Typho-malarial fever : is it a special type of fever? : being remarks introductory to the discussion of the question in the Section of Medicine, International Medical Congress / by J.J. Woodward.

  • Woodward, Joseph Janvier, 1833-1884.
Date:
1876
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Typho-malarial fever : is it a special type of fever? : being remarks introductory to the discussion of the question in the Section of Medicine, International Medical Congress / by J.J. Woodward. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    6/44 (page 6)
    R I3ut wliat riliiill I say of tho mortality among the colored ti'oops? The statistical tables in the first volume of the Medical Histoi’y show it to have been 211 per 1000 of mean strength during the year ending June 30, 18G4, and 139.8 during tlie year ending June 30, 18G5. Even if we extend the view to cover the whole pei’iod from the day the first volunteer colored regiment was mustered into service to the day the last was mustered out, a period of five years and four jnonths, and dis- tribute the mortality over the whole term, it will be found, as I have shown in the Introduction to the first volume of the Medical History,* that it represents an average annual mortality from disease of 133 per 1000 of mean strength—a proportion which it is impossible to consider without emotion. It is only just to express my conviction that a large part of this exces- sive mortality Avas due to circumstances from which the colored men suffered before they were enlisted, leather than to mismanagement or maltreatment afterwards. It must be remembered that a large part of these colored soldiers were fugitive slaves. They fled into our lines literally naked and starving. The diseases which destroyed them were to a great extent engendered by the miseries they had suffered before they found a refuge under our flag. In all—embracing in the count all arms and all colors, officers and men—the total mortality of the armies of the United States from disease during the war, (including the deaths during the year following, in Avhich a large part of the mortality was from diseases contracted during the struggle,) may be fixed at a little over 200,000 men, while battle and wounds destroyed rather more than 100,000.t This estimate of 200,000 men dead of disease embraces, it must be remembered, not only about 30,000 of the colored soldiers, upon whose mortality I have commented, but a nearly equal number of white soldiers, who died while prisoners of war in the hands of the enemy, under circumstances upon which I refrain from comment at this time, but for which the Medical Adminis- tration of the United States army can assuredly in nowise be held responsible. These circumstances no doubt increased the mortality of our armies * 0/Introduction, p. XL. . , tt. ^ ,i t tin the Introduction to the first Medical volume of the Medical and Surgical History of die War. I have fully discussed the various official records, and arrived (see p. XXXVIII) at the following results, which arc probably very near the truth : Deaths from battle, wounds, and other violence ,«fi 2^ Deaths from disease .. 54,184 Deaths, the causes of which are not recorded 30^1.369 On the reasonable supposition that those deaths in which the c.auses are not recorded were disuibnted between wounds and disease in the same proportion as those whose causes arc recorde , we s a .irriv at tlic results expressed in the text. d