Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-02
How a Frenchman Sees
Our Health Arrangements
Special Correspondence 81 The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
PARIS, November %. 1917.
A SPECIAL envoy of the Paris Jour.
"a nal has been personally conducted
through the American health service
by the doctor in charge. He analyses
very clearly the good points and the
differences from the French. It ought
to be interesting and comfortable read
ing for fathers and mothers WHOSE
sons are somewhere in France.
Our head doctor is a general in rank
that was the first surprise. In the
French army the doctors are not Of
equal rank with officers. SO that 1t con-
stantly happens that a head medical
inspector is under the orders Of a stan
captain. Among the French. also. the
old plan of promoting in order Of
seniority is still followed. whereas with
US it depends on practical acquaintance
with the most recent military medicine
and surgery.
This ought to make a differences in
securing efficient care for the sick and
wounded.
Our health service, as it has been
established in France, comprises four
sections: 1. dental. which speaks for
itself; 2. sanitary. which deals with the
soldiers hygiene. food and lodging: :.
veterinary, for horses and such (for We
have plenty of mules). and. of course.
the medical service properly SO called.
In France the veterinary services 10
practically in the hands OF cavalry Of
ficers.
The Frenchman was astonished to
learn that such great numbers OF vol
our health service. ut is a regular
mobilizing of specialists" he says.
The utilizing of all these doctors I'm
practice surprised him auite as much.
Our health service divides its men-doc-
tors. dentists. sanitary service men and
veterinaries-into units for each Army
division. This means that each division
has its own complete tent hospital for
ments-operating place. bandaging and
dressing. photography, sterilizing plant
all quick to take down and set up
and transport on automobiles by men
specially trained for that Thus a cam
paign hospital can be taken down and
loaded or unloaded and set up in one
hour
Each hospital of this kind follows its
army division wherever it goes,
whether in the fight or at rest The
capacity of such hospitals is also meas
ured for every possible influx Of
wounded or sick From these CAM
paign hospitals. which are for first care,
the wounded are evacuated in special
automobile ambulances to hospital hut
ments at the rear. which are also conn
pletely furnished with every require
ment. And from these, for final treat
ment and convalescence, the wounded
are taken in sanitary railway trains to
the permanent hospitals of the interior.
This is not all. Each regiment, for
urgent needs. even where the men are
not in action. has its medical unit.
which is itself divided by companies,
and is in possession of everything that
can be required. For example, in the
frst-aid stations of the first line at the :
front there are portable radiography
instruments for finding Immediately
any fragments of proJectiles that may
be in the wounds.
To the Frenchman's expression Of
and edification his medical
guide answered politely: YES our ma-(
tertal is very perfect and immense
and we hope to be able to equal your
doctors"