The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-02

! of the medical department of the navy
Jack is proverbially a GROWER. He
never loses an opportunity to take ex-
ception to things, and service must
| be immaculate indeed to escape his al
| least partial condemnation. Yet he has
nothing but good to say of the arrange
! ments provided by the medical depart
ment for his care and comfort during
the past trouble with Spain.
1t is true the various naval battles
were fought with marvelously few cas-
ualties to the rank and file of the navy,
but those who were wounded and those
who fell i'll because of climatic changes
and the long sojourn under tropical
suns were looked after with the solicit
tude Of a mother.
War brought a decided increase in
the navy. and new ships meant new
crews and greater responsibilities for
the medical department. There We're
few changes, however. in the system
followed for many years. Surgeon Cen
eral Van Reypen, from his Office in
Washington. boldly confronted the diff
ferent problems created by the war,
and laid his plans so carefully that not
one iota of criticism has been made on
the results. 1t was he who first Origi-
mated the idea of a naval hospital ship
and today the Solace floats the sea,
the embodiment of one of the most inn
portant steps ever taken for the hui
name and scientific treatment OF
wounded and i'll sailors in time of war
The general plan followed by the
medical department of the navy may
be considered under three divisions
first. the local medical staff attached to
each vessel in commission; second, the
naval hospital ship; and third, the ma
val hospitals on shore.
Every vessel in the service carries at
least one surgeon, an apothecary and
bayman or nurse. The larger ships
are provided with two commissioned
medical officers. and flagships with
three, one being the fleet medical in
spector. These officers are a part of the
staff. and to them is relegated every
thing connected with the care of the
sick and the general sanitary arrange
ments of the ship. They are appointed
from civil life after a most rigid ex-
animation held by a competent board,
and are given relative rank with other
officers of the navy.
Every war vessel has an apartment
known as the sick bay" which
though small in size is well fitted out
as a local hospital. In times of peace
when there is no danger from projec-
tiles, it is generally located on the for
ward berth or gun deck, although its
precise location varies with each ship.
A sick bays equipment consists of
dispensary for the apothecary, a space
for swinging cots. and the most neces-
sary of the appliances to be found in
every well-conduoted shore hospital
The limited space confines the medical
outfit to the absolutely important ar
ticles. the more complicated accessor-
les. such as steam sterilizing apparatus
and modern operating tables having to
be omitted.
During time of war it is necessary to
locate the medical department in a
place removed from the possibility of
accident, and where the surgeons and
attendants can work undisturbed by
shot or shell. In connection with this
matter it may be recalled that during
the battle of the Yalu, the cOmpart-
ment of the doctor on board a Japanese
ship, being exposed, was entered by a
shell, which exploded and killed every
one present, surgeon, wounded and ALL
1t IS to provide against such casualties
that the sick bays on American vessels
in time of action are located, in the
battleships, within the citadel or ar
mored part of the ship. On board the
Philadelphia, protected cruiser, a
part of the forward torpedo room, sit
uated under the curved steel deck, is