Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-14
FIELD MEDICAL SUPPLY DEPOT.

ical supply depot prepares cases all the
way from those for the individual SOL
der to hospitals whose capacity is three
hundred or more. Starting with the
first aid packet. which contains two
bandages, two congresses and two safe
ty pins. and ending with the evacuation
hospital outfits. which. IL necessary. Con-
tain even the tenting equipment, Is the
range which this depot is called upon
to cover.
The evacuation hospital equipment con-
sists Of the necessary material to care
for more than three hundred sick in time
OF war. and is SO arranged that it can
be divided into three parts. The ar
rangement OF medical aid in war time is
more than ordinarily interesting. short
distance from the scene of actual warfare
will be found the field hospital. with the
ambulance corps working between the
two points. Then perhaps thirty miles
distant will be what is known as the base
hospital. usually able to accommodate
500 patients. Here those able to be sent
home are forwarded. while those serious
ly i'll are afforded all the attention of a
city hospital. 1t Is between the field hos
pital ard the base hospital that the eyac-
uation hospital is used. The field and
base hospitals must of necessity both be
placed on the line Of communication
Consequently at various intervals, de-
pending upon the length, are placed evac-
uation hospitals. The one idea in time Of
war so far as the sick and wounded are
concerned is to remove them from the
scene Of conflict with all possible rapid
ity. And so when the wounded are
brought from the field they are first
taken to the field hospital. Then, accord
ing to their condition, they are started
along the road of communication TO the
base hospital and thence perhaps to their
homes. Those able to stand the whole
journey are taken Immediately to the
base hospital. while those in a more seri-
GUS condition are dropped at the evacua-
ton hospitals along the way.
There is one interesting point In con-
nection with the work of the Medical
Corps in time of war.
Tagging Each member of the
cu,4 Medical Corps is supplied
oJ0'em. with diagnosis tags.
These are linen tags with small pieces Of
wire attached. Following an engagement
of troops the Medical Corps men go on the
field and examine those wounded who are
unable to leave the battlefield unassisted.
After each examination the man tags the
victim, dead or alive. The tag gives the
mans name and condition and the treat
ment he has received. In this way double
examinations are avoided. one eaamina-
ton being sufficient to show all who may
come in contact with the wounded SOL
der just what the trouble is These tags
also save considerable time, as they are
also used in connection with the sick and
wounded when they are sent to the
rear, and glance at the tag will show
physicians at evacuation or base hos
pital the status of the case without the
need of an additional examination. Be
sides the regular hospital equipment-that
is, the medicine chests. eta considerable
number Of other appliances and cases are
prepared at this depot. One. for instance.
is the field desk. This is chest which,
when opened. forms a desk and contains
all the necessary report blanks, books.
etc, which would be necessary in keep
ing up the records of a regiment, both
medical and general. The mess chests
also come under this heading. Two kinds
cient for twenty-five patients. the other
for from one to two hundred under
necessity. or each kind there is one for
the mess tent proper and another for the
kitchen. They contain all the necessary
appliances for preparing diet for the sick
under all probable conditions
At the same time that the actual work
OF preparing these chests and hospitals is
going forward Investigations along va
rious lines are also being conducted The
best method in which chests to be car
ried on a pack mule can be arranged.
the best pack saddle. and one which a
soldier not accustomed to such work can
best use. are all questions which have to
be brought down to the finest science.
Another point is the use Of trains for con-
veying the wounded. Sometimes sleeping
cars can not be obtained. at which times
freight cars must be pressed into seCv-
ice. Investigation has resulted in finding
a method by which the regular medical
corps stretchers can be suspended from
stanchions, and a car thus made TO ac-
commodate three times the men it would
under ordinary conditions.
Aside from the regular army using these
chests both in times of peace and during
war. they are also pre-
National pared for the various
n,l state militia corps. as.
under the regulations
the militia must be equipped like the
regular army One special poiut that is
gained by such a regulation is that were
the militia called into active service in
time Of war their medical corps would be
able to use the regulation army chests
of chest, and the various state militia
corps several other styles, it would be
almost impossible to maintain any de-
gree of ability and expediency in the
use of the chests in time of war. But
under the present system not only the
regular army medical corps, but those of
the militia, know the system of arrang-
ing the chests. and through this knowl-
edge are able to find the desired article
without having to- hunt through a chest
with which they are unfamiliar
The field medical supply depot was es-
tablished in the fall of 1895. following
the Spanish American war. 1t was the
direct result of that war, which showed
the need Of establishing a depot where
hospital supplies and medical chests could
be prepared and kept ready for instanta-
neous SHIPMENT to the front. When first
established the depot was situated in the
basement OF the Army Medical Museum,
in which place it remained until 1904. At
that time the headquarters were moved
to Goth street between NJ and n, where
larger quarters We're possible. In couple
of years, however, conditions reached
such a point of congestion that the head
quarters were moved to Pennsylvania
was in 1911 that the depot was moved to
its present quarters. Here a huge barn
like building, primarily built for other
purposes. has been divided into two parts,
one used by the depot. the other by the
government printing office as a store
house. AS long a 8 peace reigns the prob
ability Is that the present .headuua ri crS