The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-11-26

remained OF this latter was wheat. I was
told by DR.. Jennings, a physician In the
neIghborhood, that the season was q phe-
nomlnally unhealthy one in that country.
He himself, he stated, had the nanles'of oucr
8N new patients on his medical ledger.
Some OF this increase however, is doubtless
due to the fact that the doctor has recently
moved to the neighborhood from some dis
am told. I next hGl q long interview With
DR.. McKie, who H. the most prominent and
successful physician :th-tnat
stated that the conyicts moved 20 Stockade
No, 4, on the savannah Rivers In April.
Would define his estimate o. the condition OF
the gang Of 70 hands rs that 1t was
GENERALLY INDIFFERENT
from q medical point Of view. Saw them on
the day after they arrived. Regarded them,
from d medical point Of view. as being an In
ferior lot OF hands, from casual examination
No careful examination was made OF them.
UGeof them came under his treatment about
q week, he thought, after their arrival. There
were four or five. or maybe six, men In the
hospital when the last gang arrived. Ihat
gang did not go to work ior several GAYS tns
&c, for them. They did not begin to sicken
much until the warm weather came. Ihe
symptoms OF the sick were variable. Many
had uropsy and diarrhna. Dropsy was not
strictly u separate disease, but only q symp-
tom OF deranged circulation, The diarrhDl
was the most fatal among the conVicts. Drop
BY might be primarily caused by faulty nu-
triton, or 1t might be the product OF disease
Of the kidneys. the generai causes s OF
Regarded tho cause Of 1t among the convicts
rs being a.. ,..
BAD AIR AND WATER.
Some OF them died whom he did not soc at
all. That explained the entries on the re.
cords of death from something" IhcgSht
McGarvey was sick when he arrived. Had
never noticed any abrasions or COMMISSIONS on
the bodies OF men under his care. The man
alleged 10 AVE been stamped TO death ny
Capt. Cahill bore no visible evidences or such
treatment. He had u high fever. Would Ger,
tainly have noticed any marks on him.. Could
not call to mind having ever noticed any
marks of violence on any Of the men. We.
Smith, convict, had claimed once 10 pc saIer-
ing from the effects Of q whipping, but Dr,
on him, although there might have been. l
asked: Were your recommendations re.
garding the patients treatment &C., carried
out ?"
positively. Perhaps 1t would be safe to say
that they fell short on some occasions, bnt he
could not specify them exactly. They were
generally carried out, but there might nave
been been e eTe s2praoi,sns Th sWa %'sh mem aa wh oesh You s%i
recomn ended TO lay up ever put TO Work oy
Capt. Cahill ?' / asked.
Tho Doctor said that hcand the Captain had
| QlIlereu. ltc uIu lUG huoW WIN "ao '6ht'
Capt. Cahill had conlended that the weakly
patients were better off with moderate exef-
else at work, and he advised their remaining
in the stockade. Remembered one instance
where a man whom he adI1dgsd TO- pc s 4 kS was ra
~ probable that there were other similar
cases. Gave up treatment OF them about the
time they moved into Stockade NO: 81 he
thought that with the non-renloval OF tne
and the air in the stockade particularlyI,the
diseases were constantly renewing them
selves, ~Thoughtthat the seventy-hve men
generally lacked power or resistnnce 70 a,s-
cased Impressions and the generally bad con-
ditions surrounding them. 1t was his oPins
ion that the climate In that country required
strangers TO undergo q sort OF
process. That Idea was the result OF MS eAPe.
rience and observation-notably OF o large
number Of negroes who were removed 70 the
climate before the war and suffered from II at
first severely. The season had been
AN UNUSUALLY UNHEALTHY ONE,
and the diseases In the neighborhood peculi.
arly malignant. He thought crowdilig would
kill any animals. The diseases OF the con-
yicts were not similar to those OF his other
patlents. He could answer for Q good deal OF
the food of the sick convicts, IL having been
prepared ut his house. Their food anu sleep
ling accommodations were generally such as
hoWeVer that there were too many Of them
in the stockades, Thought they were 100
crowded. Believed he had called attention
to that. Had taken charge Of the convicts
gratuitously by. request, with no particular
authority, and certainly without the authori.
ty amedical man should exercise, Between
the two authorities, the railroad and the STATE
his position was somewhat anomalous. Had
never thought the convicts were worked 1oo
hard. Thought the diminution IN the death
rate lately was largely due to the existence o.
more room. Ome Of the lot or seVenty.nVe
was subject to fits and idiotic.
Regarding the physical condition OF inc
CONFLICTS sent from the. PeniteItiary, the rec
ords give no data to judge by excepting the
descriptive rolls, fro.t which ma tnat .n !.
following numbers over AZ and under 10
OF age were sent with each lot:
VI H,nk,l Quar- An I1ndnr IL