The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-03

X One hundred thousand volumes
were removed from the municapl IL
brary at Orleans by hospital corps
men In order that cots might be set
UP for wounded Americans. Many Of
| these volumes were of original parch-
ment and written in illuminated
| script. dating rs far back as the sixth
century. The library was one OF the
! buildings which the city OF Orleans
| and the French government placed
at the disposal Of the A. r. II. free or
rent In the town Of vichy A. E. F.
! hospitals operated in eight-seven
hotels Of that famous watering re-
sort. while seventy more were en-
ployed in and around the villages of
| Vittel and Conrrexville.
In those aays-of the A. E. F.
when everything was on paper, ana
only few thousand American sol
diers on French soil, we scurried
about to find $4,000 beds to take care
of an army of 100000. At the same
time a policy was approved which
was to provide hospital facilities for
10 per cent for all troops and addi-
tional ten per cent for all combatant
forces. The chief surgeon, however,
on June 1. 1918, recommended. and
the commander-in-chie approved,
procurement and construction pro-
grand based on a 5 per cent basis for
all troops. not including mobile units
side program Of 10000 beds for good
measure to be provided in monthly
instalments OF 81 900.
Two of the outstanding features OF
American hospital work in France
have been the great hospital centres.
veritable cities Of sick and wounded.
like. for instance, Mesves. with $4,000
beds, developed by the medical de-
partment, and the special so-called
"Type-A" 1o0o-bed hospital, work
able model so PLANNED 'as to simplify
and standard.zc all American built
hospitals in France.
The medical department. like
mum Der OF other services OF the army
complains of lack Of personnel. and
a lack so keen that at times 1t Is said
to have threatened seriously the
functioning of medical work. It was
estimated at the time of the armistice
that the department was short 3,604
officers. 692S nurses and 2S.025 en-
listed men. At that time there was
grand total OF 147.157 officers. nurses
and enlisted men in the corps in Eu-
rope.
Speedy Arrival In 1917.
The medical department was, per-
haps, the best prepared for service OF
the army WHEN the war began, due In
part to the general high plane OF
medical and surgical development in
the states and to the organization OF
many universitF and medical college
hospital units for Red Cross service
before we entered the war.
Exactly one month and one after
our declaration Of war an American
- F~r M
between My and May -. 1917. six
Of these base hospitals left on their
mission of mercy. 1t may be remem
bered that two nurses lost their lives
by the explosion of defective shell
on board the Mongolia during faget
practice on the wav ever In Mas. /
1917,
On September 4. 1917. the first
Americans wearing the American
uniform were killed by Germans.
when three enlisted men and one ofti
Ger Of the medical department. sefN-
ing in a British hospitaIat Dan Com
iers were caught in the enemy air
raid.
The transportation Of sick and
wounded from the front was a prob
lem that followed closely in the wake
of the provision of hospitals and the
personnel to run them. The use OF
3.S05 light Ford amhulances in the
battle areas. organized in companies
of twenty each. proved to be the best
solution Of part of the problem.
These were supplemented by the re-
lay work OF 3.oT0 6. NJ. C. truck am
balances. The long distance back to
the bases covered by hospital trains.
The medical department Is the one
branch of the service for which the
war will end very slowly On that
bright November morning when ring
ing OF bells and happy voices pro- /
claimed an arm .stice. 1St4e1 Yanks, |
about one in every ten in the A. f. F.. |
were sick or wounded in the hospi- !
tails Of the A. f.. F, i
Thaucou-., that once distinctly un-
comfortable home OF hrigades and !
regiments Of the Second division, Is
still an American town. hut that is
because on it's outskirts the cemetery !
for the 81, Mihiel area is being made. !
each day witnessing the arrival from
the field OF truckloads of cQffins into
which the hastily buried dead Of last