The Washington herald., 1915-08-24
TO STANDARDIzE
FIRST.AID WORK
Surgeons Urge Preparations
to Care for Wounded
Should U. S. Fight.
DISCUSS WAR METHODS
Side-door Trains Ideal for Carrying
Injured, They Say-Tell
of Gas Bombs.

The distinguished gathering of sur
geons of the Army, Navy and Public
Health Service and from the leading
hospitals of the country who convened
at the Willard Hotel yesterday to dis
cuss methods of giving first aid to the
injured today Will adopt a resolution re-
questing the government to appoint an
official board of surgeons to standardize
first aid work.
Inspired by an illustrated lecture de-
livered by DR.. Harry Gushing, who has
spent the last year in hospitals in the
French war zone. the surgeons last night
branched off into a discussion of how
the United States would handle its
wounded in the event of war. Surgeons
of the Army and Public Health Service
took an active part in the discussion.
DIR. Gushing praised the side-door pas
senger trains of Europe as vel; adapted
for the transportation of 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.
center-aisle cars in use in this country
could easily be TRANSFORMED into hos
pital trains by cutting doors in the sides.
War Needs Discussed.
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 seemed
to direct their queries and remarks to
first aid for the soldier in the event of
this country entering the war.
Significance was added tc this phase Of
the discussion by the presence and active
interest of army and navy surgeons.
Surg Gen. William Gorgas presided yes
terday afternoon. and last night the
chair was occupied by Col. Battle.
In telling of his experience with the
mysterious German poison gases, Dr.
Gushing said:
Not many of the French soldiers who
came in contact with the German gas
waited long enough to learn much about
it 1t was practically decided by the
surgeons in the war zone that the gas
was commercial chlorine. The victims
described it as being a low. brown cloud.
green about the edges. that fiOated over
the trenches. When it came there were
two things for the French to dole in
the trench and suffoCate, or get out OF
the trench and get shot
The purposes for which the conference
was called as set forth in a pamphlet,
are: ITO take active measures to capi-
talize for army purposes the hest medi-
cal talent in the United States: to awaken
the profession to a realization that
emergency surgery and surgery of in
feCted wounds is being neglected: provide
for active cooperation between military
and civil surgeons, SO that the army
may secure the best men and the COL
le-es may secure the services OF army
men as instructors.
Following DR.. Cushing's lecture last
night the surgeons present entered into
an informal and practical discussion 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 he eN-
pected of them and would do their duty.
DR.. Cushing expressed the belief that
the United States is better fortified with
surgeons than are the nations of Eu-
rope. He said his observanCes during the
wear have shown him that in the dress
ing of serious wounds the American sur
geon is further advanced. No business
was transacted last night.
The conference will close today with
the adoption Of number of resolutions
looking to the Standardization of first
aid work.