Boston, December 23, 1861.
My Dear Sir, —
I have not seen your bill. Would not this be a good time to provide in it for a
statistical report upon the sanitary condition of the army — frequent enough to
be of use for this war, as well as for future times? With a proper system, and
one or two clerks at headquarters, the reports of sanitary measures of
prevention, of medical and surgical cases, of deaths, etc., might be tabulated
on a certain day in each month, and while laying the foundation for future
statistics, would be a great check upon the regimental surgeons, and help
reform many immediate abuses. It would also give the surgeons a chance to make
suggestions, independently of their colonels. For instance, I hear of a surgeon
saying, “I wanted the colonel to order so and so done as necessary or valuable
for health,” but the colonel does not think it “worth while to harass the men,”
etc. A well-organized medical board ought to have influence enough to procure
general orders for any measures of clear sanitary reform, if they only have the
disposition, and can insist upon certain detailed reports for each regiment at
fixed times.
Truly yours,
J. M. Forbes.
SOURCE: Sarah Forbes Hughes, Letters and
Recollections of John Murray Forbes, Volume 1, p. 273-4
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