The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-03-18
Actual Scenes of War

From Narrative of his services in the
Medical Staff, by Assistant Surgeon H
s Schell, Z. S. A. Medical and Surgical
History of the Rebellion, Part First
Appendix, PIP. rs. III
In company with Assistant Surgeons
L. j. Marsh. L. S. A, 1 remained during
the falling back of our forces from the
battle-ground of Gaines Mills (Peninsu-
lar campaign. June p, 1922 at a house
used as hospital, and situated very near
the center of our lines during the action.
In consequence of this position, the hospi-
tai was surrounded by dead bodies of
men and horses. and, together with its
out-houses, was filed TO overlooking with
wounded. Among the cases, numbering
in all 40, there was a very large portion
OF very severe ones, so that nearly If not
fully three-fourths of them were unable
10 move without assistance. These COM
prised four cases of fracture of the skull.
ten cases of wounds of the abdomen,
twenty of the chest, six of the pelvis,
nine Of the larger joints and thirty-nine
cases of fracture of the long bones. For
five days after the engagement we had
but three assistants-scarcely enough to
carry water, and, in consequence, were
obliged to use every man who was but
slightly wounded, only in an arm, as
nurse. AT the termination Of the above
named period we succeeded in obtaining
SIX prisoners, who were paroled not to
escape. These men were detailed for
nurses, but a more worthless half-dozen
it would have been difficult TO find. The
rations furnished for the patients by the
Confederate authorities consisted of -four
and bacon, with a small proportion OF
beans, salt beef, and salt. The quantity
was exceedingly small, and many of the
af(lan he I'M f hniT n
juries in the more terrible pangs of hun
ger. But while food was scarce. maggots
were abandant, crowding and rolling in
every wound, and searching beneath the
dressings to fasten upon every eXcoria-
ton. Oil of turgentine and infusion OF
tobacco and of the flowers of the elder
berry were tried, for the purpose of get
ting rid of this pest, bit the most effectual
means was found TO be the dressing for
ceps, and to keep a wound clear it re-
quired to be examined every two or three
hours. 1t seems to me that the
maggot actually does damage in a
wound, although not by attacking the liv-
ing tissues, but only by the annoyance
created by the continual sensation of
crawling and irritation which it occasions,
and of which the patient often complains
bitterly.
The fierce rays of July sun soon start
ed the usual series of changes in the dead
bodies of horses and half-buried men
which strewed the earth for a mile
around the house. Every hot breath of
wind, as it swept over the field, came
saturated with the disgusting odor of pu-
crescent animal matter. All night, when
the air was quiet, it became on this &C
count peculiarly oppressive. In few days
a feeling of languor and debility seized
upon the surgeons, assistants and pa
tents. Every fractured leg or other part
of the body that required to be kept in one
position, excoriated and sloughed wher-
ever it touched a point of support. Many
of the wounds began to look badly; typhus
symptoms rapidly developed operative
cases showed little or no disposition to
heal; three or four cases of pure typhus
occurred, and one-half of the whole num-
Der of these unfortunate men died dur
ing the month. OF five major amputa-
lions. two only survived, and the same
result occurred in a like number of re-
sections"