The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-06-30
RED CROSS WAS
READY FOR WAR
FOrty-four Base Hospital Units
Already Organized.
SOME ARE ALREADY ABROAD
Great Size of These Hospitals Can Be
Appreciated When II Is Stated That
Regulation Buildings In the Most
Compact Form Cover an Area of
Eleven Acres.
BY LEO ARNSTEIN,
Vice Chairman Military Relief Com
mittee, New York Chapter American
Red Cross.
nsFsxs THO the general In
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MS&{ dictment that
- & the American
$&&$3 nation was and still Is
unprepared for wal
tx there is one notable
Gf2$ exception the b ase
hospital service of the

American Red Cross. When war first
broke out in Europe and f~arsighted
men and women saw that this country
might ultimately become involved the
directors of the Red Cross began to pre-
pare on a large scale for such an emer-
gency. Up and down the land went
organizers urging public spirited citi-
zens in cities all owe the country to
establish units and raise funds for hos
pital equipment. AS this meant In
each instance the raising of from $685.
900 to 10000 for something whose use
fitness was In the minds of the gen.
eral public very problematical, the task
was no light one.
But the workers persisted. AS a re-
suit when this country declared war
the Red Cross was prepared and has
pital units-thirty-nine for the army
and five for the navy, which viii be
ready to be turned over to the govern
ment with their equipment as fast as
they are asked for. Already seven of
these have been sent abroad for the
use of the allies, and the balance are
ready to go at a days notice.
The base hospital is housed in a sub
%stantial, permanent structure anywhere
from twenty-five to a hundred miles
away from the firing line. The wound
ed are taken from the trenches by
stretcher bearers and carried to the
dressing stations Immediately back of
the line. Here they receive emergency
dressing and attention and are then
carried back to the field hospitals in
ambulances. From the field hospitals,
as soon as possible, they are carried by
ambulance and hospital train back to
the base hospitals, where they are sur
rounded by the best hospital equipment
known to modern medical and surgical
science. Portable hospital buildings
have been devised, so constructed that
they car be easily packed and shipped
and set up quickly.
The great size of a base hospital can
be appreciated when it is stated that
the regulation buildings, in as compact
a form as can be arranged, cover an
area 1000 feet long and 500 feet wide,
eleven acres in all. The equipment
alone when stored occupies 10000 Gu
bic feet. The cost of modifying a
unit with its equipment at Philadel-
phia recently, aside from t%ransporta-
ton, was over $1,000. One base hos
pital will care for 10000 men.
The portable kitchen, which feeds
$50 persons three times a day, is a
new type especially designed for the
Red Cross. The portable X ray outfit
is even fitted with a generator to pro-
vide its own current, as there Is never
any certainty as to whether direct or
alternating current or any adequate
current at all will be found already
supplied at the point of destination.
Then there is the laundry equipment.
complete even to a drying room; fumi-
eating. steriliZing and tncinerat1ng
plants, a completely equipped operat-
ing room, laboratory, etc. There is the
eight ton re~frigerating truck, which Is
a complete unit in itself, not only pro-
ducing two tons of ice a day, but run
ming a battery of cooling plants. Con-
nected with each base hospital are
three ambulances and a two ton truck
for carrying supplies.
The base hospitals are under the d.
rection of the department of the mill
tary relief of the Red Cross until mus
tered into service, when they become a
part of the army organization. Form
ing another very important branch OF
this department are the ambulance
companies. Each company consists OF
ninety-@ne men, including five medical
officers.
Still another branch of the depart
ment of military relief is made up of
the hospital urits. Each unit is COM
posed of twelve doctors, usually spe-
cialists, who may be shifted from
point to point wherever the need is
greatest.
Aside from this active service In the
field. the department maintains a bu-
reau for providing the soldiers with
the comforts of life not regularly a
part of the governments military sup
plies, such as extra medical supplies,
literature, tobacco and other comforts.
Another important unit Is the sani-
tary training detachment for the me-
thodical teaching of first aid. Groups
of men are trained for service with the
army. resembling the voluntary aid de-
tachments organized with such success
In England.
In short, by its activities in caring
for the well being of the soldiers the
Red Cross probably doubles the ef-
1ciency of the fighting forces.