upon coming into the hospital in the morning, and my assistants had to revive me by dashing water into my face. In order to change and purify the air, we were forced to keep the windows open; and, as winter had set in, this so chilled the rooms that we could not maintain, on the floor where the sick lay, a temperature higher than five or six degrees Réaumur above the freezing point. More than 25 per cent, of the whole prison population were constantly sick, and more than 10 per cent, of the sick died."[1]
"How long," I inquired, "has this awful state of things existed?"
"I have been here fifteen years," replied Dr. Órzheshkó, "and it has been so, more or less, ever since I came."
"And is the Government at St. Petersburg aware of it?"
"It has been reported upon every year. I have recommended that the hospital of the Tomsk forwarding prison be burned to the ground. It is so saturated with contagious disease that it is unfit for use. We have been called upon by the prison department to forward plans for a new hospital, and we have forwarded them. They have been returned for modification, and we have modified them; but nothing has been done."[2]
It is unnecessary to comment upon this frank statement of the Tomsk surgeon. Civilization and humanity can
- ↑ The report of the inspector of exile transportation shows how rapidly the sick-rate increased with the progressive overcrowding. The figures are as follows:
1885.
Month.Average daily
number of
sick.Per cent. of
whole prison
population.1885,
Month.Average daily
number of
sick.Per cent. of
whole prison
population.June 108 5.8 September 242 9.6 July 170 6.9 October 356 15.4 August 189 7.1 November 406 25.2 The sick-rate increased steadily throughout the winter until March, when it reached high-water mark—40.7 per cent., or nearly one-half the whole prison population. [Report of Inspector of Exile Transportation for 1885, p. 30 of the manuscript.]
- ↑ In 1887 fifteen thousand dollars were appropriated for the erection of new hospital barracks in this prison. [Rep. of the Chief Pris. Adm. for 1887. Ministry of the Interior, St. Petersburg, 1889.]
