more, and
prevent perhaps the too lavish employ
ment of this valuable medicine, iu-
structions were given 10 several surgeons
in charge of general hospitals to use 9uinine
by subcutaneous Injection, and report.
Tbese reports were very favorable, the only
objection being tba! the injections could not
be introduced at the same spot without pro.
dueing too much irritation. A much smaller
dose was required, administered in this way,
to produce the desired effect Of the medi-
cine. AS to opium, two efforts were made
"aWay down Suwanee river" to culti-
Yate this plant, without success. An
other attempt was made in North
Carolina. In this instance the plants looked
we'll and promised a fine yield, but the return
was small; the number of acres cultivated
not remembered. In this connection / will
add the laboratories made good castor oil
and ground.peanut oil, the latter proving q
good substitute for sweet oil. A botanical
garden was begun, from which much was
expected. .....
HOSPITAL SUPPLIES FROM OVER THE SEA.
To obtain medical and hospital supplies
from beyond the sea, and in conjunction
with the Ordnance Bureau, an agency was
established in London with instructions to
purchase and forward supplies to both de-
partments by every bleckade-runner, the
steamer on its return carrying out cotton to
defray expenses. A separate agency for
the Medical Bureau was established at
Nassau. These agents were attentive to their
duties, and shipped supplies with commend
able regularity. The cotton for the use OF
the department was purchased BY special
agents in the southern States.
ATaEATIsE ON MILITARY SURGERY.
As our medical and surgical literature was
very limited journal of medicine as well as
q medical society were established. These
were in operalion to the close Of the war.
To meet more fully the demands OF this
want medical officer was assigned to the
dnty of writing 4 treatise on military sur
CORY another on wounds and injuries to
nerves. A fpld.book on operative
surgery was published and !ssued:
r. was intended to establish hospital
! for invalid soldiers, and an officer detailed 10
determine sites and report, his attention
| heine called more especially to Aiken, ). Z.
| The report was in favor of this to~p. Ii vas
| in contemplation to establish hosplta! 1cT
| deformities. the result of wounds. TIE al
tention of surgeons WIS called to tne mpor.-
ance OF saving as mueh as possible OF tnc
| lower limb in cases requiring aupu!a'
tion. and medical officer was instructed
with this view to operate at tue kneeJoln!
| when deemed advisable. These operations
were not successful. The CLASSIFICATION
of diseases was remode'led, the one
in use being defective. The form was
reYer published. Several efforts were
made 10 produce the yarolouS oisease
in the cow. The experiments were maU'
at three or four different points OF the coun.
try. but without success, The OBJECT DelnS'
obtain, if possible, a reliable supply OF vac
cine virus. A not very successful enort wa:
made to manufacture operating-knlVeS. "a
regards surgical appliances the supply Wa
not very good. Towards the close Oh tn'
war great trouble was experienced ID oo
tanning subsistence stores for the hospitals
Surgeons in charge Of hospitals had, through
their agents, TO forage the country lar ahe
near for this purpose. tts sLr r.., I
HOW THE CoNFEDERAcY WAS sTRAIrENED.
In this imperfect sketch twill be seen no"
straiteped the Department was Tor every
thing, and through its Efforts an order wa
issued by the Adjuaut-General lp'acTnl
prison hospitals on the sane footing VIII
other hospitals.
The great fire OF April, 1865, destroyed
nearly all the valuable documents OF the De
partmept, and il any fell into the hands 0
the northern armies after we surrenuere'
they were not OF much importance. Gen
tlemen, .'Loye's Labor's Lost" Dut pro
phet of old has said," Yet shall not tiny teacn
ers be removed IN corner any more, ou
thine ewes shall see thy teachers" Whe'