The sun., 1918-08-07

The battles developed since March
Fl by the German offensive put our
medical service to a rude test. Open
warfare created new problems, the So
luton OF which was made the more
difficult by the German advance. I
hasten to say, so as to reassure the
families OF the combatants, that under
these difficult conditions the medical
service rose to the full stature OF its
task and through the instigation Of
VI. Mourer, Under Secretary Of State,
rapidly was adapted to the new cir
cumstances of the campaign by a
number Of practical, notifications.
Formerly. that is to say from the
beginning Of trench warfare. the army
medical service worked under condi-
tons which were settled and steady,
in establishments which were more
and more carefully equipped. with a
surgical comfort" at least equal to
that in the hospitals Of the interior.
The wounded were cured in the army
zone, or very near It.; during the Of
fensives of 1917 before Verdun, in
Flanders and at Malmaison, the medi-
cal service worked after a plan hap
PLY conceived to avoid the faults and
the cropping attempts of the first days
| Of the war.
The sanitary organization had de-
| velopeL a system which met to the
furthest possible degree the contra
dictory demands: the need OF oper-
ating as quickly as possible so as to
| avoid infection and its train Of con-
| sequences and the need OF evacuating
the wounded as soon as possible In
the interests Of the wounded them
selves and OF the military command.
| The trenches sent back from the ex-
] IRENE front line their regular con-
tribution Of wounded--the process be-
| came a routine, fixed, immutable-7to
| a line Of advanced hospitals or dress
ing stations. having an average Of
400 to 500 beds. where the patients
received first attention. Further lack
| but always within reach by automo.
| bile transport. we're the hospitals OF
evacuation" holding often 5000 beds
| Behind all these was a line OF great
surgical centres, like Chalons-sur-
Marine, where one found hospitals of
the calibre Of the Hotel Dieu the
world famous Paris institution. one OF
the largest in Europe). The whole
formed a constellation OF sanitary
units parallel to the line OF the
trenches and adequate to the needs
Of the war as 1t was then being con-
Quoted.
Suddenly March 81. the Boche in
augurated his offensive against the
English lines. The French rushed UP
to their assistance at the point at
tackled, around Montdidier.
| The progress OF the enemy sub
merged or exposed to bombardment
the dressing stations and hospitals in
the old French sectors taken over by
the British when they extended their
lines to the south. In consequence. as
fast as our divisions threw themselves
into the battle. II became necessary for
them to create new installations or to
develop those which remained behind
our new front. So one might say that
it was at this moment that the master
idea OF transforming our sanitary or
ganization took form and began To
materialize.
Understand me clearly. During the
war OF position. the medical service
welded the military organization; eacf
military sector had its sanitary sector
If the latter had need Of reinforce
ments or additional supplies. to whom
lcould 1t apply? Only to the ADJOINING
sectors on right and left and to the
section Just behind 1t. Lacking French
units as neighbors, there was no liai
son, no solidarity. The new inspiration
was to knock out these water tigh
partitions; so just as the fighting from
became single, the medical front wa.
welded into one. There is now but on,
medical service from the User to thu
Swiss border and to the rear as fa
as Bayonne; the sector attacked ina,
appeal for help on the right as far al
Belfort, on the left may make its cal
heard clear to the channel ports, ant
to the rear 1t may send for assistanc,
even to Bayonne or Marseilles. Whel
NJ. Godart was In office as Under Sec
rotary Of State he made serious effort,
along this line. upon the occasion o
the fighting at Malmaison and il
Flanders, but II was not until thi
March that the idea was put into rea
effect.
At the end OF May came the Aisn'
offensive, From May 81 TO June
the German advance engulted gu
dressing posts and hospitals between
the Aisne and the Marine. This tim