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

troops they are intended merely for the
temporary accommodation OF the
wounded Immediately after battle.
constant stream of conveys OF sick
and wounded must, therefore, he kept
up from them towards the stationary
hospitals on the lines OF coumunica-
ton ana the base. When an engage
ment is imminent. the field hospitals
must be emptied. SO az to he ready to
move forward and receive the wounded
from the battle field; and when this Is
Impossible In the case of any partic-
uiar hospital, in consequence OF the
serious nature OF the cases occupying
II, 1t must be left behind to become
itself hospital on the lines of COM
munication, and an empty hospital sent
forward to take its place.
During and Immediately after a great
battle the press of work In field
hospital is usually very great. Large
numbers. of wounded men requiring
Immediate attention arrive almost SIM
ultancously. Food must be given
them. many primary operations must
be performed; fractures must he got
into position and rendered immovable:
wounds must be rendered aseptic and
dressed-in a word. all the surgical
necessities of perhaps 100 men. some
of them slightly and some of them ter
ribly injured, will require instant cons
sideration and treatment. These are
not. In modern times, procedures which
can be hurriedly performed, nor in
perfunctofy manner; ON the contrary,
they require, to achieve the successful
results obtained by scientific surgery.
almost the same nicely of manipula-
ton and care In detail which the bac-
teriologist expends on his experiments
in the laboratory. Failure in the la
boratory means only the waste or
httf IA ia Hs,a INF
ton from n wound. 'or to render II
harmless II II be present. means pain
and suffering from surgical infective
disease. loss OF limbs. and, In many
cases. of life itself
The stationary hospitals on the lines
of communication are more permanent
and better equipped establishmentsthan
those just described. They are "dieted
hospitals" that is. the patients in them
are fed. as closely as may be, accord
ing to the usual hospital diet scale.
They are intended for the reception of
200 men, and stretchers, to he used as
hedsteads are supplied for this number
Patients can be treated in them until
such time as they are sufficiently re-
covered to bear the journey towards
the base Of operations without risk.
They should he established in buildings,
II possible but II none are available.
tents are supplied.
The number of these hospitals which
will be required on any particular cam
paign depends, naturally on the dis
lance the troops. advance into the
country on. in fact. the length of the
lines Of communication. and on the
character of the roads and means OF
transport from the front to the base.
If n railway be available, II the roads
be good or II waterway can be used.
fewer OF them Will be necessary. In
any case they should be placed as near
TO the lines on which the sick conveys
travel ms possible.
The third line OF medical assistance
in a campaign consists OF the general
hospital at the base and hospital ships
The general hospitals at the base Of
operations are as fully equipped AS the
similar institutions at home, and they
are administered on the same lines.
They accommodate either 40Oor 800 men
To ench IL attached military depot.
Patients are treated in them until sufi-
GENTLY recovered to he discharged to
the military depots. whence they are
sent to retoin their corps at the front;
or. II unlikely 10 he able 20 take any
further Part In the campaign they are
invaded to England for disposal MS
permanently unfit FOR service. or for
further treatment. AS many of these
hospitals as the number OF sick and
wounded coming from the front require
are opened at the base.
Hospital ships nrc established at
places where the situation OF the base
OF operations renders It possible. and
'he circumstances Of the campaign
make 1t advisable that they should he
employed. They are supplementary
to the general hospitals at the base.
and are as perfectly equipped az sta
ton hospitals at home They accom-
mediate 200 men. with an additional
fifty spare cots for emergencies In
connection with them steamships are
employed for taking bad cases 10 Eng
land or elsewhere these are specially
htted for the reception and treatment
Of sick and wounded men.
Two medical store depots are estab-
llshed In most campaigns one at the
base and one at the front near the
most advanced stationary neld hos
! ital. The regimental officers. the
bearer companies and the field hos
pitfalls replenish their supplies of drugs,
surgical materials and Instruments
from the advanced medical store depot.
and the latter Is Itself kept fully
equipped from tho one at the base,
which receives Its supplies direct from
England.
All the nursing duties In the field
hospital are performed by the men OF
the medical stan corps, while at the
base hospitals and In the hospital
ships the ladies' OF the army nursing
service are employed as well.
The above, although mere sketch
of the medical arrangements laid down
by regulation. will supply fairly ac-
curate idea OF the means which are
employed in warfare for the care and |
treatment Of the sick and wounded. |
The regulations for the medical ser. |
vices give concise instructions as to
how everything should he done But |
rules must be made to give way to |
and regulations cannot |
ard need not he too rlgidly adhered TO !
when other methods OF arrangement |
and distribution seem likely to pro-
duce better results.