Evening star., 1898-04-21
WOUNDED IN BATTLE
Continual from Eleventh Page

/
| United States navy is to Iasn and carry
| him on the same deck in a hammock con-
| tanning mattress. or for transference
| from one deck to another by means OF the
| apparatus suggested by Passed Assistant
| Surgeon Stitt. This apparatus consists of a
bar made OF one-inch piping seven feet
| long, with ends forged IA; and holes drill-
| IN them: snap hooks are attached to these
ends binding strap moving freely on tho
/ pipes gives the point OF support. and is
| capahie OF being frightened by thumb
| screw.
| In Operation.
The object OF this is to enable one to
False or lower a wounded person at any
degree OF obliquity. When the men trans
| ferrillg the hammock reach the hatchway,
where one of these stretcher bars is rig
ged. they snap the hooks into the ham
mock rings and lower away. The advan-
| taSes of this method are as follows:
| Ease aud freedom from pain. and improb-
| ahility or injury during movement along
Geek; rapidity of passages from one deck to
| another; any hatchway, however small. cau-
| be used; q wounded man reaches sick quar-
| tiers in his hammc, TX; the simplicity Of the
| apparatus. which can be- made Ia a short
time on any ship. only two men are 70
qulr"d TO manipulate and lower it The
| simplicity of this apparatus is equalci
| only by its efficacy in practice. 1t has now
| been long enough i'm use in the United
States navy to piece II beyond the STAGE
\ OF expert iment and TO demonstrate its ELL
| cheney.
The ship, when cleared for action and
| with the m N at quarters, is cmptied OF her
personnel at the ends. outside the case
| mates, above the protective decks. Tho
| men most exposed ara signalmen and those
| on flying and superstruciure decks. in sec
| ordary battery. and the navisatOr's Sec
| ton. ON the gun deck. at the 6-inch guns,
there Is some protection from armor on the
| slips side. On the berth deck near ths
| after torpedo tubes and within the case
mat. have been located the two sur. cons
| battle stations.
These are provided with large chests OF
dressings. cases of instruments and guam
| titles or aids-to-wounded Packages and APP
| pliancas; beside the ambulance stretchers
and folding operation table. \ medical
| ciicer and bay men are assigned TO each.
From theac only available locations all
| parts OF the ship can be reached in few
minutes, and the only hatch and ladder
| left open leads from the gun deck below.
Transporting the Wounded.
From all other locations the wounded can
| be more readily transported. No protected
| space exists below capable OF holding more
| than very few wounded men. and as the
| deck berth forward and aft of the casemate
offers the only space for this purpose.
| transport of the wounded and injured to
| them would not be done until after the
| BATH. The ladders being spacious. trans
| port below at leisure would not present any
difficulties
The wounded must first be. to some ex-
tent helped where they fall, and means 10
! this end ara provided for each division and
section OF men all over the ship. the men
! themselves being taught the use of first
| aid packets rubber tourniquets. triangle
ana bandagrs. Two or three times weekly
and at general quarters. drills and instruc-
| tions are given to small sections Of the
crew in aid to the wounded.
With the side bars removed from a
stretcher and a serbs Of hnes run from
| the SIDE to stout ring over the center Of
the st.etcher, know of no better contriv-
ance to remove sick or wounded man
| from deck to deck or from below out OF a
! ship. Shortening or lengThening the side
| lines to the ring permits OF any posture
degree OF recumbency. The transverse slat-
| ting procures iIs proper rigidity. This con-
| trivance was got up 10y a seaman on the
Columbia about year ago.
| Where man Is slightly wounded as
10 permit of the application OF one OF the
| numerous stretchers so often pictured. the
patti mt being secured in an upright posi-
| tion, l would prefer a simpler. less pain
| full method and transport by hand. Badly
| wounded and shattered m IN, in my opinion,
! cannot be handled safely by these complex
| Contrivances and such methods are not
| practice ID here. And, again, admitting their
| applicability, in time of action there are no
available men to work these affairs.
Removal to a Hospital.
| According TO the type of ship. disposition
| of battery. available space for surgeons
| battle station. size and position of hatch
| ways, where removal below is desired.
| must be the plan and method by which the
| wounded may be the best aided and at
| tended by the medical officers. 1t is admit
| ted. and il is of the utmost Importance 10
| their lives. that the wounded should be re-
| moved from a ship soon as possible
| after battle, and to hospital on shore
| or to a hospital ship. Hence the problem
| of care and management of the wounded
| liZsd Ia
methods ctudied out and applied separately.
| From all that can be surmised from the
| lists of Killed and wounded in naval bat
| ties since 1865, casualties may certainly be
| expected to about 33 per cent of the per-
sonnel engaged. With the advent in near
1 ly all modern naval vessels nf ra pid-iire
guns Of large caliber. sufficient To pierce
all but the heaviest armor, a combat be-
tween two or more evenly matched ships
will. after few minutes. in all probability
| be attended by a very large number of
casualties.
| The Ambulance Ship.
| On the vessels that remain afioat after n
modern naval enga agemcnt. the decks will
| be much incumbered with wounded. such
| first aid is possible will have been given
| to them. but their comfort and well being
will by no means be enhanced by retaining
| them on board the vessel. Naval engage
ments will not he likely TO take place under
| the lee of shore hospital. and humanity
demands that wounded men shall have
speedy transfer 10 the pace Where they
can be best cared for, and that place can
| tie none other than an ambulance ship.
Such a vessel should be as much a COM
| ponent part of feet the admirars
| fia gship II would add greatly TO the morals
of the men behind the guns when they
went into action if they saw near at hand
a commodious hospital. with all the appli-
ances for their care and comfort. and under
The superintendeDce Of skilled medical Of
ficers. This vessel should bc solely and
tirely an ambulance ship. with crew
only sufficient to work the shin. and all
her available deck room given up to quar-
terS for sick ard wounded.
WILLIAM *. VAN REYPEN.
Surgeon General United States Navy.
Swfffest I'm the World.