The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1900-03-20
the mistakes that have been so.s severely
criticised were; almost entirely due this;

caught mapping again. AS esTesult TINS
commission mas been appointed TO STUDY
foreign method and az they report upon
any good features5tn the systems tllae arg
followed abroad these will undoubtedly
be adopted for the army In this coun-5
:trJ
mission has Just been announced dt Was
appointed several months ago, and lts
chairman, DR. John MEG. odbury, mas
now submitted his first report. winch
gives theresuIt of his stiga tons q q
the medical service OF. ne, tierman
army He reports that he found the sys-
TEN a most thorough one and stndicat es
many points that may well be considered
fby those who are in charge Of this branch
of our Sertce.
One of the most important fea lures
sof difference between the two armies IS
{ TO be seen in the method of tden ttt1cat 1on
of 9the dead and wounded that exists
In the German army. In the United States
army no man may be sure that he will
not occupy an unknown grave, but with
the German soldiers this is different.
Each man is supplied with descrip-
tive list, giving his name, his regiment
and Their name and address of his next
friend This list is writ upon strip
of parchment which &sewed inside the
pocket of his coat in such a place that
S1C IS Ny ~
men are killed or lie upon the field un-s
conscious from their wounds there Is no
question as to their identity. They are;
Immediately identified by glance at
the parchment list, and the record OF Ia
talities can thus be made more perfect;
than it could possibly be in this country,
where there is practically no system
Another point in which the German
system In superior to our. own accord-3
ing to DIR. woodbury., is Ii the fact that
the officers Of the medical department
are completely relieved of all RESPONSE
bilitles other than those that are made.
necessary by the care of patients; the
medical official IS physician or surgeon
and nothing else. He has nothing to
do with the purchase or the me e .ls
stores and supplies, but all these Things
such as medicines, food and thing. are
attended to by superintendent of the
The man who occupies the position in
which the work of quartermaSter ana
commissary Is 50 strangely combined Is
a Civilian and holds no rank as oft1cer-
This syten,s the commission reports, is
far more beneficial to the service thanS
anyone could ina gine - e ~
In the German army there is no such
thfna as "a .'sick CALL II an enlisted
man reports that he Is i'll or otherwise
unfit for duty the fact is reported TO
the first sergeant of his company AN
inspection is then held, and If the ser
geant thinks that the case Is OF sum-
Gent Importance the man is removed to
the hosnital& otherwise he is retained In
quarters until the medical officer makes
his round. The man is then marked as
simply off duty. IS ].
In the German army all field hospitals
are regarded accurately as field hospitals
and never in the light Of permanent nos
pftals as is SO often the case Win fthe
United States army. In the German army
the field hospital is just what Its name
implies. 1T Is an entirely mobile unit
and any case that can by any possibility
be removed Is sent back to- the rear or
to a base hospital within six hours
When the line is In action the Held
hospital advances with 1t and thus =
becomes what it was really INTENDED 10
be. simply "a resting place where e M
juries can be dressed and small opera
tons can be performed In fact. the pres
emit commission speaks in the highest
terms of the German system OF medical
work and the United States Is adv1sed-to
adopt several 4 of these features IN It's
own service.
For instance, DR. Woodbury. was par
ticularly we'll pleased with several OF
the inventions that were new to hlin-l IN
regard to one Of them he said Il must
call afternoon 10 LllS LEV
that was tried this year Tor me uIse
time In active field manoeuvers
s"It Is a. wagon with four wheels, ten
feet long, drawn by four horses, the BODY
of which consists of q furnace, ARRANGED
for a. wood fire, over which is corfu
gated sheet iron oven, the neat from
whcit1 is prevented from radiating oy
fpaclzlng between the two skins from
powdered coral This is so efficient that
81 k1o5 rvo will hear the
touching Of the hand without burning.
5..Tn front IS arranged a tank for the
heating Of water used In the mixing Of
the dough, which mixing is done IN a
following wagon, where the leaves are
shaped, placed upon boards and pre-
pared for the oven. The capacity OF these
ovens is eighty leaves, Abaked ready
for issue every hour and halt, at
speed upon the chausee of a kilometer1n
ten minutes.
.The general effect of one Of these
wagons is that of an oval iron tank
resting upon its short diameter, smoke
stack at the forward upper end, a water
tank in front, with stop; cocks for draw
ing; firebox and doors at after END pc
low, and doors for oven above. This mo-
bile bread bakery has been tried with
great success and appears to give most
B excellent results. The old fixed oven Is
buried Edn sand, with a capacity of 100
loaves every hour and half: but the
necessity Of transpor tatdon y from the
fixed oven to troops moving renders the
oven upon wheels o after worthy OF
discussion. :, -
No suggestion that has been made by
Dr. Woodbury. in this report has caused
more comment In army circles in Wash
ington than has this matter of portable
oven The question Of providing fresh
bread for the troops when not dn camp
was one OF. the. difficult problems that
arose to battle the department during the
late war, and it is generally believed.
that the German officials tawe at last
found the way out of the trouble.
1t is the Intention of the authorities.
: therefore, to make a still further in-s
ivestiga lion Of this wagon, and 1t Is more
than probable that one or two of the
ovens will be built and sent to the West.
where they can be tested by the troops
Another point to which Dr. Woodbury.
calls attention IS the care displayed
by the German Officials to see that. the
soldiers ara kept In good condi ton When
the army IS In the aeld the forces remain
but one day on the same ground This