Page:Early History of Medicine in Philadelphia - George W Norris.djvu/87

 intimated, arose from his rigid enforcement of the resolves of Congress "that no stores should be issued from the General Hospital to the regimental surgeons," and that "no regimental hospital should be allowed in the neighbourhood of the general one," and his hasty dismission was owing to charges made to Congress in regard to the sufferings of the sick in Canada and Jersey, the direction of which had been taken by their own resolves entirely from his control. That the sick suffered elsewhere, and that there was a real want of many of the material requisites for their relief even in the hospitals under his own eye, he or no other denied. It was indeed unavoidable. A proper hospital establishment was beyond the abilities of the country. The army, too, was a young one, of which the militia formed a considerable part, was unused to discipline, and exposed to great hardships from a deficiency of proper clothing and stores of all kinds, articles also out of the power of Congress to furnish. Besides this, they were an unsuccessful and retreating army, soured by disappointments and reverses. Officers, as well as soldiers, manifested a reluctance to submit to the necessary discipline of camps,