The Sanitary Commission of the United States Army : a succinct narrative of its works and purposes.

Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Sanitary Commission of the United States Army : a succinct narrative of its works and purposes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    popular affections and sympathies -will force themselves into the adminis- tration of army and all other aflfairs in times of deep national awakening. The practical question was not, is it best to allow the army to depend in any degree upon the care of the people, as distinguished from the Govern- ment ? Considered on administrative grounds alone, that question, we have no doubt, should be answered negatively. But no such question existed in a pure and simple form. It was this question rather; How shall this rising tide of popular sympathy, expressed in the form of sanitary supplies, and offers of personal service and advice, be rendered least hurtful to the army system, and most useful to the soldiers themselves ? How shall it be kept from injuring the order, eflSciency, and zeal of the regular bureau, and at the same time be left to do its intended work of succor and sympa- thy ; to act as a steady expression of the people's watchful care of their aimy, and as a true helper and supplementer of what the Government may find it possible or convenient to do from its own resources ? It was this mixed question the Sanitary Commission found itself called to answer ; and its whole plan and working has been one steady reply to it. It could not be deemed wise, much less was it possible, to discourage and deaden the active sympathies of the people. ***** The Commission knew that the average annual death-rate in armies in our former wars had been exceedingly high, and that an army of volunteer forces is most liable to fatal diseases. * * * * Iq our vast armies of volunteers, the problems of sanitary science were to be wrought out as a national and patriotic work. The death-rates of the Mexican campaign would imperil the national cause, and bring sorrow to every home in the land. Can the average sickness-rate be kept at a minimum point ? Can the average death-rate from disease be reduced to a fraction of that which was registered in the Mexican war ? This result the Com- mission believed possible. It was to be accomplished by prevention and by succor. The Commission was strongly impressed with the facts that the de- stroying angel who follows in the trail of armies * exacts from every man to the full whatever penalties follow on the infraction of natural law;' that 'the waste of human life and the destruction of human health and happi- ness [in time of war] have been in all ages many times greater from dis-