Report on the medical arrangements in the South African war / by Surgeon-General Sir W. D. Wilson.
- Great Britain. Army Medical Services
- Date:
- 1904
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Report on the medical arrangements in the South African war / by Surgeon-General Sir W. D. Wilson. Source: Wellcome Collection.
308/490 page 254
![E.—Reporrt on No. 2 Bask Deva MepbiIcaL STORES, CAPE Town. (Major R. C. THaoxzer, R.A.M.C.) — | In submitting this report on the working of No. 2 Base Depot Medical Stores, which arrived in South Africa on November 21st,:1899, I desire to point out that the scale of equipment laid down for this unit was arranged to meet (in Cape Colony) the requirements of the regular troops originally detailed to proceed from England. But this scale was, I consider, never contemplated (either through expansion or elasticity) to meet. the demands, medical and surgical, of a great army of irregular troops from South Africa, and Colonials from the British dominions beyond the seas, very much larger than could possibly have been foreseen on the outbreak of hostilities. Just one instance to illustrate the strain which was placed on this unit early in the campaign. The 5,000 Australian Bushmen, who touched at Cape Town en route to Beira to form part of the Rhodesian Field: Force, were medically and surgically equipped from the base medical stores. Storage Accommodation.—The site for the medical store depdt was at Woodstock Military Hospital, about three miles from the docks, where two corrugated iron sheds were provided. As this storage accommodation proved totally inadequate to meet the requirements, the Royal Engineers were requested to erect four others, which, together with certain permanent buildings appropriated in the hospital compound, proved satisfactory, giving a superficial area of 15,044 square feet. The following gives in detail the area of the various sheds, huts, and permanent buildings utilised for this purpose :— Sheds and Huts— Originally Provided. 1.—Corrugated iron 60’ x 15’ ... ... 900 square feet. gees 0 Te So gor se? UE OO ea Additional Accommodation. 3.—Corrugated iron 100’ x 20’ ... (3.45 200 Tee e oe, ree » 48! K.30' 0) 8 soy ee 5.—Portable hut PD OK ol Banke a icra so Omanen ti be ae waar 751k, 1B) cock ovat adel ila ein Permanent Buildings— Store, 256 asl fh -O 1.9 we 5 6 ae, oO ae ae OSG IG 68 en ty ee bn ARGU LI! went niga eae ao cn ABC AY? itt eee nee Lega yn LBL 6 SK 1d iid nes. he ne ple Me STOTT eR Se aap: a ae OF (ee a |, 16° 6 x 7 ees pase WO Oe ig’ =X 10! vince lees (¢ Uap tone] 60 ae Wards unused for Hospital Purposes—_ 1 fo te i a Ee OPT T Se 2k I 2 wuoif 48) K'OAY GS OOS AGT TSS 3 AB! 3g alo Gs Ot OP gies u 4 AB! dC Dal 2 ie Pe ON) SEIS Brae” TL TY OE, TT FO) Oa 6 Pa TO V8 Poni ag Ra ae Total area... 2. jl BOLE ye 10% Transit of Stores. The method of despatch of medical and surgical stores from the base depot to the varigus units, general, field, and other hospitals of the South African Field Force are as follows :— Rail.—Handed over to the Railway Transport. Officer, Way Bill (A.B., 10a, aS per specimen attached), the counterfoil being signed by him and](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b32172874_0308.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
