The herald., 1898-04-24
M aF'SFAS1A1Ss

must keep close to them and advance and
change position as they do. The duties OF
the "regmental aid'' are strictly confined
to those who can perform under these con-
ditions: The application of first held
dressings (Which every officer and man
carries on his person) to the apertures in
the skin; the rendering of fractured limhs
Professionally immovable, so as to prevent
aggravation of these injuries by transport,
by the use of extemporized splints, such as
swords bayonetS, scabbards, rifles, sticks,
ETC., all of which are sure to be available;
the controlling of serious hemorrahge 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.
If. then, a place under cover be available
the wounded are carried there; if not, they
must be left lying on the field. In either
case they are picked up later by the bearer
| company.
The bearer company is In theory sup
posed to work in the rear of the "regi-
mental aid," but practically the two por-
tions of the first line 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 a
battle is carried on in three sections, as it
| were-at the dressing station" at the
| collecting station and by the stretcher
squads in rear of the fight. The medical
officer in command selects place under
| cover, out of range, or out of the line OF
| fire Here the dressing station is estab
| lished. An operating tent is pitched, the
| surgical equipment of dressing materials
| instruments, bandages, etc, is opened out
| Antiseptic solutions are prepared, water
| is boiled and everything got in readiness
| for the numerous operations which ma y
be required and for the general treatment
| of the wounded as soon as they arrive
| Nourishing food is prepared, and for this
| purpose a cook forms part of the per-
| sonnet at the dressing station. A good
| water supply is almost necessity, but il
| one cannot be obtained the water cart
| of the company must be utilized. All th5
| surgical work at the dressing station is
| performed by the surgeon major of tht
| bearer company, assisted by the junior of
| flcerS.
| The collecting station Is the place
| where the wounded are carried by tho
| stretcher bearers for transport to TIL
dressing station. 1t should be as near TIL.
| fighting line as possible, but under cove
| or out of the line of fire. The sites for tn
dressing and collecting stations should b.
| so selected as to have a road betweei
them suitable for the bearer compan,
transport, and connecting the former will
| the field hospitals in the rear. and the,
| should be close together when possible 81
| as to lessen the labors of the transport ami
mails At the collecting station are as
| sembled the ten ambulance wagons for tn
| conveyance of the wounded to the dress
ing station and on to the field hospital.
The thirty-two stretcher bearers witt
their eight stretchers, forming tw
stretcher sections of sixteen men and fou
| stretchers each, under the command of tn
second junior medical officer, set out fro,
the collecting station, pick up the wounde'
left behind by the regimental aid, carr
them to the collecting station, and, havin
afforded such medical treatment as may h
necessary, load them into the ambulanc
wagons for transport to the dressing sta
ton.
| The surgical work at and in front of tn
collecting station must, like that of tn
regimental aid, be Of the simplest kind. A
this part of the field no operative pro
Cedures can be attempted, except the liga
ton of bleeding vessels; fractures of lon
bones should be put up with extemporar
splints, and open wounds should be co..
cred with first field dressings, without be
ing wiped or Cleaned in any way 0