Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-23

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adopted in all armies, has prepared the
following description of the latest and
most advanced methods which will. In
view Of the war with Spain. be read
with the greatest interest. As he re-
marks. the methods are the same in
all cilivized countries. the reader can
readily apply the following facts to the
American army:
How much depends on the employ
ment of efficient means for uffordlng
assistance to the wounded In cam.
pnigns. can only be thoroughly under
stood and appreciated by those who
have had practical experience OF the
horrors of war upon the field of bat
tie. Not only the future condition OF the
victims Of war, as regards suffering
and the usefulness of limbs, but even
the preservation of life itself. Is in
volved in the methods which are made
use of for the collecting and succor1ng
of the wounded. The German medical
officers reported. after the war OF
1S7O-7l, that large numbers Of men died
in the field hospitals three or four days
after their admission. not 50 much
from the immediate effects Of their
wounds as In consequence of the gener-
al exhaustion OF vitality following on
long exposure on the field, which. on
some occasions, had been unavoidable.
For the prevention, too. of the aggra-
walton OF the conditions Of the wounds
themselves. as well as to insure the
possibility of treatment on the lines
of modern surgery, 1t Is all important
that wounded men be rapidly picked up
and carried out of danger Of further in
jury, to where nourishment can be
supplied to them and their wounds at
tended to.
But, besides this. every feeling of
humanity prompts us to aid the
wounded soldiers at the earliest mo-
ment, and to the utmost of our pow
err and to place him where he will feel
that his comfort and his urgent re-
quremerss are certain to receive that
care and attention so necessary to his
recovery and SO well deserved for so
. strict an adherence to such a duty as
his. carried. as he has carried it. to
the extent OF rislting life itself.
In the armies of every civilized nation
In the world the methods to be en-
ployed for these purposes are. in mod
ern times, laid down by regulation.
and in all they are based on the same
general principles, with some slight
and unimportant variations necessi-
tated by the circumstances OF PAL
ticular cases.
In former times no systematic meth
DDS for the performance of these i'm
portant duties had been decided on fof
the English army. Until the year 1877
there was no unit in the British army
whose special business was TO collect
and attend TO the wants of the wound
ed men where they fell upon the field.
Even at as late a period as the time
OF the Crimean war, the only men
available for the purpose of helping
wounded man off the field were the
regimental bandsmen. or his COM
rades in the corps to which he be-
longed, and no means could have been
more inefficient than they. They had
never been taught and knew nothing
OF how to move and carry wounded
men, nor, Of course, had they any APP
probation OF the risk wounded meii
are exposed to when moved by mex
perienced hands. Moreover, their CONF
rades in the regiment had other work
on hand. and were there for other
purposes In the year 1877, COM
mittee. with the late Sir Thomas
Longmore. Col. Brackenbury and Ma
jor Kemmls. II. A, az members. was
assembled in London by the commander
in-chief. a scheme for bearer COM
pany was drawn up by this committee,
and this was the model on which the
bearer company, as at present organ
lied, is based. This bearer company
was first tried in actual warfare in
the Zulu war OF 1879. and Gas we
learn from Longmore. ION Gunshot
wounds') its Operations were then
attended with such success-every
man who fell wounded being at once
picked up and carried to the rear for
surgical aid-that the secretary OF
state for war called the attention of
the House of Commons to them. es-
pecially TO the courage of the bearers,
who kept close up to the attacking
troops. and to the rapidity with which
all the wounded were placed under
hospital treatment"
For purposes of description, the
means for medical assistance OF the
sick and wounded in a campaign, as
laid down by regulation. may be d.
vided into three lines.
The first line OF assistance In COM
posed of the regimental aid and the
bearers companies
The second line comprises the field
hospitals and the stationary hospitals
on the lines Of communication. ana
The third line the general hospitals
at the base OF operations. and. II the
bnse be on n seaboard, hospital ships
The first line: The reglmental aid
When on active service every corps or
regiment has n medical officer attached
to II during the campaign: four men
per squadron or two men per company,
are trained, during peace time. in
stretcher bearer work--how 10 lift and
carry wounded men on stretchers--and
in rendering first aid" to wounded on
the field The medical officer and these
trained stretcher bearers form part OF
the first line Of medical assistance, viz.
the ''reglmental aid: the bearer COM
pany forms the other part.
a bearer company Is a body of men
composed Of the medical staff corps and
Its reserves Oncluding the militia re-
serves) especially trained and prac-
ticed in affording first aid to wounded
men. placing them on stretchers, car
rying them to where surgical treat
ment can be given to them, and in
packing them Into ambulance wagons
for conveyance to the field hospitals.
1t IL commanded and administered by
officers OF the army medical stan
The personnel Of n bearer company
consists Of three officers OF the army
medical stan, one warrant officer. six
sergeants, one bugler and fifty-th
rank and file OF the medical stan corps.
or the latter thlrty-two are stretcher
bearers. for eight stretchers at four
men each, and the remainder are cor
porals, prlvates. cooks. servants, etc.
The transport Of a bearer company
may be either wheel or "nack Z" Tn