Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1863-08-06
MEDICAL RESERVE CoRps.-In con.


MEDICAL RESERVE CoRPs.-In con-
necton with what we had to say yester-
day upon the treatment OF our wounded
at Gettysburg, a more particular reference
is proper to the fact, which has already
been published in our columns, that the
General Government appreciates the ne
cessity Of Medical Reserve Corps. Sur
'geon General Hammond has addressed TO
the governors of several States the follow
ing letter:
SURGEON GENERALS OFFICE,
WAsHINGToN Cry, ID. c., July p.
SHIT seeming desirable to secure
abundant surgical aid for the exigences
of the battlefield, the following plan is
suggested, in which your co operation is
requested. 1t is proposed that thirty sur
geons, for whose ability and skill you can
vouch, organize voluntary aid corps, to
render aid to the wounded Immediately
after battle, and to hold themselves in
readiness when notified by telegraph from
oiilOo, tuiouSh ,Npu-
As the want of concerted and subordl-
nate action has been the chief obstacle to
the success of such organizations in the
past, it is deemed proper that the gentle
men thus volunteering shall guarantee to
serve for at least fifteen days; shall re-
ceive or not, at their pleasure, the com
pensaton allowed to surgeons employed
under contract by this department and
shall be subject to the orders of the Uni
ted States medical authorities. Should
this plan meet your views and those of
other surgeons, you are requested to take
the necessary steps in the case, and to
forward to this Office the names of the aid
corps who may be selected by you.
The experience at Gettysburg certainly
shows the great Importance of some such
organization in every State. We trust
the matter will be promptly attended to,
and that surgeons of known proficiency
will be selected.
We are informed, however, that the
most pressing need, after every great bat
tie, is of efficient nurses. TIE great want
in the Gettysburg Hospitals was of these,
even more than of surgeons. The army
of the Potomac was considerably dimln-
ished, at most important moment, by de-
tails of soldiers as nurses for the wounded
business in which a majority of them
probably were totally inexperienced, and
to which they were unfit This, we pre-
sumo, must necessarily be the case to a
considerable extent, after every severe
engagement; but if, in addition or auxil-
iary to the surgical corps, some measures
could be taken for the organization of a
reserve corps of nurses, the greatest and
most humane service to our wounded would
be accomplished. This we give as the re-
suit of the observation of those who Wis
tied the Gettysburg field soon after the
battles. Some poor fellows from this
State they found without nurses, and sue
ceeded after personal effort in procuring
soldiers, brave fellows and good fighters
but poor attendants for the wounded in
many cases, to act as SUCH These, we
trust, were exceptional instances, but they
serve to show the great Importance Of hav-
ing by some means, a force of volunteer
nurses ready for service when needed
Thirty surgeons from each State would in
some measure relieve this want, perhaps,
but it will be seen on moments reflec-
ton, that even such a force would be en-
tirely inadequate to the performance Of
their appropriate work and the discharge Of
the duties OF nurses also, after an i'm
portant battle. "The great need" say these
working visitors to Gettysburg, lis of
nurses"
We suggest this matter for the earnest
consideration of the proper authorities.
JOHN BULL ON AMERICA.-John Bull,
as represented by the London Times, in
all his summersanlts, manages, felinely, to
ll,,,a