The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1917-07-05
DR.. G0ODLOE
EXPLAINS THE
FUNCTIONS OF
BASE HOSPITAL

hldllOA nd OoidtnCd tino III
relation 10 a military base hospital,
its location, its functions. its person
mel and the method Of, its manage
ment. In referring to the matter Dr.
Goodloe said:
"a base hospital is generally located
just. back of the fighting line and lis
frequently in the danger zone, 1t is
under the supervision of the Red
Cross and its province is to take care
of the wounded and disabled men
who have been carried from the field
of battle. Ususally these men receive
first aid treatment in an emergency
hospital before being conveyed to the
base hospital, where surgical and med
ical attention is given them and where
they remain until they either succumb
to their injuries or have become strong
enough to be conveyed to civilian
hospital for convalescence, sometimes
hundSed miles in the rear of the
battle front.
The complement of base hospital
is $50 people and in its personnel are
surgeons. physicians. dentists, two or
three other professional men. such as
eye. ear and throat specialists, X
ray operators, nurses, mattresses, ste
nographers, clerks, an electrician,
plumber, carpenter. storekeeper. me-
chanic. bookkeeper, etc. Ordinarily
there is an ambulance corps, includ-
ers and other assistants. attached to
base hospital. but not always.
"a complete store of everything con.
nected with its work is kept at the
base hospital. including a supply of
surgical instruments. extra beds and
bedding. clothing. groceries, drugs.
medicines and a multitude of other
things that it is unnecessary to men-
ton at this time. base hospital is
a veritable little community in itself
and its work is one OF the most i'm
portant in connection with the army.
Enlisted in its service are highly edu-
Gated, brave. self-sacrificing. patriotic
men and women who volunteer their
services and lives IL need be in the
cause OF humanity.
Base hospitals are nominaEy un-
der the direction OF medical officer
of the army appointed by The war de-
partment. but in reality their effici-
ency depends largely on civilian sur
geons and physicians. whose skill is
often by reason of extensive private
practice superior to that of the army
man. whose professional attainments
are often theoretical. rather than prac-
tical.
Forty base hospitals are now as
sembiing in the United States in obe
dience to orders from Washington.
which means the calling into the mill
tary service of 14.4OO men and women.
all of them possessing tefhqical
knowledge in some line of work. How
France, Belgium. Russia and other
countries suffering from the war it is
impossible to state with any degree
of accuracy. When they will sail for
their work abroad is one of the things
the authorities at Washington are not
giving out for obvious reasons. Some
of them may have sailed for trans
Atlantic countries today: others may
leave tomorrow or next week.
"a base hospital Will provide accom-
modations for from 1900 TO 1000 In
jured people at one time. Special
exigencies sometimes require that an
even larger number must be taken
care of by them for short periods of
time. France is nov asking the Unit
ed States to send 100 base hospitals
to that country with as little delay as
possible. This means $4,000 highly
trained people. besides an enormous
quantities of supplies, stores. etc. In
Belgium and Russia the demand for
the help OF the American Red Cross Is
hardly less urgent than in France.
"The American Red Cross society
Is one OF the best and most efficient
in the world and the government at
Washington is going to see to it that
our boys who go abroad to fight for
liberty and democracy are to have
the benefit OF it in the hour of their
need. Every man. woman and child
in America ought to regard 1t as sa.