Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the regulations affecting the sanitary condition of the army, the organization of military hospitals, and the treatment of the sick and wounded ; with evidence and appendix. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty.
- Great Britain. Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire into the Sanitary Condition of the Army.
- Date:
- 1858
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the regulations affecting the sanitary condition of the army, the organization of military hospitals, and the treatment of the sick and wounded ; with evidence and appendix. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.
807/978 page 47
![No. 159. Dr. S)iiith to the Deputy Secretary-at-War. Ai-my Medical Department, Sir, 12t]i April 185o. In reply to your letter of the 5th inst., No. ^ Jy^ requesting me to instruct ftlr. Bridgett to procure a wringing machine for the use of the hospital at Kululee, and also for that at Balaklava, I have the lionour to inform you that Mr. Bridgett has ordered them, but although every dispatch Avill be used in preparing them, they will not be ready for shipment ])efore the middle of next week. By that time the vessels now loading with hospital stores, specially ibr this department, will have sailed, but immediately the machines are ready Messrs. Hayter and Howell Avill be instructed to apply for tonnage and see to their shipment. (Signed) A. Smith, Director General. The Deputy Secretary-at-War, &c. &c. No. 160. Dr. Smith to Dr. Hall. Army Medical Department, Sir, 13th April 1855. The Minister at War having transmitted to me your returns of medicines issued from the stores at Balaklava to the troops in the Crimea between the 1st January and the 5tli March 1855, and requested me to state to hon whether I considered what remained in store is a sufficient provision for so large an army as that now in the Crimea, I have the honour to inform you that, judging from the returns in question, I feel great difficulty on this point, although modified to some extent by your statement that a large supply was i-equired from Scutari, a part of which was being landed at the time your letter was written. I earnestly request you will take care to prevent your stock of medicines getting so low as it appears to have been on the 5th ultimo, as under the present circumstances of the troops a much larger supply ought always to be available for issue, and I cannot believe it possible that any difficulty can exist in maintaining such a supply, as the quantities of every article at Scutari must be very large. The total want of quinine and the small amount of chloroform which you return in store especially at- tracted my attention, and care must be taken to avoid the necessity of having to make such confessions in future. You may rest assured the public will not lose this opportunity of holding up the department to further obloquy ; but even were there no reason to fear that, it must be kept in mind that nothing but the absolute inability of securing the article could warrant such a want of them. In a former letter you informed me that you had made several requisitions on Scutari which had not been attended to ; should such gross neglect again occur you must not fail to make the subject one of serious consideration, and have the offender, whoever he may be, punished in the manner such neglect fairly merits. If at any time when you require medicines you find your applications are not responded to, your best course will be to obtain at once the sanction of Lord Raglan to send a dispenser ininiediately to Scutari, with strin- gent instructions to the effect that he must immediately return to Balaklava with the supplies you require, as nothing can persuade me that there is not in the stores of the chief medical store keeper an ample stock to meet any demand that you may find it necessary to make upon him, and at the same time leave the estab- lishment in full possession of everything requisite. I have, &c. Dr. Hall, (Signed) A. Smith, &c. &c. Director General. No. 161. Dr. Smith to Dr. Hall. Army Medical Department, Sir, 13th April 1855. I HAVE tlie honour to transmit herewith a bill of lading and shipping invoice of seven cases of quinine for the use of the troops under Lord Raglan, and forwarded per steamer Iron Age, which proceeded to Balaklava on the 10th instant. I have, &c. Dr. Hall, (Signed) A. Smith, &c. &c. Director General, No. 162. Dr. Smith to the Principal Medical Officer at Balaklava. Army and Ordnance Medical Department, 13th April 1855. Sir, I HAVE the honor to forward, by desire of the Secretary of vState for the War Department, twenty printed copies of instructions on sanitary arrange- ments extracted from the Sanitary Journal, which I request you will put in circulation among the medical officers acting under your orders, and that you will acknowledge their receipt, and notify the steps you have taken for giving effect to Lord Panmure's wishes. I have, &c. (Signed) A. Smith, The Principal Medical Officer, Director General. &c. &c. No. 163. Dr. Smith to the Under Secretary for War. Army and Ordnance Medical Sir, Department, 13th April 1855. As the Great Tasmania and Saldana are to be continuously engaged for the conveyance to the Crimea of effective troop, and for bringing home sick, wounded, and invalids, I am of opinion it will be to the interest of the service to appoint a surgeon and two assistant surgeons for service on board each of the vessels; and I beg to be informed whether I have Lord Panmure's authority to nominate medical officers for the same. I have further to acquaint you for the information of his Lordship, tliat as the medical officer at Liver- pool, engaged in superintending the fitting up of the vessels herein referred to, has reported that they are nearly ready for the purposes to which they are to be devoted, I have ordered a proper supply of medicines, instruments, and surgical materials, with a view to their being forwarded immediately to Liver- pool, to be placed in the pharmacus of the ships. I have, 8fC. (Signed) A. Smith, The Under Secretary for War, Director General. &c. &c. No. 164. Dr. Smith to the Principal Medical Officer at Kululie. Army and Ordnance Medical Sir, Department, 13th April 1855. I BEG to forward, at the request of the Minister for War, five printed copies of instructions for sanitary arrangements, extracted from the Sanitary Journal, for the information of the medical oflacers acting un- F 4](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21365210_0807.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
