From the Richmond Examiner, Friday, 9/26/1862

THE HOSPITALS

We have before us the report of the Select Committee appointed by the Confederate Senate to examine into and report upon the condition of the army hospitals in and around the cities of Richmond and Petersburg.

This committee was appointed in consequence of the numerous complaints made throughout the country, and through the public press, in reference to the condition of the army hospitals and the treatment therein received by sick and wounded soldiers. The report of the committee during their investigation are clearly disclosed by the remedies they propose in their bill, published in our report of the Senate proceedings of yesterday, to be found in another part of this paper.

We have mentioned the subject here to introduce some valuable statistics contained in the reports of S. P. MOORE, Surgeon General, and P. E. HINES, Chief Surgeon at Petersburg. But before disposing finally of the committee's report, we will quote a sentence or two, that the public may know how the committee handles the hospital surgeons, those terrible fellows who, according to common rumour, have been waxing fat and insolent all summer on the brandy and other luxuries contributed by the benevolent for the benefit of the poor soldier:

"In undertaking to discharge the duties assigned them by the Senate, it was the purpose of the committee to make their examination thorough and complete. To this end they availed themselves of all the information they could obtain by conversing with the sick and the surgeons in charge, with the determination of submitting to Congress the whole truth, whether painful or agreeable, and now, after having made this examination, realize the most agreeable satisfaction in reporting that though many of the complaints made by the sick are well founded in fact, yet are in no manner attributable to the inattention or neglect of the surgeons in charge."

So much for the committee and the doctors.

We will now give a brief summary of the reports of the two surgeons above mentioned:

THE RICHMOND HOSPITALS.

According to the report of Surgeon General MOORE, the number of sick and wounded received in the hospitals in and around this city, from the date of their organization to the present time, is 99,508. Of these 9,774 have been furloughed, 2,341 have been discharged, and 7,603 have died. It will be seen that the deaths are a little in excess of seven per cent. of the whole number received in the hospitals [7.64% - ed.]. At Chimborazo hospital where there were received 24,895 patients there have occurred 2,033 deaths [8.166% - ed.]. At the Winder hospital 22,874 patients, and the deaths have numbered only 1,271, a little over five per centum [5.557% - ed.]. [ed note: excluding Winder & Chimborazo, the mortality rate for the other Richmond hospitals at this time was 8.309%.]

Ten per centum is the average of deaths in the hospitals under the exclusive charge of males, while in those under the exclusive charge of ladies the average is under six per cent. The whole number of patients now in hospitals in and about Richmond, is 10,720.

PETERSBURG HOSPITALS.

According to the report of P. E. HINES, Chief Surgeon, the whole number of sick and wounded received in the Petersburg hospitals, up to the present time, is 11,170. Of these 828 have been furloughed, 157 discharged, and 797 have died [7.135% - ed.]. Here, as in Richmond, the smallest per centage of deaths has occurred in hospitals superintended by ladies. The whole number of patients now in all the hospitals in and near Petersburg, is 1,892.

[Editor's note: Winder & Chimborazo Hospitals accounted for a full 48.00% of all admissions to Richmond Hospitals. Chimborazo was 25.02% of all admissions, and Winder was 22.99% of all admissions.]

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