New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-04-29
GEO. CLINT Co.
A3.45 ANo ~ WEST 23?ST..
NEAR BROADWAY.
FACTORY: ISLAND l56 WEST i9"srReEr.
MILITARY AMBULANCES.
"REMINISCENCES OF WATERLOO AND THE
CRIMEAN WAR.
A SURGEON REGARDS WOMEN AS THE BEST
NURSES FOR WOUNDED sOLDIERs-FEw
NEAR THE FIELD OF BATTLE

sThose who would realize the difference which
one hundred years has made in military surgery
and army nursing should pay visit to University
College. London. and there inspect the sketches
by Sir Charles Bell in the Brussels hospitals
within ten days of the battle of Waterloo says
Marie B. Lowndes in The Pail Mall Gazette.
The famous surgeon started volunteer consult
to the forces the very moment the news or the
battle became known in London. He reached Brus-
sells on the 3Oth OF June, and they were even then
still bringing in both French and British wounded
from the woods 1t is impossible. he wrote 10
Francis Horner to convey to you the picture OF
human misery continually before my eyes. At 6
o'clock take the knife in my hand and continue
necessarily at work till in the evening all
the decences Of performing surgical operations are
neglected. Then again This is the second Sun
day after the battle and many wounds not
yet dressed There are twenty thousand IN TINS
town. besides those in the hospitals and the many
In the other towns This letter supposed to
have inspired Sir Walter Scott's poem Waterloo,
which was published expressly for the benefit of
the wounded. Too painful to quote are the other
details Sir Charles Bell gives OF the state OF the
wounded after the battle. for which each OF the
three nations engaged should have been fully pre-
pared a medical indeed they were from
a military point Of view.
Napoleon seems to have early made certain regu-
Iations for the of the wounded. but even he
was not powerful enough have them properly
carried out. The facts not concealed; they are
TO be found IN the memoirs of every noted medical
man-French. English and German-of that day
But experience seems to have taught the medical
authorities nothing and on the outbreak of the
Crimean War the French army suffered quite as
much as the English from lack of proper medical
corps in spite of the fact that the French had
had a certain amount of experience in Algiers,
where 1t seems. the medical ambulance service
only existed paper. 1t would be hard to say
which army in the Crimea suffered the most for
want of even elementary medical assistance. The
Russians were even more to be pited for the mo-
ment the truth became known in London and in
Paris splendid and the whole successful effort
made to remedy the awful deficiency, but this
was not the case in Russia. where the military
authorities found it quite impossible TO deal with
the difficult problem presented to them During
the years that followed the Crlmean War every
hospital in Russia was crowded with ex-soldiers,
still suffering from various diseases brought on by
want of prompt medical treatment during the war.
''It may said that the first country which woke
up the absolute necessity of being beforehand
with medical military preparations was America,
for in 1861. Immediately after the attack on Fort
Sumter the Ladies' Central Association for Relief
was founded. This organization. though at first
looked upon by Northern Government as an
undesirable fifth wheel to the military coach. did
really splendid work in conjunction with a com
mittee of twenty-one leading medical and military
men, who co-operated throughout the whole course
of the war with local relief associations which
reached the almost incredible number of $1,000 Inc
Central Committee not content with raising levies
Of both male and female nurses. printed medical
pamphlets and distributed them gratis among those
surgeons who had volunteered for medical service
with army and in addition 1t took on itself the
care of the dead who through it's efforts. received
after every battle decent and honorable burial
The Southern women were not behind their North
ern sisters but for obvious reasons their EFFORTS
less centralized.
"An immense advance was made when the Geneva
Conference met Fourteen Governments were rep
resented. and number of resolutions were Drawn
up and agreed by practically every civilized
country. These resolutions placed nurses. doctors
tba ed on a
Soon after the conference the Franco-Prussian
War broke out, and both countries were terrioy
unprepared. The Crown Princess (now Empress
Frederick insisted the establishment of field
hospitals although she met with little support
from the authorities Since then improvements
have been made constantly, and In the present
South African the British preparations are as
Mss L hos% Quotes Sir William MacCormac
noted authority military surgery, on a proper
Sir William considers that a field ambulance
should be composed of from four to five surgeons,
with assistants who have been trained to dress
experience seem to agree skilled dressers quite
as much reqTTea has as Iy n nrs bad cases as
has often been done In the past, to inexperienced
taken should be very Small and should be packed
on horses and mules, wagons ana cars having
compassed, for all that is really required for use
gical Instruments, and such appliances choro-
form, carbolic acid and various strong stmulants:
construction are an absolute necessity.
From the military surgeons point or view this
South African campaign will have set at rest
important point that of the value of the R0ntgen
rays This extraordinary invention first used
In the Tirah campaign and In the Soudan. During
recent improvements in the apparatus had made
il of far greater practical value and fully
this recognized that the outbreak OF hostilites
in South Africa the War Once provided ten COM
plete sets for the of the R. A. NJ. c., and this
number-none too many-waS supplemented by
many generous private individuals the Duke OF
nished the Princess of Wales's hospital ship with
set. The extraordinary value of the Y rays will
be understood when it is stated that when an in
tured limb has be examined the exact location
be ascertained without even removing the patients
clothes dressings. The apparatus itself Is so
d field hospital, but to dressing station.
1t should, however, be mentioned that the surgeon
who makes Of the R6ntgen rays must have
some knowledge of the Photographic art or he will
not be able TO obtain result.
Although all honor should be, and is, paid to
the admirable women who compose the feminine
branch OF the Army Nursing Service, a great many
erroneous impressions exist as to the part played
by them In military nursing work. The X A. M. {.
consists only of medical officers but of very
large body of trained male orderies. These latter
work. and they under the orders of a highly
efficient and limited body of trained women nurses,
who act practically as ward sisters and who. while
directing the orderles do not take any active part
in nursing the wounded. Whether this state of
things is entirely as II should be may be open to
question. The wounded In the Franco Prussan
War, of in the Crmea after the arrival
of Miss Florence Nightingale and her devoted band
OF helpers actually nursed by women nurses;
experience. considers women better ntted both
physically and morally for the charge of the sick.
He has put 1t record that in his opinion male
nursing be compared with womans. although
insists than he the necessity of
training. Whatever view is taken OF the matter
the fact remains that the Army Medical Service