andersonville-第64节

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hospital　to　die。

I　said　the　doctors　made　a　pretense　of　affording　medical　relief。　　It　was
hardly　that；　since　about　all　the　prescription　for　those　inside　the
Stockade　consisted　in　giving　a　handful　of　sumach　berries　to　each　of　those
complaining　of　scurvy。　　The　berries　might　have　done　some　good；　had　there
been　enough　of　them；　and　had　their　action　been　assisted　by　proper　food。
As　it　was；　they　were　probably　nearly；　if　not　wholly；　useless。　　Nothing
was　given　to　arrest　the　ravages　of　dysentery。

A　limited　number　of　the　worst　cases　were　admitted　to　the　Hospital　each
day。　　As　this　only　had　capacity　for　about　one…quarter　of　the　sick　in　the
Stockade；　new　patients　could　only　be　admitted　as　others　died。　　It　seemed；
anyway；　like　signing　a　man's　death　warrant　to　send　him　to　the　Hospital；
as　three　out　of　every　four　who　went　out　there　died。　　The　following　from
the　official　report　of　the　Hospital　shows　this：

Total　number　admitted　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。12；900
Died　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　8；663
Exchanged　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　828
Took　the　oath　of　allegiance　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　　　　25
Sent　elsewhere　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。　2；889

Total　。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。。12；400

Average　deaths；　76　per　cent。


Early　in　August　I　made　a　successful　effort　to　get　out　to　the　Hospital。　　I
had　several　reasons　for　this：　First；　one　of　my　chums；　W。　　W。　　Watts；　of
my　own　company；　had　been　sent　out　a　little　whale　before　very　sick　with
scurvy　and　pneumonia；　and　I　wanted　to　see　if　I　could　do　anything　for　him；
if　he　still　lived：　I　have　mentioned　before　that　for　awhile　after　our
entrance　into　Andersonville　five　of　us　slept　on　one　overcoat　and　covered
ourselves　with　one　blanket。　　Two　of　these　had　already　died；　leaving　as
possessors　of…the　blanket　and　overcoat；　W。　W。　Watts；　B。　B。　Andrews；　and
myself。

Next；　I　wanted　to　go　out　to　see　if　there　was　any　prospect　of　escape。
I　had　long　since　given　up　hopes　of　escaping　from　the　Stockade。　　All　our
attempts　at　tunneling　had　resulted　in　dead　failures；　and　now；　to　make　us
wholly　despair　of　success　in　that　direction；　another　Stockade　was　built
clear　around　the　prison；　at　a　distance　of　one　hundred　and　twenty　feet
from　the　first　palisades。　　It　was　manifest　that　though　we　might　succeed
in　tunneling　past　one　Stockade；　we　could　not　go　beyond　the　second　one。

I　had　the　scurvy　rather　badly；　and　being　naturally　slight　in　frame；
I　presented　a　very　sick　appearance　to　the　physicians；　and　was　passed　out
to　the　Hospital。

While　this　was　a　wretched　affair；　it　was　still　a　vast　improvement　on　the
Stockade。　　About　five　acres　of　ground；　a　little　southeast　of　the
Stockade；　and　bordering　on　a　creek；　were　enclosed　by　a　board　fence；
around　which　the　guard　walked；　trees　shaded　the　ground　tolerably　well。
There　were　tents　and　flies　to　shelter　part　of　the　sick；　and　in　these　were
beds　made　of　pine　leaves。　　There　were　regular　streets　and　alleys　running
through　the　grounds；　and　as　the　management　was　in　the　hands　of　our　own
men；　the　place　was　kept　reasonably　clean　and　orderly　for　Andersonville。

There　was　also　some　improvement　in　the　food。　　Rice　in　some　degree
replaced　the　nauseous　and　innutritious　corn　bread；　and　if　served　in
sufficient　quantities；　would　doubtless　have　promoted　the　recovery　of　many
men　dying　from　dysenteric　diseases。　　We　also　received　small　quantities　of
〃okra；〃　a　plant　peculiar　to　the　South；　whose　pods　contained　a
mucilaginous　matter　that　made　a　soup　very　grateful　to　those　suffering
from　scurvy。

But　all　these　ameliorations　of　condition　were　too　slight　to　even　arrest
the　progress　of　the　disease　of　the　thousands　of　dying　men　brought　out
from　the　Stockade。　　These　still　wore　the　same　lice…infested　garments　as
in　prison；　no　baths　or　even　ordinary　applications　of　soap　and　water
cleaned　their　dirt…grimed　skins；　to　give　their　pores　an　opportunity　to
assist　in　restoring　them　to　health；　even　their　long；　lank　and　matted
hair；　swarming　with　vermin；　was　not　trimmed。　　The　most　ordinary　and
obvious　measures　for　their　comfort　and　care　were　neglected。　　If　a　man
recovered　he　did　it　almost　in　spite　of　fate。　　The　medicines　given　were
scanty　and　crude。　　The　principal　remedial　agentas　far　as　my　observation
extendedwas　a　rank；　fetid　species　of　unrectified　spirits；　which；　I　was
told；　was　made　from　sorgum　seed。　　It　had　a　light…green　tinge；　and　was
about　as　inviting　to　the　taste　as　spirits　of　turpentine。　　It　was　given　to
the　sick　in　small　quantities　mixed　with　water。　　I　had　had　some　experience
with　Kentucky　〃apple…jack；〃　which；　it　was　popularly　believed　among　the
boys；　would　dissolve　a　piece　of　the　fattest　pork　thrown　into　it；　but　that
seemed　balmy　and　oily　alongside　of　this。　　After　tasting　some；　I　ceased　to
wonder　at　the　atrocities　of　Wirz　and　his　associates。　　Nothing　would　seem
too　bad　to　a　man　who　made　that　his　habitual　tipple。

＇For　a　more　particular　description　of　the　Hospital　I　must　refer　my　reader
to　the　testimony　of　Professor　Jones；　in　a　previous　chapter。＇

Certainly　this　continent　has　never　seenand　I　fervently　trust　it　will
never　again　seesuch　a　gigantic　concentration　of　misery　as　that　Hospital
displayed　daily。　　The　official　statistics　tell　the　story　of　this　with
terrible　brevity：　There　were　three　thousand　seven　hundred　and　nine　in　the
Hospital　in　August；　one　thousand　four　hundred　and　eighty…ninenearly
every　other　man　died。　　The　rate　afterwards　became　much　higher　than　this。

The　most　conspicuous　suffering　was　in　the　gangrene　wards。　　Horrible　sores
spreading　almost　visibly　from　hour　to　hour；　devoured　men's　limbs　and
bodies。　　I　remember　one　ward　in　which　the　alterations　appeared　to　be
altogether　in　the　back；　where　they　ate　out　the　tissue　between　the　skin
and　the　ribs。　　The　attendants　seemed　trying　to　arrest　the　progress　of　the
sloughing　by　drenching　the　sores　with　a　solution　of　blue　vitriol。　　This
was　exquisitely　painful；　and　in　the　morning；　when　the　drenching　was　going
on；　the　whole　hospital　rang　with　the　most　agonizing　screams。

But　the　gangrene　mostly　attacked　the　legs　and　arms；　and　the　led　more　than
the　arms。　　Sometimes　it　killed　men　inside　of　a　week；　sometimes　they
lingered　on　indefinitely。　　I　remember　one　man　in　the　Stockade　who　cut　his
hand　with　the　sharp　corner　of　a　card　of　corn　bread　he　was　lifting　from
the　ration　wagon；　gangrene　set　in　immediately；　and　he　died　four　days
after。

One　form　that　was　quit　prevalent　was　a　cancer　of　the　lower　one　corner　of
the　mouth；　and　it　finally　ate　the　whole　side　of　the　face　out。　　Of　course
the　sufferer　had　the　greatest　trouble　in　eating　and　drinking。　　For　the
latter　it　was　customary　to　whittle　out　a　little　wooden　tube；　and　fasten
it　in　a　tin　cup；　through　which　he　could　suck　up　the　water。　　As　this　mouth
cancer　seemed　contagious；　none　of　us　would　allow　any　one　afflicted　with
it　to　use　any　of　our　cooking　utensils。　The　Rebel　doctors　at　the　hospital
resorted　to　wholesale　amputations　to　check　the　progress　of　the　gangrene。

They　had　a　two　hours　session　of　limb…lopping　every　morning；　each　of　which
resulted　in　quite　a　pile　of　severed　members。　　I　presume　more　bungling
operations　are　rarely　seen　outside　of　Russian　or　Turkish　hospitals。
Their　unskilfulness　was　apparent　even　to　non…scientific　observers　like
myself。　　The　standard　of　medical　education　in　the　Southas　indeed　of
every　other　form　of　educationwas　quite　low。　　The　Chief　Surgeon　of　the
prison；　Dr。　Isaiah　White；　and　perhaps　two　or　three　others；　seemed　to　be
gentlemen　of　fair　abilities　and　attainments。　　The　remainder　were　of　that
class　of　illiterate　and　unlearning　quacks　who　physic　and　blister　the　poor
whites　and　negros　in　the　country　districts　of　the　South；　who　believe　they
can　stop　bleeding　of　the　nose　by　repeating　a　verse　from　the　Bible；　who
think　that　if　in　gathering　their　favorite　remedy　of　boneset　they　cut　the
stem　upwards　it　will　purge　their　patients；　and　if　downward　it　will　vomit
them；　and　who　hold　that　there　is　nothing　so　good　for　〃fits〃　as　a　black
cat；　killed　in　the　dark　of　the　moon；　cut　open；　and　bound　while　yet　warm；
upon　the　naked　chest　of　the　victim　of　the　convulsions。

They　had　a　case　of　instruments　captured　from　some　of　our　field　hospitals；
which　were　dull　and　fearfully　out　of　order。　　With　poor　instruments　and
unskilled　hands　the　operations　became　mangling。

In　the　Hospital　I　saw　an　admirable　illustration　of　the　affection　which　a
sailor　will　lavish　on　a　ship's　boy；　whom　he　takes　a　fancy　to；　and　makes
his　〃chicken；〃　as　the　phrase　is。　　The　United　States　sloop　〃Water　Witch〃
had　recently　been　captured　in　Ossabaw　Sound；　and　her　crew　brought　into
prison。　　One　of　her　boysa　bright；　handsome　little　fellow　of　about
fifteenhad　lost　one　of　his　arms　in　the　fight。　　He　was　brought　into　the
Hospital；　and　the　old　fellow　whose〃chicken〃　he　was；　was　allowed　to
accompany　and　nurse　him。　　This　〃old　barnacle…back〃　was　as　surly　a　growler
as　ever　went　aloft；　but　to　his　〃chicken〃　he　was　as　tender　and　thoughtful
as　a　woman。　　They　found　a　shady　nook　in　one　corner；　and　any　moment　one
looked　in　that　direction　he　could　see　the　old　tar　hard　at　work　at
something　for　the　comfort　and　pleasure　of　his　pet。　　Now　he　was　dressing
the　wound　as　deftly　and