Directions for preserving the health of soldiers : addressed to the officers of the Army of the United States / by Benjamin Rush, M.D. ... ; published by order of the Board of War.

  • Rush, Benjamin, 1746-1813.
Date:
[1808]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Directions for preserving the health of soldiers : addressed to the officers of the Army of the United States / by Benjamin Rush, M.D. ... ; published by order of the Board of War. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    soldiers, will be to no purpose, 3. It should extend to thcybof/of a soldier. Great care should be taken that the^vessels in which he cooks his victuals should be carefully washed after each time of their being used. Too many soldiers should not be allowed on any </ pretence whatever tQ cfowd into the same tent or quarter. The gaol fever is the offspring of the pers. piration and respiration of human bodies brought into a compass too narrow to be diluted, and ren dered inert by a mixture with the atmosphere. It has been remarked that thcv men are most y healthy when the exigencies of a campaign have made it necessary for an army to send off their tents. This must be occasioned by the tents being ren- dered unhealthy from being too much crowded, or from not being kept clean. The straw or hay which composes the bed of a soldier, should be often changed, and his blanket should be exposed every day to the sun. This will prevent tlie perspiration from becoming morbid and jlangerous by accumulating upon it. The commanding officer should take the utmost care never to suffer a soldier to sleep, or even to sit down in his tent with wet clothes, nor to lie down in a wet blanket or upon damp straw. The utmost vigilance will be necessary to guard against this fruitful source of diseases among soldiers. ~^ The environs of each tent, and of the camp in gienejaa, should be kept perfectly clean of the offals '^animals and of filth of all kinds. They should 2X