The Washington times., 1916-12-04
District Men Enthusiastic Over
Experience Received at
Leon Springs.
MUST BE WELL TRAINED
System Of Caring for Wounded
on Battlefield Depends
on Efficiency.

CAMP WILSON, San Antonio, Tex,
Nov. 20 (by NALL Officers and men
In the District Sanitary Troop are en-.
thusiastic over their experiences and
observations at Leon Springs. where
they participated In the most COM
prehensive medical maneuver In the
history OF the United states army.
The maneuver was arranged by
Lieut.. Col. T.. l.. Munson, medical
corps, u. q. A., and chief surgeon Of
the Twelfth provisional division, now
at Camp Wilson for the purpose OF
testing the army's medical system.
Upon his return from Leon Springs
he expressed himself as highly graft.
fed over the results.
The field work not only enabled
Lieutenant Colonel Munson to Judge
the efficiency OF the field hospital
corps, ambulance companies, and SAINT
tary troops. but also Afforded oppor-
tunities for observing how well the
present system OF handling wounded
men on the battlefield and getting
them to aid stations. field hospitals,
evacuation hospitals, and base hos.
pitfalls works.
Must he Well TraineS
The system now In use IL said to
depend upon every man concerned be-
Ing well grounded In his duties and
rately and promptly Officers who
participated In the maneuver say neg
ligence anywhere along tho line
would seriously impair the efficiency
OF the system which has been thor
ouEhly worked out from the duties
at the base hospital, sometimes 100
miles from the battlefield, to the sani-
tary troops short distance from the
firing line.
The members OF Ave field hospital
corps. Ave ambulance companies. and
eight sanitary troops took part In
the maneuvers. These commands
numbered about 100 Officers and 100
enlisted men, trained In the handling
or sick and wounded soldiers.
The maneuverr lasted ten days. dur.
Ing which more than 5000 hypothetI-
cal cases were treated. A battalion
OF Wisconsin infantry. consisting OF
300 men. was used to impersonate the
injured. Every imaginable kind Of
wound or injury that can be inflicted
by bullets, shrapnel, bayonetH, lIauId
nro. barbwirc. electric wire. or other
instruments OF modern warfare, was
treated by the Officers and men.
No Gas Poisoning.
There were no supposititious gas
cases, however, nor pulmotorA with
which to treat them. The Officers IN
been used In the event cases of gas
poisoning had been discovered.
The medical detachment under the
direction OF Lieutenant Colonel Mum.
son consisted OF a field hospital. mum.
erous aid stations and ambulance sta.
lions. The base hospital was s,,p.
posed to b. at Fort Sam Houston,
twenty-five miles away. The detach.
ment was presumed TO be caring for
the wounded men In a division. con.
sisting OF min. regiments and auxil.
larry organizations.
The division was supposed to be
engaged with "A hostile force. All the
hills within a radius OF five miles Of
Leon Springs were numbered. The
300 Wisconsin infantrymen were dis.
tributed In the vicinity OF these hills
after each OF them had been tagged
to indicate the nature OF his imagi.
nary injury.
Little information.
All the information given the mem.
beers OF the sanitary troops was that
the nine regiments were fighting TO
the east or west OF a certain hill. An
hour after the wiscinson infantrymcn
left camp the sanitary troopers were
and treat them or send them back
to the aid stations for medical atten.
tion. The aid stations were located
as near the firing line as was deemed
safe.
The . sanitary troop detachments
consisted OF a non commissioned OF.
hcer, two litter bearers, and an or.
DERBY carrying medical supplies. Upon
arriving at the battlefield the troopers
had 10 search the ravines. woods,
rock piles, deep grass, and other sc,
cluded places for the wounded.
The medical forces operate on the
theory that n wounded man will crawl
TO a sequestered spot II possible or
hlA al In. he
Although many OF the wounded hid
In places which made IL
difficult for the sanitary troopers 10
ind them. all OF them were located
and treated,
How Body L. Listed.
The body OF a soldier Is listed un.
der eight designations. They are;
Head and face, neck. thorax. aldo.
and leg and thigh. The thorax re.
Rion extends from the neck TO the alb. |
domen, The arm Is considered from
the elbow to the shoulder, while the |
thigh denotes from the hip to the |
knee,
Upon discovering a wounded" man
the sanitary troopers found a white !
linen tag with a narrow blue margin y
pinned To the soldiers clothing.
Blank lines were left on the tag 10
be. filled In with the name and rank
OF the injured man, as we'll as his
organization, the date, hour and place
nj which he was found and the treat. !
ment given by the sanitary troopers /!
In the field.
Injury Is Tagged.
Each tag also bore the nature of the
Injury received by the soldier. Imme-
the sanitary troopers were supposed
TO pass judgment as to whether the .