OCR Text |
Show HELP ON THE FIRING LINE. Provision for Removing1 the Wounded Soldiers from Field to Hospital. Snatching fallen soldiers from tho danger zone and healing their wounds by a hospital system that follows tho firing line Is a modern feature of the United States army that only a dash of legislation Is needed to mako the most perfect in tbo world, army surgeons sur-geons say. A recent demonstration at Fort Myer, across tho Potomac from Washington, hy tho hospital corps under un-der MaJ. Glennon, Dr. Smart and Llout. BUIIngslen, showed how tho enemy's bullets are defeated. From tho big white steam nutomobllo ambulance ambu-lance to the primitive travols and mulo litters of tho Filipinos, and from tho first aid service at the heels of the men behind the guns to tho mobile hospitals, tho sstem Is without a loophole of Imperfection. Eighteen thousand , eight hundred and fifty-two soldiers' of a division which is a unit of action arc provided with first aid packages. When n sol-dler sol-dler falls one of these Is quickly applied ap-plied to his wound, and a regimental medical ofllcer, of whom thero nro 31 at the rear of tho firing line of each division, takes the wounded roan to a first aid station, which Is Just far enough away to be sheltered In a depression de-pression from tho shot and shell. Following the division are four ambulance am-bulance companies of 12 ambulances onch, and four wagons, cared for by three medical officers nnd 69 men. Those ambulances are midway between be-tween tho first nld stations and the mobile hospitals, of which thero are four, containing 108 beds each. To these hospitals the soldiers aro quickly quick-ly taken and their wounds treatod, after which thoy aro removed to more permanent field hospitals, of which there aro thtco, built In sections, so they can bo moved piecemeal with tho advanco of tho Invaders. By tho time tho patlont reaches hero, tho firing line has moved probably a couplo of miles, and the first aid stations and mobile hospitals proportionately. When It comes tlmo fqr tho flold hospitals hos-pitals to move, the soldiers aro transported trans-ported to tho baso hospital ot GOO bods, which Is usually at a railroad station. |