Evening capital and Maryland gazette., 1915-08-25
TO STANDARDIzE
FIRST-AID WORK
Surgeons Urge Preparations to Care
for Wounded Should U. S.
light.
DISCUSS WAR METHODS.
Side Door Trains Ideal for Carrying In
jured, They Say---Tell Of Gas
Rnmhs

The distinguished gathering OF sur
geons of the Army. Navy and Public
Health Service and from the leading
hospitals of the country who convened
az the willard Hotel Washington. yes
terday to discuss methods of giving
first aid to the injured, adopted a res
olution requesting the government TO
appoint an official board of surgenos to
standardize first aid work
Inspired by an illustrated lecture
delivered by DR. Harry Cushing. who
has spent the last year in hospitals in
the French war zone the surgeons
last night branched off into a discus
sion of how the United States would
handle it's wounded in the event of
war. Surgeons of the Army and the
Public Health Service took an active
part in tho discussion.
DR.. Cushing praised the side-door
passenger trains of Europe as well
adapted for the transportation Of the
wounded soldiers. Col. w S. Battle
now chief claim agent for the Norfolk
and Western Railroad, explained that
should the United States enter the war
the steel centre-aisle cars in use in
this country could easily be trans
formed into hospital trains by cutting
doors in the sides.
Although the conference was called
principally TO devise first aid methods
for use in the factories and among the
railroad employees of the country, the
surgeons at last nights meeting seem
ed to direct their queries and remarks
to first aid for the soldier in the event
of this country entering the war
Significance was added to this phase
of the discussion by the presence and
active interest of army and navy sur
geons. Surgeon General William Cor
gas presided yesterday afternoon, and
last night the chair was occupied by
Colonel Battle. In telling of his ex-
perience with the mysterious German
poison gases, DR.. Cushing said
Not many Of the French soldiers
who came in contact with the German
gas waited long enough to learn much
about it. II was practically decided
by the surgeons in the war zone that
the gas was commercial chloine. The
victims described it as being a low.
brown cloud, green about the edges,
that iloated over the trenches. When
It came, there were two things for the
French TO dO-lie in the trench and
suffocate. or get out of the trench and
get shot"
The purpose for which the confer
ence was called, as set forth in a pam
phlet, are: ITO take active measures
to capitalize for army purposes the
medical talent in the United States: to
awaken the profession to a realization
that emergency surgery and surgery
Of infected wounds is being neglected /:
provide for active cooperation be-
tween military and civil surgeons, so
that the army may secure the best
men and the colleges may secure the
Services of army men as instructors.
Following Or Cushings lecture last
night the surgeons present entered
into an informal and practical discus
sion of how this country would care
for its wounded in time of war. The
railroad surgeons and claim agents
explained that the railroads know
what would be expected of them and
would do their duty.
DR.. Cushing expressed the belief
that the United States is better fort
fed with surgeons than are the ma
tions of Europe. He said his observ-
ance during the year have shown him
that in the dressing Of serious wounds
the American surgeon is further ad-
vanced. The conference will close to
day with the adoption of a number o.
resolutions looking to the standardiza
ton of first-aid work.