The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-11-07

snd asked the warden 70 take rs to che
hospital, a two story log baiidfng situated
near the church. We were met at the
door BY DR.. Orsheshkc, the prison sur
geon- who WIS large, heavily built man
With a strong. goosI lace. and vho vas
by birth Pole.
The hospital did not diifsr material =
from that in the prison at Tiumea. ex-
eePt that ii occupied a building by sise.E.
and scented 10 De IL better orler. II vas
intended originally to hold ef3y beds
but on accoant ofthe eoVercroWding ofthe
prison Il had been found necessary - in
crease the beds % 80 and still nearly 80
patients were uaproviled for, and bad g
lie on benches or on the floor. The
number Of sick in the hospital At he zine
Of our visit was I9s, including = eases of
iyphus iever The wards. although IN
duly crowded, were clean and neat, the
bad elathing was plentiful and irssa, aHi
the atmosphere jid not seem 10 me %
terribly heavy and polluted as that of
the hospital az Tiunen. Tae blaeklsearis S
Al the heads Of the narrow eots saoWed
that the prevalent diseases among tie
prisoners we're typhus fever. scurvy, dys-
entary. rheumatism. anamia. and bron-
chitis. Many Of tie nurses, 7 noticed,
were women from y to 5 years ofsse.
~ho had strong, intelligent faces. belong
ed apparently TO one Of the upper classes
and weTe probably medical Students
EaFly in the afternoon. after having
made as careful an examination of the
whole prison as circumstances would per
init, We thanked The warden. Mr Iyen-
auko, for his co-renous attention. and
for his evident disposition 70 deal with
us frankly and honestly, and drove back
to our hotel. It was long that night be-
fore coald get to sleep, and when
finally succeeded It was only 20 dream Of
crowded bologans, Of dead babies in bath
houses, ani Of the ghas;ly faces that
had seen in the hospital of,he Toask for
warding prison.
IRasmuch As We did not see this prison
at Is worst. and inasuuch as / wish 70
give the reader a WIND realization II pos
sibIe Of the awful amount Of human ago
ny that the exile system causes. Il seems
% me absolutely necessary % say soae-
thing in closing with regard 70 the con-
dition Of the Tomsk forwarding prison
two months after we made 70 Il tbe visit
have tired 10 describe.
On my return 70 Tomsk from Elstern
Siberia, in February. lad a ng in.er-
view with n. Orzheshko. the prison sur
geon. He described to me tine eoniition
Of the prison. a. it gradually Became more
and more crovdei in the lats ElH after
our departure, and said 70 me You can
hardly imagine the state ofaiElirs that ex-
listed here in November. We had >, 40
cases of sickness IN the course of tae year
and 40 patients in the hospital al enc
time, with beds for only $50. Three hun
dred men and women dangerously sick
lay OF the fioor in rows, most Of them
without pillows or bed clothing, and il
order to find even floor space for them
We had to put them 50 close together that
I could not walk between them, aHl
patient could not cough or yomit without
coughing or vomiting into MS own face
or into the face Of the man living beside
him. The atmosphere in tiie warts be-
came 20 terribly polluted that I tainted
repeatedly upon coming into the hospit-
al in the morning. and my assistants had
10 revive me BY dashing water into my
face In order to change and purify the
air we we were forced 70 keep the win
dows open, and as winter had SCI in this
50 chilled the rooms that We could nos
maintain, on the Eoor where the sick lay
a temperature higher than I've OF SIX de-
grees Reasmur above the freezing point
More than p per cent. Of the whole prs
on population we're constantly sics, and
more than ten per cent Of the sick die,l-7
How long inquired. = has this aw-
fui state of things existed p
4 hsve been here fifteen years. re-
piled Dr. Orzheshka. and il has been
50. more or less. ever since ] came.
md IS the government At = Peters
burg aware ofitr
= It has been reported upon every year.
I have recommended that the hospital Of
the Toask forwarding prison be burned
to the ground. Il Is 50 s4taratel with
oontagioes diseases that it's uni. for use.
We have been called upon By the pri=on
department. TO forward Plans for new
hospital, and we have forwarded them
They have been returned FIR mOdi6ca-
ton. AMI We have modified them bur
nothing has been done
Il i unnecessary to comment uron
this frank statement Of the Tomsk sur
geon. Civilization and humanity can
safely rest upon IT, without argument
their case against The Tomsk forwarding
prison.-Geofge KeHuaa "a t.s Orrale- cH-
ar4.