New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-06-05
THE WOUNDED IN SEA FIGHTS
FRENCH ARRANGEMENTS FOR SURGICAL
TREATMENT DURING BATTLES.
EACH COMPARTMENT SHOULD BE A SURGICAL
UNlT-FLoATING HOSPITALS AND THEIR
ARRANGEMENTS RED CROSS
THE
Paris. May 20.
ON THE SEA.

Paris. May 20.
Tn, subject Of hospital ships and floating hos
pitfalls to accompany fleets during active naval
or military operations and the organizations
for the care Of the wounded after naval engage
ments has received great attention in France
during the recent colonial wars in Tonquin.
Madagascar and Dahomey. and through the
courtesy of DR.. Bonnafy. Surseon-General OF the
I'rerch Navy and Director Of the Medical De-
pa, rlent Of the Minister of Marine. The Trb-
una correspondent is enabled to obtain some IN
for, a.ion that may be of use to those provd-
~ similar organizations for the United States
Navy
There are seven hospital ships attached per-
manently to the French Navy. and they are all
at present at Toulon. although only one OF them
is kept in commission. The names OF these YES
sells which vary in size from 5000 to 1000 tons.
and which can also be used as military trans
ports, are the Annamite. the Tonkin. the
Mytho the Shamrock. the Ben-hoa the Vnh-
long and the Nivc. Their average cost was
4.5D0.0W francs, and they are each capable OF
accommodating 80 patients without crowd
ing. The double decks made into we'll
ventilated hospital wards extending fore and
aft the entire length of the ship without
any Partitions Besides the regular complement
OF 90 officers and men, each Of these ships has
a larSe medical and surgical staff and assistants
and a corps Of male nurses suited to the special
requirements Of the service in which the ship
is engaged.
For instance. during the Dahomev war the
Mytho remained off the Dahomey coast for seven
months from August % 1892 to March %, lS!,3.
ard cared fer i36 fever patients and 81 wounded
The Mytho. like all the French hosrital ships
was supplied with the material necessary 10
establish at least three field hospitals on shore.
The reserve stock Of surgical instruments. medi-
cines. beds. linen. mineral waters. jcllies. wine
ard other hospital necessities and comforts was
always kept up to the fullest capacity In case
of a purely naval war the hospital ships would
accompany the fleets and. provided with a great
number of RATS and lifeboats would endeavor
to rescue as many lives possible from any
sinking disabled ship. The Red Cross is al
present restricted to armies operating on land.
but it is hoped that one of the results Of the
present war between the United States and
Spain will be that the International Red Cross
will in future be allowed to designate the hos
pital ships of belligerent nations and gain on
sea the rights and privileges that it row enjoys
on land
In the course Of a conversation DR.. BonDafy
stated that naval surgery during engage
ment had been completely revolutionized by the
latest types Of construction Of modern war
ships. Nowadays" said the chief medical officer
OF the French Navy. during naval action there
will be no possible means Of communicating be
tween the various fighting compartments Of "A
ship which. as sOOn as the first shot is fired. VIII
BE- almost Theoretically separated from each
other. These compartments constitute the diff
ferent units Of autonomous combat each pro
vided with it's own specific officers and men,
and the sole communication Is by means Of cleo
tricity with the coming tower. where the com
mander Of the ship is stationed. Under these
new conditions it would be absurd to think Of
aiding and transporting the wounded during an
action. Consequently the French org anization is
made to conform TO the units II combat.
and especially to the successive phases Of the
encounter.
TWO PHASES IN NAVAL BATTLES
For instance. in a naval battle exclusively be-
tween ships, and where there is no question Of
bombardments of forts or cities there two
phases periods. each OF which requires DIFF
(erent treatment from the surgical point Of view.
The first period will be the action at long dis
lance. in which only artillery Of the largest
.allbrc can be employed. and the second period
that at close quarters-where artiery of both
large and small calibre. quick firing guns. tor
pedoes ard rams will he brought into play The
first phase viii probably last much longer than
the seconi period. and the damage will De most
y done TO the ships material-plates guns. gun
carriages, etc--but o! course, dying bolts. bits
OF iron and. above all. internal explosions Of
ammunition hit by the enenys projectiles will
cause a great deal Of havoc among the officers
and men But even during this preliminary
period Of the engagement 1t Will b. impossible