Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-09-09
HAVE HOSPITAL TRAINS
I. FOR AMERICAN sEAMEN
British Medical Department Has
Undertaken transporting of
u. S. Naval Wounded.
SYSTEM Is ALMOST PERFECT
Our Navy Has Its Own Base, for
Sick and Wounded, at Place in
Scotland-Aicn Receive Best Of
Attention.
ny II. q. EERRAnH.

init oi'u W oSSii tHC
This is a mistake. and there mus,
6e thousands oi parents in the United
states to-day 10 whom the question
often occurs, What viii happen to my
boy In European waters If he is Sick or
1 can to some extent answer that
question. and since in doing 80 1 cap
once more show how closely the Brit
ish and American navics arc collab0-
rating, 1 feel that the subject Is one
that may httinSly come into ths series.
Tic American naval forces ia Euro
pcan waters have their own hospital
at Strathpcffcr. in Scotland. 1t is in
shattered valley. and the town itself
before the war was one of the Eaycst
spas in Britain, and * has waters for
many diseases.
1t IS one thing TO have good hog
pital for scaincn. however. but quite
another thing TO get them there from
their ships after an action. or when
they have fallen III. The british naval
medical department has undertaken tho
American naval wounded. and IS build
ing extra train, which will be de-
voted entirely 10 American naval OF
icers and men. And the British sys-
TEN which has been evolved during
the four years of war is so complete
and works so smoothly that the United
states authorities have decided that
they could not better IL.
Let us assume that seaman in an
American destroyer is wounded. He IS
put into u cot AMI lie receives first-aid
treatment. The destroyer meets with
hospital carrier, one OF the many
email vessels thut used 10 collect
cases from ships at sea, and the man
IL transferred. still in the same cot.
There is no man handling. He is Sc
curcly fastened in, and passes from
ship 10 another without Il jolt
The hospital carrier gets into port.
and the COT is lifted out and taken
by "a mVtor ambulance to the railway
station, where in due course a hospital
rain stops.
These hospital or ambulance trains
arc hvc OF them constantly moving
around Britain. picking UP cases 4,
the bases near 10 the fleets activities
and dropping them Cnctaphorically. Of
course at one or other Of the great
naval hospitals. plymouth, Portsmouth
or Chatham. or one OF the new emerg
cncy hospitals in Scotland. As far as
possible however, the aim iS to keep
the Scottish hospitals clear of British
patients. so that II ever tho big call
comes and there Is "A great rush OF
wounded to he handled. the beds will
be there ready. and tho trains will not
be choked with work transferring
south weeks before
THIS KIND OF THING
CALLS FOR ORGANIZATION
This kind Of thing calls for organ
ization. II is there. The principal med
London Knows whdrc every train is.
how many cases II has ON board and
where each one is bound for. lie also
PICK up on the way. \ train. for eH-
ample. il scheduled 10 leave Edinburgh
and pass through Newcastle. HUI and
other towns. The assistant transport
officers al the places OF call have
ported thc!r requirements beforehand.
The train viii nave to pick UP. say
siXty cases Oh the way south. There
fore. ii nust not have more than eighty
on board when II starts. And Edin-
burEh receives orders To that effect.
Zach train IS commanded by = naval
surgeon. No other executive officer is
borne and this is L novelty in the Brit
ish naval world that is worth motto
ing. Hitherto the doctors have not
been allowed TO give orders. or to have
responsibility for discipline. An as
siStant surgeon is borne, and the crew
consists o. abou; thirty-siN sick berth
attendants, with cooks and one or two
10 do the clerical work.
There are eight coaches given up
entirely 10 the patients. most of them
with cots slung in pairs one above the
and big doors that can be opened
hots days TO help ventilation. Female
nurses are only carried at time of
emergency. such rs after the battle OF
.Iutland. when every patient may need
constant attention and skilled nursing.
The train is fitted with an operating
table. and stcriiiZng apparatus for the
instruments. and II the surgeon thinks
il necessary TO stop the train TO ope-
rate, 10 SLOW down because the speed
is too great for patient who Is very
i'll he has only TO touch button in
his oifce and a bell rings in the cab
Of the engine, 20 draw the drivers at
tention TO disc which indicates the
necessary order
For men who are not III enough to
stay in their cots there are day
their meals, smoke. play games and
read.
The officer patients have two coaches
TO themselves. one for cot cases and
one for those who are able TO sit up
during the day.
Everything IS done on the naval am
baianee trains ransI as 81 on shipeoaFd The
arc divided into watches. port and star
board. The day watches are split up
into four-hour spells like tho watch
sfioat. and those on due are ION deck"
and those OF duty are below" When
the train is moving it is said to be
men have leave to go ashore"
When the train reaches the town
where the hospital is situated. the cots
taken out and carried on the shoulders
OF voluntary ambulance men, among
who are local bank managers, or shop
keepers or policemen. to the waiting
ambulanccs. One of the commandants
OF these volunteers noticed in the early
days OF the work that the march OF
the stretcherbearer swung the cots in
wounded men. and he suggested that
instead Of marching in step they should
Keep ,hts out don Of step; The result is that
cots hardly move as they are carried
along. The same officer suggested that
IL each bearer hold with his inside arm
TO the belt OF the man behind him
he would get a better carrying power.
and this Is generally done now also.
II is in little contrivances OK this sort
that the experience OF war time has
perfected the naval medical transport
service. have travelled on the am
bulance trains. and watched the way
the work is done, and 7 think we may
fairly say that in this task Britain
has little TO learn from any nation.
One train in which ] travelled had it's
nrst experience OF war work in carry.
ing. patients from the battle of Jut-
land, a severe test to begin with Since
then it has Travelled about 10000 miles
up and down Britain, AMI has car
ried some 10000 cases OF ali kinds.
mention these figures in no spirit OF
boastfulness. but just to show that
the American scamen who have to
be transported to hospital will he in
the hands. OF men who have learned