The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1914-12-03
How the Wounded Soldiers Are
Cared for Promptly on the
Field OF Battle.
GOOD BANDAelNG IMPORTANT
Every Man Carries First Aid Outfit
Surgeons and Nurses Attend the
Sufferers on Firing Line and
Then Send Them to the
Hospitals.

There was n time when wounded
men were left unattended aud exposed
ON the battlefield until the lighting
was over. often II was the day after
an engagement, or later, before surg.
ical assistance reached the scene. aud
soldiers were for the most part liz.
norant Of the first principles OF caring
for themselves.
The ambulance organization now
prevailing f.. all civilized armies if,
indeed, one can apply the word civil.
iiZed 10 anything connected with war.
,arcD dates only from the end Of the
eighteenth century. Gradually IL has
been enlarged and improved until to.
day every army has moving with its
men on the field a complete hospital es-
tablishment-variously modified in de.
tails-for the collection. treatment and
care OF the wounded until they can be
removed to hospitals OF a more per.
mancnt character.
In 1892 a system of so.called flying
field hospitals was introduced into the
French army by Baron Dominique
Jean Larrey. II provided for giving
the necessary first surgical treatment
and removing the wounded quickly
from the field. Napoleon supported
ethis system enthusiastically. Some.
what later another Frenchman. Baron
Pierre Percy. organized "a corps OF
stretcher bcarers-men trained and
equipped for collecting the wounded
while a battle was In progress. ren.
dering aid Immediately necessary and
carrying them to a place OF safety
where they may be further attended.
The American Civil war marked the
beginning OF the modern ambulance
system.
One OF the greatest steps toward the
amelioratiOn of the condition of the
wounded was the outcome OF the con.
vention held In Geneva In lSGi--a
treaty by the terms OF which the
wounded themselves. as well as the
Official stan OF ambulances and their
equipment. should be under the pro-
lection OF a neutral 1ag-the flag OF
the Red Cross.
But not only has this ambulance sys-
TEN reached a high state of perfec.
ton. Tho modern soldier Is carefully
trained In first.ald work, a part of this
education being "a thorough under
standing Of human anatomy. The value
of this knowledge ~ at once apparent,
particularly in great battles, such as
are now being fought In Europe, whore
thousands are wounded In a single en-.
gagement; for no matter how efficient
may be the relief service IL Is i'm.
.---GI1 -. IL. NJ e.. -. -
care for these men as rapidly rs they
TALL. Many "A soldier, however, Is able
. TO save his " life or that of Il com.
rade by stopping the flow OF blood I'm.
I'll help comes.
Soldiers First Aida.
Each man has with him when he en-.
tiers the battle n package of first aid
supplies-a steriliZcd bandage, an an.
iiseptic pad. u bottle of water acidu.
lated with the best quality of wine
vinegar (to assuage the terrible thirst
that omc To IA wounded SOLDIER. and
concentrated nourishment enough for
SO hours In Il tin the size OF an ordi.
nary cigar case. These supplies vary
slightly In different armies.
An ordinary shot wound is frequent
ly not felt by n sighting man, the sight
Of trickling blood usually being his
first intimatiOn that he has been
wounded. II he Is able at once 10
apply The antiseptic pad (thus pre-
venting the %ehtrance OF germs and
helping to stop the flow OF blood and
further to bandage the injured part
lnmnnra FilV lA hnG faEAn "a lnnU alan
toward recovery,
Proper b%andaging plays 80 import
ant "A part in war surgery that the Ut.
most efficiency In II IL required OF Ret
Cross workers. In the German army
the bandage most used on the field
n In emergency work Is one that
bears the name of It's inventor. DR..
Johannes Won Esmarch. Every sol.
der carries one of these with him into
battle. II Is a three-cornered piece
OF linen and cotton. OF which the
base measures four feet and the sides
W feet ten inches. IL can be used
Folded or open n applied In 32 dit.
ferent ways. as shown clearly by illus.
tratlons which accompany IL. The
officially manufactured Esmarch band.
4 has these illustrations stamped
clearly on one side. but II is pos
sible to make such a bandage out
OF old linen. sheets or similar materi.
ais at hand. Doctor Esmarch, who
died In 1908. served ms junior surgeon
In the Schleswlg. Holstein war OF lSiS.
was director OF the surgical clinic at
KEEL and later head of It's general hos
pital and professor at the university
there, After the Schleswig-H olstein
var of 1864. during which he rendered
bplendId service In field hospitals. he
was called TO Berlin Il take charge OF
the surgical work In the hospitals