The National tribune., 1903-04-23

lure OF the meetns was lne Singing Oy
Philip Phillips of Your Mission" and a
Gates, Untitled Ho si 81 Tie souI T1e
Hutchinson Family. e most famous
singers of war times, ang two of their
songs embodying the sentiment, Il live for
the good l can do" and There's a good
time coming"
THE IDEA OF, SANITARY COMMISSION
first came to the official notice of the
Government through a letter written in
June. 1861, by DIR. Il. {. Wood. then Act
ing SUPERINTENDENT, to the Hon. Simon
Cameron, Secretary of War. In this iet-
ter DIR. Wood suggested the appointment
of IL commission of inquiry and advice in
respect to the sanitary interests of the
United States forces. Such n commits
sion was made necessary by the pressure
which the sudden and large increase of
the army mad imposed upon the Medical
Bureau. = 1t YVES not intended to interfere
with the existing medical organization of
the army, but to cooperate with and
strengthen it. ~
The Commission was organized on June
Is, 1861. with the following officers:
Rev. Henry w. Bellows; President: Alex
ander Dallas Bache, Nice-President;
George Templeton Strong. Treasurer; DIR.
J. Foster Jenkins, Secretary: and Drs.
J. S. Newberry, !. n. Douglas, and +. \.
NHdpp. ASSDclate ESetEctstIleS. L he StdHu-
ing Committee met quarterly in Wash
ington, but daily in New York City.
The first business was TO Improve the
sanitary condition, of camps, quarters. hos
kpitals, and men, all of whom we're sadly
in reed of such attention. There was for
a time we,l-grOunded fear of epideinics
breaking out in many of the camps, OH
account of the inetcency of inexperienced
officers and the general neglect of sanitary
measures and precautions. a visible i'm
proyement was soon exhibited.
No military resources. however well d.
rected, could adequately provide relief
for the thousands of brave men who were
sinking under the fatigue and privatiOns
of the march or stricken down on fields of
battle. r-
IN THIS EMERGENCY ..
the noble, heaven-prompted associations
of the Christian and Sanitary Com
missions offered the channels through
which the oil and wine of sooth-
ing kindness and strengthening cheer
flowed from the plenty Of homes to the
need of the sick and wounded.
As the war advanced other duties de-
voived upon the Sanitary Commission.
The Government was doing all that was
possible. but this was not enough to salts
fly the people. They wished to supply the
soldiers who were their sons, brothers.
fathers or kinsmen with as many of their
home comforts and home attentions as
could possibly be engraftd upon army life.
With this view they sent large quantities
of food. fruit, delicacies. and appliances
for the sick and wounded. much of which
had been spoiled by remaining undelivered
in the depots of storehouses for want of
adequate and organized means of distribu-
ton. The means of correspondence and
the furnishing of reading matter were also
prominent features Of the work of the
Commission.
NURSES HOMES.
Mention should be Iaade of the Nurses
Homes in Washington.
These homes proved n source of i'm
mense relief to nurses bf.iving i'll the city
or to those worn down by service at the
hospitals and needing 2,few days of quiet
and rest, as well as to<lvives and mothers
of soldiers who wereohskeking their 5hus-
bands and sons in hospitals. Many of
these arriving in theiitf|y were ignorant
of the cost of the joaT9y and of board
even for day or two, and, weary and
almost brOken-hearted. were cared for at
these homes. a number of refugees afso,
mothers and children, were received,
warmed and clothed.
The Sanitary Commission also estab-
lislIed Free Pension Agency, which was
of great value, saving the soldiers inn
mense trouble and expense.
OF the splendid work done by the Com
mission ct the close of many battles when
medical supplies could not be had through
the regular channels it has been well
said: % .:Itsr =.
.'TlIe pangs Of consuming thirst and
raging fever there al.eviatedy the agoniz-
ing pains relieved, the tender and home
like nursing extended, what pen can do
justice to thenI-who can estimate the
priceless relief thus administered
WORK OF THE SANITARY COMMISSION.
From 1861 to 1866 the SanitarE-Gem-
mission distributed stores and =. supplies
amounting in value to $j,50O,000. 1t ac-
cOrnDlished inYfsImerable reforms I'm 1.-THE
medical service, published large numbers
of treatises on the sources of sickness in
armies and the means of avoiding and
treating them, trained a large corps of
skilled nurses and attendants, and dis
tributed annually tons of reading mat
ter.
While the Christian Commission and
the Sanitary Commission engaged in
some respects i'll the same work, yet each
had its special field and each was neces-
sarily supplemental to the other. Neither
could have been spared, and both merited
and received the heartfelt gratitude of the
army and the people.
1t is not to be inferred for moment
that the recital of the work rendered by
volunteer associations should cause for
getfulnes5 Or want Of full appreciation of
the devoted and self-sacrifcing and I'M
firing labors of members of the Medical
Department of the United States Army
nor of hundreds of officers in every branch
of the service. The number of cases treat
ed in the Army Hospitals was 5,S25 ,4SO,
and the number of deaths was 93.jO4.
Special mention must be made of
MISS DoRoTHEAi LYNDE DIX,
who stands in history as the most emf
nent phi.anthropist of modern times" Her
biographer, Francis Tiffany, describes her
as ''the founder Of vast and enduring in
situations of mercy in America and Eu-
rope, having simply no peer in the annals
of Professionalism.
Early in 1861 she had communicated
the results of n recent visit in the South
in behalf of her great scheme for ameliO-
rating the condition of the insane to her
friend, Mr.. $. NJ. FELTON,, President of the
Philadelphia x Baltimore Railroad, and
warned him of n great conspiracy to seize
upon Washington, with its archives and
records, and then declare the Southern
de facto the Government of
the United States. At the same time
all means of communication were to be
cut off between Washington and Northern
States.