andersonville-第62部分

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from　such　a　condition　of　the　blood　and　from　such　diseases　as　are
naturally　accompanied　with　a　decrease　in　the　fibrinous　constituent。


VI。　　The　impoverished　condition　of　the　blood；　which　led　to　serous
effusions　within　the　ventricles　of　the　brain；　and　around　the　brain　and
spinal　cord；　and　into　the　pericardial　and　abdominal　cavities；　was
gradually　induced　by　the　action　of　several　causes；　but　chiefly　by　the
character　of　the　food。

The　Federal　prisoners；　as　a　general　rule；　had　been　reared　upon　wheat
bread　and　Irish　potatos；　and　the　Indian　corn　so　extensively　used　at　the
South；　was　almost　unknown　to　them　as　an　article　of　diet　previous　to　their
capture。　　Owing　to　the　impossibility　of　obtaining　the　necessary　sieves　in
the　Confederacy　for　the　separation　of　the　husk　from　the　corn…meal；　the
rations　of　the　Confederate　soldiers；　as　well　as　of　the　Federal　prisoners；
consisted　of　unbolted　corn…flour；　and　meal　and　grist；　this　circumstance
rendered　the　corn…bread　still　more　disagreeable　and　distasteful　to　the
Federal　prisoners。　　While　Indian　meal；　even　when　prepared　with　the　husk；
is　one　of　the　most　wholesome　and　nutritious　forms　of　food；　as　has　been
already　shown　by　the　health　and　rapid　increase　of　the　Southern
population；　and　especially　of　the　negros；　previous　to　the　present　war；
and　by　the　strength；　endurance　and　activity　of　the　Confederate　soldiers；
who　were　throughout　the　war　confined　to　a　great　extent　to　unbolted　corn…
meal；　it　is　nevertheless　true　that　those　who　have　not　been　reared　upon
corn…meal；　or　who　have　not　accustomed　themselves　to　its　use　gradually；
become　excessively　tired　of　this　kind　of　diet　when　suddenly　confined　to
it　without　a　due　proportion　of　wheat　bread。　　Large　numbers　of　the　Federal
prisoners　appeared　to　be　utterly　disgusted　with　Indian　corn；　and　immense
piles　of　corn…bread　could　be　seen　in　the　Stockade　and　Hospital
inclosures。　　Those　who　were　so　disgusted　with　this　form　of　food　that　they
had　no　appetite　to　partake　of　it；　except　in　quantities　insufficient　to
supply　the　waste　of　the　tissues；　were；　of　course；　in　the　condition　of　men
slowly　starving；　notwithstanding　that　the　only　farinaceous　form　of　food
which　the　Confederate　States　produced　in　sufficient　abundance　for　the
maintenance　of　armies　was　not　withheld　from　them。　　In　such　cases；　an
urgent　feeling　of　hunger　was　not　a　prominent　symptom；　and　even　when　it
existed　at　first；　it　soon　disappeared；　and　was　succeeded　by　an　actual
loathing　of　food。　　In　this　state　the　muscular　strength　was　rapidly
diminished；　the　tissues　wasted；　and　the　thin；　skeleton…like　forms　moved
about　with　the　appearance　of　utter　exhaustion　and　dejection。　　The　mental
condition　connected　with　long　confinement；　with　the　most　miserable
surroundings；　and　with　no　hope　for　the　future；　also　depressed　all　the
nervous　and　vital　actions；　and　was　especially　active　in　destroying　the
appetite。　　The　effects　of　mental　depression；　and　of　defective　nutrition；
were　manifested　not　only　in　the　slow；　feeble　motions　of　the　wasted；
skeleton…like　forms；　but　also　in　such　lethargy；　listlessness；　and　torpor
of　the　mental　faculties　as　rendered　these　unfortunate　men　oblivious　and
indifferent　to　their　afflicted　condition。　　In　many　cases；　even　of　the
greatest　apparent　suffering　and　distress；　instead　of　showing　any　anxiety
to　communicate　the　causes　of　their　distress；　or　to　relate　their
privations；　and　their　longings　for　their　homes　and　their　friends　and
relatives；　they　lay　in　a　listless；　lethargic；　uncomplaining　state；　taking
no　notice　either　of　their　own　distressed　condition；　or　of　the　gigantic
mass　of　human　misery　by　which　they　were　surrounded。　　Nothing　appalled　and
depressed　me　so　much　as　this　silent；　uncomplaining　misery。　　It　is　a　fact
of　great　interest；　that　notwithstanding　this　defective　nutrition　in　men
subjected　to　crowding　and　filth；　contagious　fevers　were　rare；　and　typhus
fever；　which　is　supposed　to　be　generated　in　just　such　a　state　of　things
as　existed　at　Andersonville；　was　unknown。　　These　facts；　established　by　my
investigations；　stand　in　striking　contrast　with　such　a　statement　as　the
following　by　a　recent　English　writer：

〃A　deficiency　of　food；　especially　of　the　nitrogenous　part；　quickly　leads
to　the　breaking　up　of　the　animal　frame。　　Plague；　pestilence　and　famine
are　associated　with　each　other　in　the　public　mind；　and　the　records　of
every　country　show　how　closely　they　are　related。　　The　medical　history　of
Ireland　is　remarkable　for　the　illustrations　of　how　much　mischief　may　be
occasioned　by　a　general　deficiency　of　food。　　Always　the　habitat　of　fever；
it　every　now　and　then　becomes　the　very　hot…bed　of　its　propagation　and
development。　　Let　there　be　but　a　small　failure　in　the　usual　imperfect
supply　of　food；　and　the　lurking　seeds　of　pestilence　are　ready　to　burst
into　frightful　activity。　　The　famine　of　the　present　century　is　but　too
forcible　and　illustrative　of　this。　　It　fostered　epidemics　which　have　not
been　witnessed　in　this　generation；　and　gave　rise　to　scenes　of　devastation
and　misery　which　are　not　surpassed　by　the　most　appalling　epidemics　of　the
Middle　Ages。　　The　principal　form　of　the　scourge　was　known　as　the
contagious　famine　fever　（typhus）；　and　it　spread；　not　merely　from　end　to
end　of　the　country　in　which　it　had　originated；　but；　breaking　through　all
boundaries；　it　crossed　the　broad　ocean；　and　made　itself　painfully
manifest　in　localities　where　it　was　previously　unknown。　　Thousands　fell
under　the　virulence　of　its　action；　for　wherever　it　came　it　struck　down　a
seventh　of　the　people；　and　of　those　whom　it　attacked；　one　out　of　nine
perished。　　Even　those　who　escaped　the　fatal　influence　of　it；　were　left
the　miserable　victims　of　scurvy　and　low　fever。〃

While　we　readily　admit　that　famine　induces　that　state　of　the　system　which
is　the　most　susceptible　to　the　action　of　fever　poisons；　and　thus　induces
the　state　of　the　entire　population　which　is　most　favorable　for　the　rapid
and　destructive　spread　of　all　contagious　fevers；　at　the　same　time　we　are
forced　by　the　facts　established　by　the　present　war；　as　well　as　by　a　host
of　others；　both　old　and　new；　to　admit　that　we　are　still　ignorant　of　the
causes　necessary　for　the　origin　of　typhus　fever。　　Added　to　the　imperfect
nature　of　the　rations　issued　to　the　Federal　prisoners；　the　difficulties
of　their　situation　were　at　times　greatly　increased　by　the　sudden　and
desolating　Federal　raids　in　Virginia；　Georgia；　and　other　States；　which
necessitated　the　sudden　transportation　from　Richmond　and　other　points
threatened　of　large　bodies　of　prisoners；　without　the　possibility　of　much
previous　preparation；　and　not　only　did　these　men　suffer　in　transition
upon　the　dilapidated　and　overburdened　line　of　railroad　communication；
but　after　arriving　at　Andersonville；　the　rations　were　frequently
insufficient　to　supply　the　sudden　addition　of　several　thousand　men。
And　as　the　Confederacy　became　more　and　more　pressed；　and　when　powerful
hostile　armies　were　plunging　through　her　bosom；　the　Federal　prisoners　of
Andersonville　suffered　incredibly　during　the　hasty　removal　to　Millen；
Savannah；　Charleston；　and　other　points；　supposed　at　the　time　to　be　secure
from　the　enemy。　　Each　one　of　these　causes　must　be　weighed　when　an　attempt
is　made　to　estimate　the　unusual　mortality　among　these　prisoners　of　war。

VII。　　Scurvy；　arising　from　sameness　of　food　and　imperfect　nutrition；
caused；　either　directly　or　indirectly；　nine…tenths　of　the　deaths　among
the　Federal　prisoners　at　Andersonville。

Not　only　were　the　deaths　referred　to　unknown　causes；　to　apoplexy；　to
anasarca；　and　to　debility；　traceable　to　scurvy　and　its　effects；　and　not
only　was　the　mortality　in　small…pox；　pneumonia；　and　typhoid　fever；　and　in
all　acute　diseases；　more　than　doubled　by　the　scorbutic　taint；　but　even
those　all　but　universal　and　deadly　bowel　affections　arose　from　the　same
causes；　and　derived　their　fatal　character　from　the　same　conditions　which
produced　the　scurvy。　　In　truth；　these　men　at　Andersonville　were　in　the
condition　of　a　crew　at　sea；　confined　in　a　foul　ship　upon　salt　meat　and
unvarying　food；　and　without　fresh　vegetables。　　Not　only　so；　but　these
unfortunate　prisoners　were　men　forcibly　confined　and　crowded　upon　a　ship
tossed　about　on　a　stormy　ocean；　without　a　rudder；　without　a　compass；
without　a　guiding…star；　and　without　any　apparent　boundary　or　to　their
voyage；　and　they　reflected　in　their　steadily　increasing　miseries　the
distressed　condition　and　waning　fortunes　of　devastated　and　bleeding
country；　which　was　compelled；　in　justice　to　her　own　unfortunate　sons；　to
hold　these　men　in　the　most　distressing　captivity。

I　saw　nothing　in　the　scurvy　which　prevailed　so　universally　at
Andersonville；　at　all　different　from　this　disease　as　described　by　various
standard　writers。　　The　mortality　was　no　greater　than　that　which　has
afflicted　a　hundred　ships　upon　long　voyages；　and　it　did　not　exceed　the
mortality　which　has；　upon　me　than　one　occasion；　and　in　a　much　shorter
period　of　time；　annihilated　large　armies　and　desolated　beleaguered
cities。　　The　general　results　of　my　investigations　upon　the　chronic
diarrhea　and　dysentery　of　the　Federal　prisoners　of　Andersonville　were
similar　to　those　of　the　English　surgeons　during　the　war　against　Russia。

IX。　　Drugs　exercised　but　little　influence　over　the　progress　and　fatal
termination　of　chronic　diarrhea　and　dysentery　in　the　Military　Prison　and
Hospital　at　Andersonville；　chiefly　because　the　proper　form　of　nourishment
（milk；　rice；　vegetables；　anti…scorbutics；　and　nourishing　animal　and
vegetable　soups）　was　not　issued；　and　could　not　be　procured　in　sufficient
quantities　for　the　sick　prisoners。

Opium　allayed　pain　and　checked　the　bowels　temporarily；　but　the　frail　dam
was　soon　swept　away；　and　the　patient　appears　to　be　but　little　better；
if　not　the　worse；　for　this　merely　palliative　treatment。　　The　root　of　the
difficulty　could　not　be　reached　by　drugs；　nothing　short　of　the　wanting
elements　of　nutrition　would　have　tended　in　any　manner　to　restore　the　tone
of　the　digestive　system；　and　of　all　the　wasted　and　degenerated　organs　and
tissues。　　My　opinion　to　this　effect　was　expressed　most　decidedly　to　the
medical　officers　in　charge　of　these　unfortunate　men。　　The　correctness　of
this　view　was　sustained　by　the　healthy　and　robust　condition　of　the