Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-08-03
ALL WOUNDED TAGGED
Guardsmen Are Theoretically
Shot in Theoretical Scrap.
THE FIELD HOSPITAL CODE
Mighty Good Things at Ambulance
Corps Dinner.
SUNDAY VISITORS IN CAMP
Hard Work Resumed This Morning.
Signal Corps Practices Estab-
lishment of Field Service.

lishment of Field Service.
Special From Staf Correspondent by The Star
Dispatch Boat Fairbanks
FORT HUNT. Va. August 3.-This has
been Tag day at Fort Hunt. Recollec-
lions of the activities of Washngton's re-
cent Tag day were brought forcibly to
mind this morning. when the Ambulance
Corps began to tag the wounded -on the
firing line and the only difference was
that it. is not so simple to be tagged at
Fort Hunt To be tagged you must be
shot or blown to pieces.
When the call for battery drill sounded
at o'clock this morning the regulars
marched with their long. swinging stride
to their places by the guns of Battery
Mount Vernon. thes reserves trotted out
from their company Streets, and behind
them from across the parade ground
marched the M.D.'s. the. Ambulance
Corps. with first aid packages, field cases.
ambuances and the immortal tage. The
Ambulance Corps has been combining its
practice to its company street and the
field hospital, but today 1t was out
helping to give them truly busines.;-like
appearance. and as every other organi-
cation on the post has been working at
full steam today, this little gem of a fort
has been simply overrun with the martial
spirit
While the battle was going on--not a
real battle. nor even a sham battle. SIM
ply theoretical battle, to make alleged
wounded men-the Ambulance Corps took
its position right with the gunners. and
the rear of the eight-inch guns. in the
shelter of the deep hollow in which the
magazines are placed. People who have
had the idea that the surgeons of the
army have an easy and comparatively
safe position in the rear of the battle
would do we'll to have seen how the
bloodless conflict was conducted this
morning. The men of the Ambulance
Corps were in the fore front and thick of
the fray. unprotected and not trying to
hide. Every now and then a wounded
man was chosen by one of the young
doctors and he would have to retire from
action.
Tags on the Wounded.
Then the tags came into use. When a
man is actually struck in battle the medi-
cal man who is constantly on the lookout
for casualties rushes forward and dag
noses the case 1t may be broken arm,
or flesh wound of not much Importance.
1t may require immediate attention in the
field hospital. and 1t may be that the man
can walk, and ii may be that he cannot.
No matter how seriously he is wounded
or what the complications are. the tag
takes care of him. BY CHANGING at it the
ambulance men from the field hospital.
generally placed several miles to the rear.
can tell what men should receive the
first attention.
This morning. for instance, several men
were shot IN the arms and shoulders. The
ambulance corps stripped them of their
shirts and twisted tourniquets. and APP
piled the first dressing within few feet
of the breech of the gun which they
and twisted TO their coat button. and
they were sent to the rear and walked
to the hospital. Others whose tags were
marked urgent and who required imme-
date attention were rushed by ambulance
to the hospital. where DIR. Weavers await
ed with his case of instruments, his ster-
ilizers and everything In as prepared a
state as if an enemy's shells actually
were bursting over the forts.
These tags are d great institution and
make it possible for the hospital to do its
work with much better results than if
they were not used. Lieut.. Warren Fales,
in charge of the ambulance corps. gave to
the Star correspondent the tag from a man
supposed to be suffering with a broken
arm and a bullet through his stomach,
On it the medical officer who had found
him had written compound fracture OF
femur. Gunshot wound of abdomen" A
man could walk had been torn off ard al
the bottom OF the tag Transportation re-
CURED was left on. The first aid surgeon
had also marked or the tag the letters
*. o. o." meaning in the field hosp-
tai code. Temporary dressing applied and
operation urgently needed. OF course
the man was hustled to the hospital by
ambulance.
Hospital Field Code.
The field hospital code is as follows:
X, temporary dressing applied; two
small parallel horizontal lines per-
manent dressing applied; O. operation
needed: 90. operation urgently needed;
X. within circle. operation done and
temporary dressing applied; two small
parellal lines within circle, operation
done and permanent dressing applied: XO,
temporary dressing applied and operation
needed; XOO. temporary dressing applied
and operation urgently needed.N
This drill was of great interest to the
men working at the guns. as we'll as to
medical officers themselves. as the Ambu-
lance Corps and the field hospital is
very popular organization. The aches
and pains of the three battalions here
have been alleviated in DR.. Viewers big
tent. Twelve cases of aching teeth have
been treated in the field hospital by DR..
W. Earle Butler. who is the dental officer
of the Ambulance Corps.
pets of the fort, the rest of the camp
was just as busy. The list Light Battery
hooked up early and left for fifteen
mile hike in regular marching order very
shortly after fatigue call this morning.
They carried along that very important
adjunct to a moving or stationary army
the cook. and will camp by the roadside
at noon, just long enough for Shorty
to fix up light snack
Signal Corps at Work.
The Signal Corps started out at s o'clock
to lay their field telegraph and telephone
lines. They have put their wireless sta
ton into such excellent shape that the
operations for a day or two will deal
directly with the supports in the field
They established buzzer telegraph line
this morning between the line of infantry
defending Fort Hunt in the rear ard the
commender station. This is the quickest
method of communication in the field.
The buzzer telegraph is combination
of telephone and telegraph. The in
strument is carried I'm case not bigger
than dinner pail. and has an earpiece
a mont h niece and a buZZer The oDerator