The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-08
THE SICK AND WOUNDED.
HOW They Are Cared for ON the Field
and in HospitaI-COntrast with
Old Methods.
From the London Man.

bearing arms was TO go, thus including
the hospital orderlies, who were then eff
fectivc soldiers, belonging to regiments.
The principal medical officer at once went
TO Sir George Brown, and said: what
am l to do for attendants on my sick if
| the orderlies are all embarked?" g. the
| sick was the reply, and every orderly
was taken away from the hospitals to
| accompany the army while the cholera
patients We're left to look after each 9TH
| er.
! What change between 1854 and 1900,
| and how that short anecdote throws a
! light on the vast improvement that has
| taken place in less than fifty years in the
| sentiments with regard to our army S
| sick and wounded. and the methods of
| tending and caring for them!
| In our present war there is no military
| department that has shown itself to be
so perfectly organized, so completely pre-
| pared to undertake all its responsibilities,
/ as that which is now superintendent by
! Surgeon Gen. Jameson Its present excel
| lent condition is not, of course to be
credited to him alone, but it is the result
| of many years of evolution and patient
| hard work given to their country and
| profession by a succession of devoted
men, distinguished by the highest attain
ments the most varied experience, and
| the most unwearied zeal.
! 1t will naturally be of intense interest to
! those who are eagerly watching the gal
liant efforts of our soldiers to know some
| thing of the system by which they receive
! the best medical attendance when they
are sick or wounded, and the country re-
| covers the service of many which would
| be otherwise lost.
! The number of officers in the Royal
Army Medical Corps is somewhat under
one thousand, far too few for the work
/ that has often been represented, and is
! a question for the consideration of those
| who hold the nations purse strings. OF
/ the total strength, nearly half are now in
! South Africa the remainder being en-
! ployed in India. in colonial garrisOns, and
/ in administration and teaching at home.
| The officers who are at the seat of war
! represent very completely the methods of
! medical provision for an army in the field.
| In the front rank and nearest to the enc
my are the individual surgeons who are
| attached to units leach regiment, battalion
| or division of artillery is a uniD. These
men accompany their units wherever they
! go. and attend to them in camp and in the
| field
| In action the medical officers, followed
! by his orderly. is always at hand. even I'M
| der the hottest fire, in order to administer
first aid" to any soldier who is wounded.
The regimental stretcher bearers then car
~ the wounded TO the dressing stations
or field hospitals.
The Medical Organization.
Obviously in a great battle more assist
| ance will be necessary. both for carrying
the victims of war from the field and at
| tending to them afterWard. This is given
by the bearer companies" of which there
| is one for every brigade. Each bearer
of
teen non-commissioned officers, and forty
| five men of The Royal Army Medical Corps,
and thirty-eight men of the Army Service
| Corps. These collect the wounded in spot
| sheltered from fire, called a collecting
| station" Then they are put into ambu-
| Iances and conveyed to the dressing sta
| ton which is in a camp or in buildings
| and is supplied with hot water and very
| requisite for Immediately necessary opera
lions or for restoring exhausted strength.
Al the dressing station is conducted the
/ fret careful examination and treatment OF
a wounded man. and thence he is passed
| on 10 one Of the field hospitals These
! are movable organizations, containing loU
| beds which, however, are capable OF be-
| ing divided into sections OF twenty-five
/ beds There is a field hospital for each
hrigade and II follows it's brigade on the
march so il is prepared for movement as
| well as for remaining for considerable
| time in one spot
patents are removed from the field hos
| nitaI as soon as possible, and are Their
! transferred to one of the big genera
| bosnitaIs at the base of operations. Thcst
| General HOSPITALS are established in the
! Re- buildings that can he found churches
| ,,,aro u,iIized in the Franco-German war;
! and each accommodates 800 patients, haV
inc 4 staff of colonel and seven Officers
| ROYAL Army Medical Corps eleven civil
| ian surgeons. nine nursing sisters, ant
| ahout 1873 non-cOmmissiOned othcers ahC
| privates of the Royal Army MEDICAL corps
| There are four general hospitals now II
| south Africa of which the most impor
| TAM is al Wvnberg. near Cape own. Blu
| - natient may not be able to stand thu
| long Journey from the held hospital t'
| tbo base. so stationary hospiT ais are pro
| vided on the lines of communication
| where cases can be treated till they nave
| made some progress toward recovery
| II win be clear to every enc that the or
| 6cers on the strength of the Royal Army
| Medical Corps are not su hiciently numer
| ous TO supply all the requirements of tn
| Great system of medical relief, so a larg'
| number of civilian SUI geons have beer
| temporarily engaged, nd these gentlemen
| will receive the same pay and allowance
| az the regular Office RS. 1t Is marvellous
with what eagernoss the best men in tn
| medical profession have responded to tn
| Offer of employment Nearly 1900 name
| have been register ed by the director gen
| eral. though so far the services Of only
| a few hundred have been accepted b!
| him. And Il is no commonplace hospita
| duties that are sought for. These gallan
volunteers are anxious 10 practice thei
| noble profession in the most exposed sit
nations and IN the most daring way. Th'
nearer they can go to the place wher'
the bullets are flying, the better will the!
be pleased. But. in the meantime, at an!
rate. It Is not intended that they shall b'
employed in the actual battlefield, wher'
| their lacI. Of military training might haV'
some dig advantage, but they will be KEEP
at the general and the field hospitals
| Emergencies may we'll arise. however
which Wal give 10 some of them tn
chance of smelling powder and showlni