The Early History of Medicine in Philadelphia.
Among some of these dissatisfaction with and enmity to the new Director-General arose, in the first instance, from his requiring proofs of capacity by examination, and by his reform of hospital abuses, and soon acquired additional vigor from his inflexible resolution of being faithful to his trust, and not suffering the stores and instruments collected for the General Hospital to be dissipated among the various regi-
Gordon in his History of the War asserts, that some of the regimental surgeons made a practice of selling recommendations to furloughs and discharges, and states that one of them proved to have done it was drummed out of the army. [1] In another place he adds, "several of the regimental surgeons had no professional abilities, and had never seen an operation of surgery, and were ignorant to a degree scarcely to be imagined." (Vol. ii. p. 115, N. Y., 1801.)
At Cambridge one regimental surgeon drew upon the General Hospital "for above 100 gallons of rum, with wine and sugar in proportion, in the space of six weeks, and from this regiment there was no return of sick made." (Ibid. p. 42.)
"Some of them in time of need deserted the army altogether, and others shunned to attend the regiments to the field of battle." (Ibid. p. 104.)
"At the action of White Plains few of the regimental surgeons were with their respective battalions, in consequence of which many of the wounded bled to death." (Ibid. p. 105.)
↑ A surgeon at Harlem was drummed out of his regiment "for selling soldiers certificates that they were unfit for duty." (Diary of Revolution, vol. i. p. 315.)
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