Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-04-23
AT THE FRONT.
How Skilled Modern Surgery Cares for the Wounded
Appliances Gathered from Field

piuyel.
The working OF the first line of med
ical assistance on the field Is carried out
In the following manner: The medlcpi
uIicers of corps. accompanied by the
trained rcPmentHl bearers, twelve for
a cavalry regiment and sixteen for an
infantry regiment carrying one stretch
ef Tor every two men. place themselves
IN rear of the regiments To which they
belong. AZ men fall wounded they are
attended to by the medical officer as
tor as may be practicable for IL is i'm
possible that he can personally treat
them all, and carried to spot under
cover, If one be available al a short
distance; II not this first post of as
sistnnee must be established under IRE
IN the open field The surgical trent
ment at this part OF the battlefield must
necessarily be OF the simplest kind for
IL Is distinctly laid down by regula-
ton that the medical officer and the
bearers must not lose touch with their
regiments" but must keep close to
them and advance and change positions
as they do. The duties OF the reg-
mental aid are strictly confined to those
they can perform under these cundi-
tons: The application Of first field
dressings. (Which every officer and man
carries on his person. to the appertures
In the skin: the rendering Of fractured
limbs Professionally immovable, so as
TO prevent aggravation Of these Injuries
by transport by the use Of eXtcmpor-
lied spints, such as swords, bayonets
scahbards, rifles. sticks. etc. all of
which are sure TO be available: the
controlling Of serious hcmorrhage by
surgical means. and. possibly, the in
lection of morphia In certain cases. Be
yond this nothing can be attempted.
because touch with the regiment must
be kept up. II then. place under
l cover Is available, the wounded are
carried there; II not. they must be left
lying on the field. In either case they
are picked up later by the bearer com
pany.
The bearer company is. in theory,
| Is supposed to work in the rear of the
| 'reglmental aid" but practically the
! two portions OF the first line of assist
ance perform their duties in the same
part of the field, close In rear of the
fighting Inc.
The work of bearer company dur
Ing battle IL carried on in three Sec
lions as 1t were--at the dressing sta
ton" at the collecting station" and by
the stretcher squads in rear of the
night. The medical officer in command
selects a place under cover out of range.
or out of the line of fire. Here the
dressing station IL established. An
operating tent is pitched; the surgical
| equipment of dressing materials. in
struments bandages, etc, is opened
out. Antiseptic solutions are prepared,
water Is boiled and everything got in
readiness for the numerous operations
which may be required ana 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 personel Mt the
dressing station. A good water supply
Is almost a necessity. but IL one cannot
be obtained the water cart of the com
pany must be utilized. All the surgical
I tas.N4 10 NOR
formed by tie surgeon major of the
beaer company, assisted by one OF the
junior officers.
The collecting station Is the place 20
where the wounded are carried by the
stretcher bearers for transport to the
dressing station. 1t should be as near
the fighting line as possible, but under
cover or out of the line of fire. The
| sites for the dressing and collecting
stations should be so selected as to
have a road between them suitable Tor
| the bearer company transport, and con-
Meeting the former with the field hos
pitfalls in the rear. and they should be
close together when possible, SO as to
lessen the labors of the transport ami
| mails. At the collecting station are as
sembled the ten ambulance wagons for
| the conveyance Of the wounded TO the
| dressing station, and on to the field
| hospitals The thirty-two stretcher
4
forming two stretcher sections of six
teen men and four stretchers each, un-
der the command of the second Junior
medical officer, set out from the col
Letting station, pick UP the wounded
, left behind, by the reglmental aid.
carry them to the collecting station,
and, having afforded such medical
treatment as may he necessary, load
them into the ambulance wagons for
transport to the dressing stations.
The surgical work at and In front OF
the collecting station, must, like that
OF the regimental aid, be of the simplest
kind. At this part of the field no
operative procedures can be attempted
except the legation Of bleeding vessels
fractures of long bones should be put
up with extemporary splints and open
wounds should be covered with first
field dressings without being wiped or
cleaned in any way, or touched by
hands or instruments. II more than
this be done at the front Infection of
the wounds is sure to occur. and anti
septic or aseptlc surgery. the great OBJ
ject to be aimed at by surgeons in war
fare as well as in civil practice. will be
rendered impossible or more difficult at
the posts further to the rear.
The amount and the kind of surgical
work which must be performed at the
dressing station Will largely depend on
whether or not the field hospitals are
up ana IN tnelr places. III they are
close at hand and ready for the recep-
tlon of patients. the labors OF the med
lcal officers will be considerably re-
duced; but II not. all the primary sur
glcal work of the battery must be done
at the dressing station. In either case
all the wounds must be dressed and
rendered aseptic; a large number OF
primary operations will certainly be
required: the provisional immobiliza-
ton apparatus already applied to frac-
tured limbs must be seen to as to its
efficiency for Its purpose; and stimu-
lants and nourlshment must be given
to the patients to recover them from
the more or less profound constitution
al shock which is usually present. AS
the patients are dressed they are
placed in the ambulance wagons, which
as they are filled. are dispatched To tho
field hospitals In charge OF a corporal
and a wagon orderly.
The second line of assistance IL COM
posed Of the field hospitals and the sta
tionary hospitals on the lines OF COM
munication with the base OF opera
lions,
The field hospitals are lightly
equipped, movable hospitals, capable
Of being easily and rapidly opened out
and packed up. They IRE intended
only for the temporary treatment OF
100 patients each and are supplied |
with wheel or pack transport. as the |
nature of the country may render ad- |
visable. They are divisable into half |
hospitals. each for nifty mon, when this |
may be required No special hospital |