andersonville-第45章

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their　Government　for　its　refusal　to　exchange　prisoners；　and　the　ghastly
corpses；　with　their　glazed　eye　balls　staring　up　into　vacant　space；　with
the　flies　swarming　down　their　open　and　grinning　mouths；　and　over　their
ragged　clothes；　infested　with　numerous　lice；　as　they　lay　amongst　the　sick
and　dying；　formed　a　picture　of　helpless；　hopeless　misery　which　it　would
be　impossible　to　portray　bywords　or　by　the　brush。　　A　feeling　of
disappointment　and　even　resentment　on　account　of　the　United　States
Government　upon　the　subject　of　the　exchange　of　prisoners；　appeared　to　be
widespread；　and　the　apparent　hopeless　nature　of　the　negotiations　for　some
general　exchange　of　prisoners　appeared　to　be　a　cause　of　universal　regret
and　deep　and　injurious　despondency。　　I　heard　some　of　the　prisoners　go　so
far　as　to　exonerate　the　Confederate　Government　from　any　charge　of
intentionally　subjecting　them　to　a　protracted　confinement；　with　its
necessary　and　unavoidable　sufferings；　in　a　country　cut　off　from　all
intercourse　with　foreign　nations；　and　sorely　pressed　on　all　sides；　whilst
on　the　other　hand　they　charged　their　prolonged　captivity　upon　their　own
Government；　which　was　attempting　to　make　the　negro　equal　to　the　white
man。　　Some　hundred　or　more　of　the　prisoners　had　been　released　from
confinement　in　the　Stockade　on　parole；　and　filled　various　offices　as
clerks；　druggists；　and　carpenters；　etc。；　in　the　various　departments。
These　men　were　well　clothed；　and　presented　a　stout　and　healthy
appearance；　and　as　a　general　rule　they　presented　a　much　more　robust　and
healthy　appearance　than　the　Confederate　troops　guarding　the　prisoners。

The　entire　grounds　are　surrounded　by　a　frail　board　fence；　and　are
strictly　guarded　by　Confederate　soldiers；　and　no　prisoner　except　the
paroled　attendants　is　allowed　to　leave　the　grounds　except　by　a　special
permit　from　the　Commandant　of　the　Interior　of　the　Prison。

The　patients　and　attendants；　near　two　thousand　in　number；　are　crowded
into　this　confined　space　and　are　but　poorly　supplied　with　old　and　ragged
tents。　　Large　numbers　of　them　were　without　any　bunks　in　the　tents；　and
lay　upon　the　ground；　oft…times　without　even　a　blanket。　　No　beds　or　straw
appeared　to　have　been　furnished。　　The　tents　extend　to　within　a　few　yards
of　the　small　stream；　the　eastern　portion　of　which；　as　we　have　before
said；　is　used　as　a　privy　and　is　loaded　with　excrements；　and　I　observed　a
large　pile　of　corn…bread；　bones；　and　filth　of　all　kinds；　thirty　feet　in
diameter　and　several　feet　in　hight；　swarming　with　myriads　of　flies；　in　a
vacant　space　near　the　pots　used　for　cooking。　　Millions　of　flies　swarmed
over　everything；　and　covered　the　faces　of　the　sleeping　patients；　and
crawled　down　their　open　mouths；　and　deposited　their　maggots　in　the
gangrenous　wounds　of　the　living；　and　in　the　mouths　of　the　dead。　　Musketos
in　great　numbers　also　infested　the　tents；　and　many　of　the　patients　were
so　stung　by　these　pestiferous　insects；　that　they　resembled　those
suffering　from　a　slight　attack　of　the　measles。

The　police　and　hygiene　of　the　hospital　were　defective　in　the　extreme；
the　attendants；　who　appeared　in　almost　every　instance　to　have　been
selected　from　the　prisoners；　seemed　to　have　in　many　cases　but　little
interest　in　the　welfare　of　their　fellow…captives。　　The　accusation　was
made　that　the　nurses　in　many　cases　robbed　the　sick　of　their　clothing；
money；　and　rations；　and　carried　on　a　clandestine　trade　with　the　paroled
prisoners　and　Confederate　guards　without　the　hospital　enclosure；　in　the
clothing；　effects　of　the　sick；　dying；　and　dead　Federals。　　They　certainly
appeared　to　neglect　the　comfort　and　cleanliness　of　the　sick　intrusted　to
their　care　in　a　most　shameful　manner；　even　after　making　due　allowances
for　the　difficulties　of　the　situation。　　Many　of　the　sick　were　literally
encrusted　with　dirt　and　filth　and　covered　with　vermin。　　When　a　gangrenous
wound　needed　washing；　the　limb　was　thrust　out　a　little　from　the　blanket；
or　board；　or　rags　upon　which　the　patient　was　lying；　and　water　poured　over
it；　and　all　the　putrescent　matter　allowed　to　soak　into　the　ground　floor
of　the　tent。　　The　supply　of　rags　for　dressing　wounds　was　said　to　be　very
scant；　and　I　saw　the　most　filthy　rags　which　had　been　applied　several
times；　and　imperfectly　washed；　used　in　dressing　wounds。　　Where　hospital
gangrene　was　prevailing；　it　was　impossible　for　any　wound　to　escape
contagion　under　these　circumstances。　　The　results　of　the　treatment　of
wounds　in　the　hospital　were　of　the　most　unsatisfactory　character；　from
this　neglect　of　cleanliness；　in　the　dressings　and　wounds　themselves；　as
well　as　from　various　other　causes　which　will　be　more　fully　considered。
I　saw　several　gangrenous　wounds　filled　with　maggots。　　I　have　frequently
seen　neglected　wounds　amongst　the　Confederate　soldiers　similarly
affected；　and　as　far　as　my　experience　extends；　these　worms　destroy　only
the　dead　tissues　and　do　not　injure　specially　the　well　parts。　　I　have　even
heard　surgeons　affirm　that　a　gangrenous　wound　which　had　been　thoroughly
cleansed　by　maggots；　healed　more　rapidly　than　if　it　had　been　left　to
itself。　　This　want　of　cleanliness　on　the　part　of　the　nurses　appeared　to
be　the　result　of　carelessness　and　inattention；　rather　than　of　malignant
design；　and　the　whole　trouble　can　be　traced　to　the　want　of　the　proper
police　and　sanitary　regulations；　and　to　the　absence　of　intelligent
organization　and　division　of　labor。　　The　abuses　were　in　a　large　measure
due　to　the　almost　total　absence　of　system；　government；　and　rigid；　but
wholesome　sanitary　regulations。　　In　extenuation　of　these　abuses　it　was
alleged　by　the　medical　officers　that　the　Confederate　troops　were　barely
sufficient　to　guard　the　prisoners；　and　that　it　was　impossible　to　obtain
any　number　of　experienced　nurses　from　the　Confederate　forces。　　In　fact
the　guard　appeared　to　be　too　small；　even　for　the　regulation　of　the
internal　hygiene　and　police　of　the　hospital。

The　manner　of　disposing　of　the　dead　was　also　calculated　to　depress　the
already　desponding　spirits　of　these　men；　many　of　whom　have　been　confined
for　months；　and　even　for　nearly　two　years　in　Richmond　and　other　places；
and　whose　strength　had　been　wasted　by　bad　air；　bad　food；　and　neglect　of
personal　cleanliness。　　The　dead…house　is　merely　a　frame　covered　with　old
tent　cloth　and　a　few　bushes；　situated　in　the　southwestern　corner　of　the
hospital　grounds。　　When　a　patient　dies；　he　is　simply　laid　in　the　narrow
street　in　front　of　his　tent；　until　he　is　removed　by　Federal　negros
detailed　to　carry　off　the　dead；　if　a　patient　dies　during　the　night；　he
lies　there　until　the　morning；　and　during　the　day　even　the　dead　were
frequently　allowed　to　remain　for　hours　in　these　walks。　　In　the　dead…house
the　corpses　lie　upon　the　bare　ground；　and　were　in　most　cases　covered　with
filth　and　vermin。

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

The　cooking　arrangements　are　of　the　most　defective　character。　　Five　large
iron　pots　similar　to　those　used　for　boiling　sugar　cane；　appeared　to　be
the　only　cooking　utensils　furnished　by　the　hospital　for　the　cooking　of
nearly　two　thousand　men；　and　the　patients　were　dependent　in　great　measure
upon　their　own　miserable　utensils。　　They　were　allowed　to　cook　in　the　tent
doors　and　in　the　lanes；　and　this　was　another　source　of　filth；　and　another
favorable　condition　for　the　generation　and　multiplication　of　flies　and
other　vermin。

The　air　of　the　tents　was　foul　and　disagreeable　in　the　extreme；　and　in
fact　the　entire　grounds　emitted　a　most　nauseous　and　disgusting　smell。
I　entered　nearly　all　the　tents　and　carefully　examined　the　cases　of
interest；　and　especially　the　cases　of　gangrene；　upon　numerous　occasions；
during　the　prosecution　of　my　pathological　inquiries　at　Andersonville；　and
therefore　enjoyed　every　opportunity　to　judge　correctly　of　the　hygiene　and
police　of　the　hospital。

There　appeared　to　be　almost　absolute　indifference　and　neglect　on　the　part
of　the　patients　of　personal　cleanliness；　their　persons　and　clothing
inmost　instances；　and　especially　of　those　suffering　with　gangrene　and
scorbutic　ulcers；　were　filthy　in　the　extreme　and　covered　with　vermin。
It　was　too　often　the　case　that　patients　were　received　from　the　Stockade
in　a　most　deplorable　condition。　　I　have　seen　men　brought　in　from　the
Stockade　in　a　dying　condition；　begrimed　from　head　to　foot　with　their　own
excrements；　and　so　black　from　smoke　and　filth　that　they；　resembled　negros
rather　than　white　men。　　That　this　description　of　the　Stockade　and
hospital　has　not　been　overdrawn；　will　appear　from　the　reports　of　the
surgeons　in　charge；　appended　to　this　report。

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

We　will　examine　first　the　consolidated　report　of　the　sick　and　wounded
Federal　prisoners。　　During　six　months；　from　the　1st　of　March　to　the　31st
of　August；　forty…two　thousand　six　hundred　and　eighty…six　cases　of
diseases　and　wounds　were　reported。　　No　classified　record　of　the　sick　in
the　Stockade　was　kept　after　the　establishment　of　the　hospital　without　the
Prison。　　This　fact；　in　conjunction　with　those　already　presented　relating
to　the　insufficiency　of　medical　officers　and　the　extreme　illness　and　even
death　of　many　prisoners　in　the　tents　in　the　Stockade；　without　any　medical
attention　or　record　beyond　the　bare　number　of　the　dead；　demonstrate　that
these　figures；　large　as　they；　appear　to　be；　are　far　below　the　truth。

As　the　number　of　prisoners　varied　greatly　at　different　periods；　the
relations　between　those　reported　sick　and　well；　as　far　as　those
statistics　extend；　can　best　be　determined　by　a　comparison　of　the
statistics　of　each　month。

During　this　period　of　six　months　no　less　than　five　hundred　and　sixty…five
deaths　are　recorded　under　the　head　of　'morbi　vanie。'　　In　other　words；
those　men　died　without　having　received　sufficient　medical　attention　for
the　determination　of　even　the　name　of　the　disease　causing　death。

During　the　month　of　August　fifty…three　cases　and　fifty…three　deaths　are
recorded　as　due　to　marasmus。　　Surely　this　large　number　of　deaths　must
have　been　due　to　some　other　morbid　state　than　slow　wasting。　　If　they　were
due　to　improper　and　insufficient　food；　they　should　have　been　classed
accordingly；　and　if　to　diarrhea　or　dysentery　or　scurvy；　the
classification　should　in　like　manner　have　been　explicit。

We　observe　a　progressive　increase　of　the　rate　of　mortality；　from　3。11　per
cent。　in　March　to　9。09　per　cent。　of　mean　strength；　sick　and　well；　in
August。　　The　ratio　of　mortality　continued　to　increase　during　September；
for　notwithstanding　the　removal　of　one…half　of　the　entire　number　of
prisoners　during　the　early　portion　of　the　month；　one　thousand　seven
hundred　and　sixty…seven　（1；767）　deaths　are　registered　from　September　1　to
21；　and　the　largest　number　of　deaths　upon　any　one　day　occurred　during
this　month；　on　the　16th；　viz。　one　hundred　and　nineteen。

The　entire　number　of　Federal　prisoners　confined　at　Andersonville　was
about　forty　thousand　six　hundred　and　eleven；　and　during　the　period　of
near　seven　months；　from　February　24　to　September　21；　nine　thousand　four
hundred　and　seventy…nine　（9；479）　deaths　were　recorded；　that　is；　during
this　period　near　one…fourth；　or　more；　exactly　one　in　4。2；　or　13。3　per
cent。；　terminated　fatally。　　This　increase　of　mortality　was　due　in　great
me