andersonville-第44章

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the　excrements　were　in　large　measure　deposited　so　near　the　borders　of　the
stream　as　not　to　be　washed　away；　or　else　accumulated　upon　the　low　boggy
ground。　　The　volume　of　water　was　not　sufficient　to　wash　away　the　feces；
and　they　accumulated　in　such　quantities　in　the　lower　portion　of　the
stream　as　to　form　a　mass　of　liquid　excrement　heavy　rains　caused　the　water
of　the　stream　to　rise；　and　as　the　arrangements　for　the　passage　of　the
increased　amounts　of　water　out　of　the　Stockade　were　insufficient；　the
liquid　feces　overflowed　the　low　grounds　and　covered　them　several　inches；
after　the　subsidence　of　the　waters。　　The　action　of　the　sun　upon　this
putrefying　mass　of　excrements　and　fragments　of　bread　and　meat　and　bones
excited　most　rapid　fermentation　and　developed　a　horrible　stench。
Improvements　were　projected　for　the　removal　of　the　filth　and　for　the
prevention　of　its　accumulation；　but　they　were　only　partially　and
imperfectly　carried　out。　　As　the　forces　of　the　prisoners　were　reduced　by
confinement；　want　of　exercise；　improper　diet；　and　by　scurvy；　diarrhea；
and　dysentery；　they　were　unable　to　evacuate　their　bowels　within　the
stream　or　along　its　banks；　and　the　excrements　were　deposited　at　the　very
doors　of　their　tents。　　The　vast　majority　appeared　to　lose　all　repulsion
to　filth；　and　both　sick　and　well　disregarded　all　the　laws　of　hygiene　and
personal　cleanliness。　　The　accommodations　for　the　sick　were　imperfect　and
insufficient。　　From　the　organization　of　the　prison；　February　24；　1864；　to
May　22；　the　sick　were　treated　within　the　Stockade。　　In　the　crowded
condition　of　the　Stockade；　and　with　the　tents　and　huts　clustered　thickly
around　the　hospital；　it　was　impossible　to　secure　proper　ventilation　or　to
maintain　the　necessary　police。　　The　Federal　prisoners　also　made　frequent
forays　upon　the　hospital　stores　and　carried　off　the　food　and　clothing　of
the　sick。　　The　hospital　was；　on　the　22d　of　May；　removed　to　its　present
site　without　the　Stockade；　and　five　acres　of　ground　covered　with　oaks　and
pines　appropriated　to　the　use　of　the　sick。

The　supply　of　medical　officers　has　been　insufficient　from　the　foundation
of　the　prison。

The　nurses　and　attendants　upon　the　sick　have　been　most　generally　Federal
prisoners；　who　in　too　many　cases　appear　to　have　been　devoid　of　moral
principle；　and　who　not　only　neglected　their　duties；　but　were　also　engaged
in　extensive　robbing　of　the　sick。

From　the　want　of　proper　police　and　hygienic　regulations　alone　it　is　not
wonderful　that　from　February　24　to　September　21；　1864；　nine　thousand　four
hundred　and　seventy…nine　deaths；　nearly　one…third　the　entire　number　of
prisoners；　should　have　been　recorded。　　I　found　the　Stockade　and　hospital
in　the　following　condition　during　my　pathological　investigations；
instituted　in　the　month　of　September；　1864：


　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　STOCKADE；　CONFEDERATE　STATES　MILITARY　PRISON。

At　the　time　of　my　visit　to　Andersonville　a　large　number　of　Federal
prisoners　had　been　removed　to　Millen；　Savannah；　Charleston；　and　other
parts　of；　the　Confederacy；　in　anticipation　of　an　advance　of　General
Sherman's　forces　from　Atlanta；　with　the　design　of　liberating　their
captive　brethren；　however；　about　fifteen　thousand　prisoners　remained
confined　within　the　limits　of　the　Stockade　and　Confederate　States
Military　Prison　Hospital。

In　the　Stockade；　with　the　exception　of　the　damp　lowlands　bordering　the
small　stream；　the　surface　was　covered　with　huts；　and　small　ragged　tents
and　parts　of　blankets　and　fragments　of　oil…cloth；　coats；　and　blankets
stretched　upon　stacks。　　The　tents　and　huts　were　not　arranged　according　to
any　order；　and　there　was　in　most　parts　of　the　enclosure　scarcely　room　for
two　men　to　walk　abreast　between　the　tents　and　huts。

If　one　might　judge　from　the　large　pieces　of　corn…bread　scattered　about　in
every　direction　on　the　ground　the　prisoners　were　either　very　lavishly
supplied　with　this　article　of　diet；　or　else　this　kind　of　food　was　not
relished　by　them。

Each　day　the　dead　from　the　Stockade　were　carried　out　by　their　fellow…
prisoners　and　deposited　upon　the　ground　under　a　bush　arbor；　just　outside
of　the　Southwestern　Gate。　　From　thence　they　were　carried　in　carts　to　the
burying　ground；　one…quarter　of　a　mile　northwest；　of　the　Prison。　　The　dead
were　buried　without　coffins；　side　by　side；　in　trenches　four　feet　deep。

The　low　grounds　bordering　the　stream　were　covered　with　human　excrements
and　filth　of　all　kinds；　which　in　many　places　appeared　to　be　alive　with
working　maggots。　　An　indescribable　sickening　stench　arose　from　these
fermenting　masses　of　human　filth。

There　were　near　five　thousand　seriously　ill　Federals　in　the　Stockade　and
Confederate　States　Military　Prison　Hospital；　and　the　deaths　exceeded　one
hundred　per　day；　and　large　numbers　of　the　prisoners　who　were　walking
about；　and　who　had　not　been　entered　upon　the　sick　reports；　were　suffering
from　severe　and　incurable　diarrhea；　dysentery；　and　scurvy。　　The　sick　were
attended　almost　entirely　by　their　fellow…prisoners；　appointed　as　nurses；
and　as　they　received　but　little　attention；　they　were　compelled　to　exert
themselves　at　all　times　to　attend　to　the　calls　of　nature；　and　hence　they
retained　the　power　of　moving　about　to　within　a　comparatively　short　period
of　the　close　of　life。　　Owing　to　the　slow　progress　of　the　diseases　most
prevalent；　diarrhea；　and　chronic　dysentery；　the　corpses　were　as　a　general
rule　emaciated。

I　visited　two　thousand　sick　within　the　Stockade；　lying　under　some　long
sheds　which　had　been　built　at　the　northern　portion　for　themselves。　　At
this　time　only　one　medical　officer　was　in　attendance；　whereas　at　least
twenty　medical　officers　should　have　been　employed。

Died　in　the　Stockade　from　its　organization；　February　24；　186l　to
September　2l　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。3；254
Died　in　Hospital　during　same　time　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。6；225

Total　deaths　in　Hospital　and　Stockade　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。9；479

Scurvy；　diarrhea；　dysentery；　and　hospital　gangrene　were　the　prevailing
diseases。　　I　was　surprised　to　find　but　few　cases　of　malarial　fever；　and
no　well…marked　cases　either　of　typhus　or　typhoid　fever。　　The　absence　of
the　different　forms　of　malarial　fever　may　be　accounted　for　in　the
supposition　that　the　artificial　atmosphere　of　the　Stockade；　crowded
densely　with　human　beings　and　loaded　with　animal　exhalations；
was　unfavorable　to　the　existence　and　action　of　the　malarial　poison。
The　absence　of　typhoid　and　typhus　fevers　amongst　all　the　causes　which　are
supposed　to　generate　these　diseases；　appeared　to　be　due　to　the　fact　that
the　great　majority　of　these　prisoners　had　been　in　captivity　in　Virginia；
at　Belle　Island；　and　in　other　parts　of　the　Confederacy　for　months；　and
even　as　long　as　two　years；　and　during　this　time　they　had　been　subjected
to　the　same　bad　influences；　and　those　who　had　not　had　these　fevers　before
either　had　them　during　their　confinement　in　Confederate　prisons　or　else
their　systems；　from　long　exposure；　were　proof　against　their　action。

The　effects　of　scurvy　were　manifested　on　every　hand；　and　in　all　its
various　stages；　from　the　muddy；　pale　complexion；　pale　gums；　feeble；
languid　muscular　motions；　lowness　of　spirits；　and　fetid　breath；　to　the
dusky；　dirty；　leaden　complexion；　swollen　features；　spongy；　purple；　livid；
fungoid；　bleeding　gums；　loose　teeth；　oedematous　limbs；　covered　with　livid
vibices；　and　petechiae　spasmodically　flexed；　painful　and　hardened
extremities；　spontaneous　hemorrhages　from　mucous　canals；　and　large；　ill…
conditioned；　spreading　ulcers　covered　with　a　dark　purplish　fungus　growth。
I　observed　that　in　some　of　the　cases　of　scurvy　the　parotid　glands　were
greatly　swollen；　and　in　some　instances　to　such　an　extent　as　to　preclude
entirely　the　power　to　articulate。　　In　several　cases　of　dropsy　of　the
abdomen　and　lower　extremities　supervening　upon　scurvy；　the　patients
affirmed　that　previously　to　the　appearance　of　the　dropsy　they　had
suffered　with　profuse　and　obstinate　diarrhea；　and　that　when　this　was
checked　by　a　change　of　diet；　from　Indian　corn…bread　baked　with　the　husk；
to　boiled　rice；　the　dropsy　appeared。　　The　severe　pains　and　livid　patches
were　frequently　associated　with　swellings　in　various　parts；　and
especially　in　the　lower　extremities；　accompanied　with　stiffness　and
contractions　of　the　knee　joints　and　ankles；　and　often　with　a　brawny　feel
of　the　parts；　as　if　lymph　had　been　effused　between　the　integuments　and
apeneuroses；　preventing　the　motion　of　the　skin　over　the　swollen　parts。
Many　of　the　prisoners　believed　that　the　scurvy　was　contagious；　and　I　saw
men　guarding　their　wells　and　springs；　fearing　lest　some　man　suffering
with　the　scurvy　might　use　the　water　and　thus　poison　them。

I　observed　also　numerous　cases　of　hospital　gangrene；　and　of　spreading
scorbutic　ulcers；　which　had　supervened　upon　slight　injuries。　　The
scorbutic　ulcers　presented　a　dark；　purple　fungoid；　elevated　surface；　with
livid　swollen　edges；　and　exuded　a　thin；　fetid；　sanious　fluid；　instead　of
pus。　　Many　ulcers　which　originated　from　the　scorbutic　condition　of　the
system　appeared　to　become　truly　gangrenous；　assuming　all　the
characteristics　of　hospital　gangrene。　　From　the　crowded　condition；　filthy
habits；　bad　diet；　and　dejected；　depressed　condition　of　the　prisoners；
their　systems　had　become　so　disordered　that　the　smallest　abrasion　of　the
skin；　from　the　rubbing　of　a　shoe；　or　from　the　effects　of　the　sun；　or　from
the　prick　of　a　splinter；　or　from　scratching；　or　a　musketo　bite；　in　some
cases；　took　on　rapid　and　frightful　ulceration　and　gangrene。　　The　long　use
of　salt　meat；　ofttimes　imperfectly　cured；　as　well　as　the　most　total
deprivation　of　vegetables　and　fruit；　appeared　to　be　the　chief　causes　of
the　scurvy。　　I　carefully　examined　the　bakery　and　the　bread　furnished　the
prisoners；　and　found　that　they　were　supplied　almost　entirely　with　corn…
bread　from　which　the　husk　had　not　been　separated。　　This　husk　acted　as　an
irritant　to　the　alimentary　canal；　without　adding　any　nutriment　to　the
bread。　　As　far　as　my　examination　extended　no　fault　could　be　found　with
the　mode　in　which　the　bread　was　baked；　the　difficulty　lay　in　the　failure
to　separate　the　husk　from　the　corn…meal。　　I　strongly　urged　the
preparation　of　large　quantities　of　soup　made　from　the　cow　and　calves'
heads　with　the　brains　and　tongues；　to　which　a　liberal　supply　of　sweet
potatos　and　vegetables　might　have　been　advantageously　added。　　The
material　existed　in　abundance　for　the　preparation　of　such　soup　in　large
quantities　with　but　little　additional　expense。　　Such　aliment　would　have
been　not　only　highly　nutritious；　but　it　would　also　have　acted　as　an
efficient　remedial　agent　for　the　removal　of　the　scorbutic　condition。
The　sick　within　the　Stockade　lay　under　several　long　sheds　which　were
originally　built　for　barracks。　　These　sheds　covered　two　floors　which　were
open　on　all　sides。　　The　sick　lay　upon　the　bare　boards；　or　upon　such
ragged　blankets　as　they　possessed；　without；　as　far　as　I　observed；　any
bedding　or　even　straw。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。

The　haggard；　distressed　countenances　of　these　miserable；　complaining；
dejected；　living　skeletons；　crying　for　medical　aid　and　food；　and　cursing
their　Government　for　its　refusal　to　exchange　prisoners；　and　the　ghastly
corpse