Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-07-22
THE EVENING STAR.
TUESDAY.......... July %. 1879.
A W inter- Campaign.


Some Totes written by one or the doctors OF
the Russian army and lately printed in a Ger
man medical periodical give vivid picture OF
Ihe sufieriDgs OF the Russian troops during the
winter campaign OF ISIS on the Balkan pc
nlhsula, ard OF the rayages subsequently
caused py disease In the ranks OF the Russian
army; Inc writer was attached 10 the battal-
ION CT Rifes OF the Guard, and after the fall OF
PleVna accompanied his corps 10 its march
across the Balkans. On the 5th OF December
me battalion received orders TO move from
LutlkoSa and take up. In the first place, a po-
sitlon opposite Schandornik There II re-
mained for fortnight, and there for the first
tlne, tne men began to suffer cruelty from the
Indictment weather. OF the utter misery OF The
men 1t is, the writer remarks Impossible 10
form any adequate conception The boots or
nearly all were worn out or cut to pieces: the
came hardened by the extreme cold and rIh-
bed sores On the feet. 1t was difficult for tho
men 10 get their boots of, and the latter had to
oe tbewed before they could be pulled on
With their clothing so frozen that they could
not diyest thems elves OF their ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
nor even uRbutton their coats. Many had no
shirts or under-clothinS, and were fain 10 wran
fPuEa treir bodies pieces of couse tent can
vas. When animals were slaughtered the men
gieed1ly sought for fragments or the skins, to
olnd rourd thetrfeet; but, Notwithstanding this
pfecautfon, cases OF froSt-bite were frequent
and severe. The number OF sick fn the bat
tailons which the writer was attached rap
luiy mounted from 100 10 $50, 215 and 300. Half
and to reach the nearest HOSPITALS AT Ftrcnoi
ana orkanieh, they had to Journey for two or
1 pn Gays along barely practicable roads
Even When these places were reached the si1.L
could receive but little attention The amhIN
lances and divisional hospitals were cboked. the
ipedlcal stan were overwofked, and were some
ulnts unable 70 attend for days to even urgent
cases; the medicines and medical comforts ware
all used, and the sick had to crawl as beat they
could through the mud and half-melted snow in
tie streets to find resting place as they rntgbt
fortnight In misery opposite Schandornfk the
battalion or Rifles OF the Guard was ordered to
advance TO Sophia. on the Path OF December
IL reached the town, and the men were placed
IN cantonmeDtS Almost Immediately fyphus
OF viIulent type broke out. Houses and
streets alike reeked with filth, and the disease
spread rapidly. The sick were SO numerous
that no proper surveillance could be main
tanned, and men stricken with fever roamed
apcut propagat1ng disease. The doctors and
their assistants did all they could; but their
number, insufficient at the outset to cope with
the epidemic, was also quickly reduced, all 1--WE
surgeons OF the Rifles OF the Guards being at
one et tim me down with typhus, of which one of
them died. The battalion remained at Sophia
until the 9Th OF February, when II was ordered
to march to Philippopolis On the 18th it took
tram at Bazarditk, and was thence convey ed to
lage OF Satra- kiot. During the route. however
typhus still ragged In the battalion one by one
the doctors accompany ing 1t were stricken with
FEVER, ana had to be left behind, and when
finally the battalion reached San Stefano on
the ID of March, not one surgeon remained with
1t. AT San Stefano the virulence OF the epI.
demic, II any thing increased: The hospital of
the division to which the battalion, whose
movements we are following belonged, was
lifted 70 receive sixty sick. Before long 1t was
crow ded with thousand cases, and its staff
had then to turn away hundreds OF sick sent TO
IL from their regiments. The writer OF the mar
rat1ve, himself one OF the surgeons left behind
SICK with typhus during the march from So
phia, rejo1Ded his battalion on the sth of June,
When he arrived at San Stefano he found three
temporary hospitals established. Originally
INTENDED 10 accommodate 600 sick, each OF these
was now crowded with from 15O0stO 1000 cases:
While In each OF the ambulanceS designed to
hold eighty five patients, between 500 and 1000
were packed. OF the number who died no
hone exists-but 1T is certain that the mortality
In the Russian army during the winter cam
paign Of lsI1-'7s and during the spring of the
latter year was fearful