The National tribune., 1892-08-04
DISABILITIES OF OLD SOLDIERS"


ence, read an essay before Luzerne County
Medical Society, at Wilkes-Barre, Pa, May
4. 1892, which attracted so much attention
among his professional brethren that it has
been printed as a pamphlet and given an
extensive circulation.
After sketching the violent changes OF
habits and surroundings, when the volun-
teers of the rebellion left their homes to
hurry into the field without any prelimi-
nary preparation, he points out that the
average age of these men is now Sc years.
OF the 2,35S,S71 who enlisted, SO, 410 died
from wounds, and 21O,926 from sickness,
making total loss of 304,336 lives from
April Is, 1861, to June so, 1865. The num-
Der discharged for disabilities incurred in
the service was 2S5,545, and the number of
non-fatal wounds was 81, 541, making a
grand total Of 961, 400 killed, wounded, or
disabled or over four-ninths the total num-
Der of men in the army. With these prem
Uses, Surgeon Crawford goes on to say:
OF the still larger number who served out their
terms of enlistment or who continued in the serv-
ice until the termination of the war, but who
suffered from disease contracted in the service, 1T
is not possible 10 obtain any satisfactory data. The
graver forms of disease with which they were
afflicted were reported by the military Surgeons
with great fidelity and care; whatever cases of
disease were OF such severity require treat
ment, in either regimental a general hospital
or required exemption from duty. officially
ported to the Surgeon General. Bot these were but
a small proportion of the total number who came
under the care of medical officers, such as the
mider cases of malarial and pulmonary disease, of
diarrhea and especially Of rheumatism. which,
although laying the foundation of and resulting in
subsequent and remote disability, did not Mt the
time entirely incapactate the soldier for military
duty. This class of cases although generally num-
boring from five % per cent OF the entire COM
mand, do not enter into the statistics of disease
contained in the medical records of the army. On
the other hand, repeated attacks of the same dis
ease in an individual soldier increased the number
reported as disabled by disease beyond its correct
proportions. The number OF cases of disease so
reported during the entire period Of the war is thus
made to aggregate more than twice the total num-
Der of men in our entire army. This unavoidable
defect in the statistics gathered by the Surgeon
Generals Department, render it impossible 10
ascertain just how large portion OF the men
serving in the National armies were disabled by
disease during their term of service. small per-
centage of those who were in active service during
one or more years of the war. escaped altogether
the effects of disease. These were the exceptions.
not the rule
AS to the universally of disease-produc-
ing conditions, Surgeon Crawford gives these
startling statistics:
The entire number of cases of disease reported
from all departments of the army, from May,
1861 to June, 1s66. aggregated 4,9ii,7E This, of
course embraced a vast number OF attacks OF the
same or different diseases in The same individual;
but II gives an idea of how widespread, how gen.
eral, and how persistent were the causes tending
TO the production of disease TO " Inch our SOLDIERS
were exposed.
This aggregate of cases is made up of Isl forms
of disease, yet a comparatively few OF this large
number of morbid manifestations constituted the
chief portion OF these diseases. Dysentery and
diarrhea have, through ell time. been known and
designated the scourge OF armies" and
they well maintained their established character
in the war of the rebellion. The number of re-
ported cases of acute diarrhea was 12o9 OF, caus
ing 4269 deaths. The chronic of this disease
numbered 1872 5s6 causing so $50 deaths. The cases
of acute dysentery numbered 2J9,07l, and caused
5,776 deaths. Chronic dysentcry numbered %, i5l
cases. aud caused 3, SO deaths; aggregating ,139-
cases of these four forms of disease and causing
a. $50 deaths. Other diseases of the digestive
gans aggregated 563, 2s9 and 4,lE deaths.
There were 30 1853 of typhoid fever, resulting
in 81 O56 deaths. There 49 81 cases of typho
malaral fever reported, resulting in soj9 deaths;
~ r. IL II Il
causing s770 deaths. Acute aud chronic rheuma-
tsm furnished 25s. 73s cases and the comparatively
small number of 473 deaths. The reported cases of
diseases Of the respiratory organs numbered 44s5
cases and Il 901 deaths 90 ia of scurvy
reported with $50 deaths Over IS 600 of acute
diseases Of The eye aud 2s coo of the were also
reported These statistics sufficient 10 indicate
the general trend of that long list OF morbid
which served 10 impair the efficiency of our army
to dcplete its numbers, and ultimately 10 under
mine the health and destroy the lives OF great
proportion of those who seemed 10 escape their
more immediate and directly destructive effects.
The Surgeon has this to say of the effect
of the malsrial conditions Of the camp and
the march:
There is probably no class of diseases which leave
behind them q more numerous progeny Of remote
evils than the malariai fCvcrs. The pathological
changes wrought by paludiAl rninsn In the spleen.
liver and pancreas. with their rpaii nent Of nutr
ton well as Of the portal circu.ation, give rise TO
other and necessarily resulting diseases. Promi-
nent among these are dysentcry, diarrhea and
piles. The two former may follow more or less
closely the original disease; tie latter usually
superyenes at a more or less remote period. All
these apt 10 assume a chronic form. Disorders
of digestion, dyspepsia. aremia and general de-
biliiy other and frequent sequences OF the same
general cause.
Taking up another frequent result Of
camp-life he says:
Rheumatism Is another fruitful paren. OF morbid
progeny. While the immediate mortality result
ing from this disease is comparatively small its
ultimate consequences and its resulting disabilities
numerous and grave. Many Cf even the graver
diseases are selflimiting in their nature. When
they run their course and take their departure
they leave in tie system no permanent pathoiogi-
cal changes and have no tendency TO reeur Not SO
with rheumatism. When once deyeopt, however
mild its invasion, or however short It's duration
there is forever aferward increased liability TO
attack, and increasing tendency 20 severity in
lis subsequent invasion Is well known the patho-
logical changes wrought by this discasc are found
la every part OF the system. Directly affecting as
II does, only the fbrous tissue and affecting that
tissue ndscriminately wEcrever ii exists !. neoes-
sary follows that the ma!ign effects of that disease
found under many fora.s and designated by
many names. In every portion Of The system.
Its protean manifestations in the enlarge
ment and hardening OF the structure Of the joints,
- 81 q,