The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-04-17
Continued From Page n.

assistance must be established under firc
In the Omen field. The surgical treat
usent at this part OF the battlefield must
necessarily be OF the most simple kind.
for e Is distinctly laid down by regn.a-
ton that the medical oflicer and the
bearers must not lose touch with their
regiments" but must keep close to them.
I'D advance and change position a. they
do. The duties OF the '.regimenta. aid
are strictly confined TO those they can
perform under these conditions: The APP
plication OF ''first field dressings (which
every od1cer and man carries On his per-
sDn) to the aDertures in the skin. the
rendering Of fractured limbs Professionally
immovabse. 90 as To prevent aggravasion
Of the injuries by transport. by the use
OF extemporixed splints. such as swords.
bayonets. scabbaris. rifles. sticks. etc, all
OF which are sure 10 be available: the
controlling OF serious hemorrhage by
surgical means and. possibly. the injec-
ton OF morphia In certain cases. Beyond
this nothing can be attempted. because
touch with the regiment must be kept up.
II. them place under cover be available.
tbs wounded are carried there: IL not
they must be left lying on the field. In
either case they are picked up later by
the bearer company.
The bearer company il. In theory, sup
posed to work IN rear Of the ''regimental
aid" but practically the two portions OF
the first Inc Of assistance perform their
duties In the same part OF the field, close
In rear Of the fighting line.
The work Of a bearer company during
q battle Is carried on in three sections.
as 1t were-at the dressing station" at
the collecting station and by tha
stretcher squads in rear Of the fight The
medical officer In command selects a
place under cover. o3t Of range or out
OF the line OF fire. Here the dressing sta
ton In established. An operating tent
Is pitched: the surgical equipment Of
dressing materials. instruments, band
ages. etc. 10 opened out. Antiseptic solu-
lions are preparsd. water Is boxed, ana
everything get In. readiness for The
numerous operations which may be re-
0uired, and for the genera: treatment OF
the wounded as soOl as they arrive.
Nourtshing food Is prepared, and for this
purpose cook forms part Of the per
sonnet at the dressing station A god
water supply Is ahnos, a necessity. but II
one cannot be obtained the water cart Of
tho company must he utilized. All Tie
surgical work at ths dressing station IS
performed by the surgeon-mejo~ Of The
the bearer company assisted By one o.
the junior officers.
The collecting station Is the place to
where the wounded are carried by the
for transport to the
dressing station. 1t should be as near the
nghting line as possible. but under cover
or out OF the line Of fire. The sites for
the dressing and collecting stations should
De so selected as to have a road between
them suitable for the bearer company
transport. and connecting the former with
the held hospitals in the rear; and they
should be close together when possible.
50 as TO lessen the labors of the trans
port animals. At the collecting station
are assembled the ten ambulance wagons
Tor the conveyance OF the wounded to the
ore3ing station. and on to the fed hos
pita.s. The thirty-two Observation-Disclosures.
with their eight stretchers, forming two
OF sixteen and four
ssretcherS each. under the command OF
the second Junior medical officer set out
from the collecting station. pick up the
wounded left behind by the reRimental
aid. carry them to the collecting sta
tons. and. having afforded such medical
treatment as may be necessary, load
them into the ambulance wagons for
transport TO the dressing station.
The surgical work at and IN front NJ
the collecting station must. like that OF
the reg.menta. aid. be Of the simn.sst
kind. AT this part of the field no oper-
alive procedures can be ATTEMPTED ex
cept the ligaturing OF blood vessels.
fractures OF long bones should be put I'M
with temporary splints. and open wounds
snouio De covered with first field dress
ings. without being wiped or Cleaned
IN any way. or touched by hands or in
struments. II more than this be done at
the front, Infection OF the wounds Is sure
10 occur. and antfseptic or asepttc sur
gerry. the great object to be aimed at hy
surgeons In warfare as well as In civil
practice, will be rendered Impossible or
more difficult at the posts further to the
rear.
The amount and the kind Of surgical
work which must be performed at the
dressing station will largely depend on
whether or not the fed hospitals are up
ana In their places. If they are close AT
hand and ready for the reception ~
patients. the labors of the medical officers
VII. be considerably reduced; but II NOT.
all the primary surgical work of the
oatue must be done at the dressing sta
ton. In either case all the wounds mu.t
be dressed and rendered axeptic. a ,arye
number OF primary operations will GER
tatnly be required: the provisional i'm
apparatus already applied TO
fractured limbs must be seen to an 10 ira
efficiency for its purpose: and stimuIants
ana nourishment must be given 10 the
patients to recover them from the more or
less profound constitutional shock which
Dafsentx
dressed they are placed In the ambuIance
wagons. which. az they are filed ara
to the field hospitals In charge
OF CORPORAL and wagon order.y.
The second line Of assistance js conn
posed OF the field hospitals and the s.a.
tionary hospitals on the lines OF s,om-
with the base OF operations
The field hospitals are lightly eouipued
hospitals. capable Of being easily
and RAPIDLY opened on. and rackea mn
They are intended only for the Temporary
treatment OF 100 patients each. ana ar.
supplied with wheel or pack tranxno-. IL
the nature of the country may render
advisable. They are divisbIe into half.
hospitals. each for fifty men. when This
may be required. No special ho.ni.ar
diets are supplied 10 them. the field "a
tons. cooked as the medical officers NAV
direct. and supplemented by such ..er-
tras" and medical comforts" as they
may order. being used In them: they are
termed mon dieted hospitals The bod
ding consists OF a blanket and a water.
proof sheet for each patient, no bed
stead being supplied. When suitable
buildings are available these hos-5ts's
may be established in them. otherwise
the tents are pitched. and they should
always be placed as near TO the dressing