The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-15

u dihSb anu lliOulueu 1IlLO SUBJECTS. The
 time has long since passed when our "embattled farmers could take down their old squirrel rifles and he them forth to war. If they tried any such foolishness in these unromantic days they wouldn't come back, even if they were lucky enough to get there The day of such amateurs passed long ago.
 DOESN'T DO ANY GOOD
 We ought to think of such things whenever we hear one of our leather lunged orators clamorng for the govern ment to take the war into Europe" and demanding that we tackle the "Von Hin denburg line" immediately. Such talk doesn't do any good, and merely serves to cause confusion.
 The civilian has no conception of the vast amount of work required to make an army. He cannot realize the fact that an army is not an army until it is trained, and that trained army must also be disciplined one. He thinks only of the firing line, and has no knowledge of the vast network of organization back of it.
 He does not realize that the fighting men must be fed and clothed and sup piled with munitions. He has no knowl- edge of the medical department working night and day to keep the men healthy. and fighting as hard against disease as the soldier on the firing line fights against, the enemy.
 For this big new army of ours we are going to need many thousands of officers and men for each branch of the service but for none more than the medical de- partment. It takes, we are told, a year to train a soldier of the 1ine-it must take longer to train one for the ''techni- cal branches" And In the medical de- partment an officer must have spent years in the study of medicine before he can even begin his military education.
 The doctors, along with the rest of the country, are pledging their loyalty to the President. Doctors have g. habit of giv- ing their services whenever needed, and they are not backward now. The only trouble is that there are too few of them who are qualified to serve as medical off, ficers. The best doctor In America may be the worst medical officer. And 1t is possible for the "sorriest'' practitioner to turn out to be the best kind of officer.
 MEDICAL BRANCH
 This fact is not generally understood Most physicians have an idea that all that is required is knowledge of medi- cine. They do not understand that an officer of the medical department is first a soldier and then doctor. He is an off, cer of a technical branch, as is an officer of the engineers or the signal corps. His duties are first military and then med ical.
 In times of need the government could secure at a moments notice the services of thousands of the very best physicians and surgeons in America. But it could not secure the services of thousands of good medical officers, for the simple req son that they do not exist. It takes training to make a good officer out of good doctor and nation at war has no time to spare. The best soldier the world ever saw said, Ask me for anything but time" And it is generally conceded that this soldier knew what he was talking about.
 The organization of the medical depart ment is very confusing to the lay mind. It is made up of wheels within wheels, for it must cover a broad field. Until recently it was divided into several corps under the general name of sanitary troops" But now the title, medical de- partment, covers them all.
 Although the members all belong to the same branch of the service, their duties may be totally dissimilar. It is doubtful if any branch presents a wider diversity of duties.
 into attachments. which are detailed with the various regiments, into ambulance companies. field hopsital companies and base hospitals Thus the maroon and white hat cord is seen in every corner of army activity from the base of operations to the firing line.
 Each regiment of the line has a detach ment of the medical department detailed with it. Its duties are to look after the sick and slightly injured of the regiment to supervise the sanitation and above all to keep the men from getting sick It goes wherever the regiment goes, and if any part of the regiment is sent on de- I,.fx 1..- the medical unit is sent with it. The reg mental detachment does not take care of any but the slightly sick. It is an inva- riable rule to get the serious cases out of camp. Unless absolutely necessary, no man is kept in the regimental infirmary who is sick enough to be put to bed. He is immediately sent to a hospital. if there is one available. During the engagement it establishes a first aid station close be- hind the firing line, to which the wound ed are prepared for transportation to the rear.
 FTF n HOSPITALS FUNCTION
 Iae fela spSpifal is a totally different aff h1T tlie egimental unit. It's func- tiot H lo taka are of the men sent to 1t 1fain sne e&lmental infirmaries or dre nS statirl In camp it Is located in the n4esy c9nNasfzent place, but during cor eAt it is everywhere back of the fir ing %kFfe st Hfl be accessible to the varie reglizteiffss and yet offer a refuge for tias+ WQusste 1t gathers up the wo'n4e fEa1ss soad territory. and cares for as'1a antis ks4y can be sent further to
 Tie nnxls i1ee company has little to do Ntfa fx tstH Hf the sick and wounded excc8s Y'nl 8NtEng them back to the rear fs#Hitls tQEN4 4is to provide transpor- tatif 6 lance of al well organ ized rS ia'fbsz% ambulance service can be its xxz4< " x sfS!l as the confusion and