Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-04-25
uTTERS FOR THE WOUNDED.
The Present Army Model and Frederick
Remington's Improvement.

Major James +. Kimhall, surgeon in
the United States army, has written
an interesting article in THE Albany
| Medical Annals On The subject 1t
Transportation Of the Wounded in
| War" He says:
The first stage IN the travels Of the
wounded man is from the ground on
which he has fallen % the collecting or
| frst-dressing station This station. ac-
| cording to army regulations. is the
nearest place to the combatants where
| the wounded and those caring for them
/ may not be unnecessarily exposed 10
| fire. Formerly this was a distance Of
! not more than 200 or 500 yards. but the
/ increased range Of the modern rifle now
| neCessitates the establishment Of the
! first dressing station al least 1000 to
/ 1900 yards behind the firing line. There
! is usually one such station behind each
! regiment engaged. or, if the regiments
| be small, one behind each brigade. To
| these stations bearers carry on Filters
the seriously wounded after they have
received on the field the necessary first
aid. such as the application Of a
tourniquet in cases Of severe arteriaI
hemorrhage, and Of improvised spHnts
to broken bones.
The bearers are 4 part of the sani- /
| tary force. which varies somewhat in |
strength in different armies, but is I
commonly equal TO about four per cent /
Of the troops in line
A comprehensive description Of the /
hospital corps is given, and then /
Major kimball tells about the means /
of transportation and the evolution in /
the United States Of the hand litter \
During the Civil War the Halstead |
litter was used. This was eight feet |
long and weighed p pounds. The pres
ent litter, model Of 1925. weighs 16:2 /
pounds. folds completely and may be |
carried on the shoulder almost as easily |
as a rifle.
Wheeled ltters. to be drawn Or
pushed by hand. have been modelled I
from time TO time. but on the chance
ground of battlefields. often rough and |
broken, these filters have been Of little F..
use
A description is also given Of the /
cycle ambulance" made of the frame
work and wheels of two tandem bicy- I
Giles placed side by side.
Major Kimball considers the litter |
carrier recently invented by Frederic
Remington the best adaptation of the
wheel to the litter that has been made. |
II consists of a single wheel and |
framework to hold the litter. The |
wheel is twontyfour inches in dame
ter, and has a steel rim three inches in
width covered With a rubber band.
Within the rim is a 'N'-Shaped shield |
of wood, through which the spokes |
pass. The shield prevents the accumu- |
lation of mud or snow on the rim. The
frame is made Of steel tubing, upon
which rest two three-leaVed springs |
placed twenty-five inches apart so that |
the poles of the regulation litter may |
rest upon them The litter is fastened
to the carrier by a pin which is at |
tachcd to the lower side of each litter |
pole, and passes through a hole in the
spring, where it is made fast by a
croSSpin. Folding legs are let down to |
hold the carrier firmly in position when
the litter is to be put on or taken off |
The litter-carrier thus adjusted with
the litter placed upon it, is about thir
ty inches in height, and could serve on
occasion as an operating table. When |
the carrier is in motion. the legs fold |
back and are secured by q simple de
vice to the litter poles. The wheel is |
readily detached from the frame and |
the whole can then be packed in small
compass The model which | have
tested weighs thirty -seven and one
half pounds but Mr.. Remington is con-
fident that the weight can be reduced |
to about thirty pounds. ,
The litter-carrier is designed for /,
two bearers, one of whom pulls, while | !,
the other pushes: but should one of the |
bearers become disabled, it can be r
moved by one man alone. Over even =
ground the loaded carrier is moved =
with little effort: over rough ground !.
the labor is not excessive. and the |
broad tread of the rubber-covered ID
wheel and the elasticity of the steel ! q
springs make the patients bed at least liz
endurable if not wholly comfortable"
The article follows the wounded man
from the ambulance station, whereI
are carefully examined and
dressed, to the field hospital, which is
usually two or three miles from the
station. The author saws
that the journey of wounded soldier
from the field to the hospital may never 5
be painless, but the measures taken tn !
relieve suffering and to save life have
kept pace with the inventions con-
rived a a IN lii