Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1917-03-23

dfiffiC0s
->HE American Red Cross, like
quietly running and we'll or
dered machine, has perfected
its plans for aid to the country.
In the problem of national defense the
Red Cross is concerned only with the
sufferers from the casualties of war,
be they wounded soldiers or citizens
deprived of support. Its services rail-
naturally into two divisions-namely.
the department OF military relief and
kfhe department of civilian relief In
carrying or. the work of the former di-
vision there are two important neces-
stiles which must be met TO relieve the
suffering of the soldiers at the front.
These are, first, means of rapid and
safe transportation of the wounded TO
the base, and, second, well organized
and well equipped hospitals to receive
and care for them. Active in the or
ganization of these base hospitals and
field columns is Colonel Jefferson r.
Kean. medical corps, U. S. A. He has
been made director general of military
relief for the American Red Cross.
In the organization of base hospital
units from the personnel of the larger
civil hospitals in this country the
American Red Cross has undertaken
what is probably its most important
work for the assistance of the medical
service of the army said Colonel
Kean recently. "These base hospitals,
which embrace much of the best pro-
fessional talent in the country, are in
tended TO be transported on the out
break of war TO the seat OF military OPP
erations, where they are located at the
city which is selected to be the mill
tary base.
Each Hospital Cares For 500.
s'For each 10000 men brought into
Service one of these is needed. From
the field hospital at the front the
wounded soldier is carried to the base
hospital. where he finds a comfortable
bed and trained nurses. Each of these
hospitals is equipped to receive 800 pa
tents. There are now thirteen base
hospitals with skilled personnel organ
fzed and seven more in the process of
organization"
Colonel Kean has had a distinguish
ed career in the medical corps, begin
ming in 1884, and recently served as
president OF the Association of Mill
tary Surgeons Of the United States.
In 1889 and 1900 he was chief surgeon
of the department of Havana and Pr
mar del Rio, Cuba, and was connected
n afcf " al ta-ffh ltA
yellow fever board under General Wal
ter Reed. This work very successful
w demonstrated the transmission of
yellow fever by q species of mosquito.
Again, during the period of govern
ment Intervention, from 1906 to 1909.
Colonel Kean, then holding the rank
of major was placed IN charge of san
ftary affairs of the island of Cuba and
succeeded In suppressing yellow fever,
which threatened TO sweep the island.
THE separate system of field medical
supply depots was instituted by him.
This system has brought about an ac-
emulation of reserve field equipment
and promoted the preparedness of the
medical department for war relief
work.
AS one of three United States dele
gafes selected by the secretary of
state, he attended the international
sanitary conference in Paris in 1911.
when an international treaty for the
control of plague, cholera and yellow
fever was negotiated. In 1914 he was
made d colonel.
IAN interesting fact in connection
with the establishment Of base hos
pitfalls Is that the method now ia the