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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