Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - VIII. In the Rear of the Fourth Army
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
154 WITH THE GERMAN ARMIES IN THE WEST
volunteered—though appointed already in peace time for
certain duties.
Each field force has its medical service staff whose task is
to look after its well-being, to supervise its hygiene, to watch
over the daily food supplies, to analyse the drinking water,
etc. It is therefore the first duty of the Army Medical Staff
to regulate the general hygienic care so as to prevent such
epidemics as might otherwise easily spread. Men who have
fallen sick among the troops are cared for in " local sick-
rooms " until they can be handed over to the care of the Army
Medical Service.
At the fighting line the army surgeons establish regimental
dressing stations. Some surgeons accompany the bearer
patrols on to the battlefield, but without, save in exceptional
cases, entering the actual fire zone.
Each infantry division has at least one medical service
company. The latter establishes, in a suitable spot at the
rear of the troops, one or more principal dressing stations,
sending its ambulance wagons to an advanced halting-place,
so as to get the dangerously wounded as quickly as possible
back to the rear. Each medical service company comprises
nine surgeons and a large number of bearers, sick attendants,
apothecaries, etc. The company, further, has eight two-
horsed ambulance wagons, two medical-store wagons, equipped
with medicaments, stretchers and dressing materials, two
baggage wagons and one food-supply wagon.
For each Army Corps there are twelve field hospitals.
These are established in suitable towns, villages and mansions,
behind the front. They have to be located in sheltered
situations where they may remain even if the fighting line
advances. The field hospitals receive the patients from the
auxiliary and principal dressing stations, with the exception
of such as are sent to a " collecting station for slightly
wounded," to proceed thence direct to the nearest line of
communication depot.
The field hospital has its own regulation medical wagons
and carries with it a complete hospital equipment, such as
mattresses, or empty covers to be filled with straw, pillows,
blankets and sheets, shirts and other necessary clothing for
the patients, china vessels for the convenience of the wounded,
and many other things. The first surgical operations are
carried out in the field hospital building unless, in quite
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
