Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the regulations affecting the sanitary condition of the army, the organization of military hospitals, and the treatment of the sick and wounded ; with evidence and appendix. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty.

Great Britain. Royal Commission Appointed to Inquire into the Sanitary Condition of the Army.

Date:: 1858

Credit: Report of the Commissioners appointed to inquire into the regulations affecting the sanitary condition of the army, the organization of military hospitals, and the treatment of the sick and wounded ; with evidence and appendix. Presented to both Houses of Parliament by Command of Her Majesty. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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$Officiers d'admini- st ration to be mounted. Improve- ments always adopted readily. Officiers d'adminis- tration to abstain from acting as accoun- tants. Officiet s of adminis- tration to abstain from fre- quenting places of idle recrea- tion. Inspection of mate- rials and places of ambulance. Two assist- ants mounted. various frrounds, under the eye of tlie officier en chef, -who -will attentively watch that no vicious liabits creep into the service ; and tliat all understand clearly every part of the instruction imparted. It will he necessary that all the officers in the officier d'nrlmi7nsf7-afio?i's department be mounted, without Avhicli it would be impossible for them to do the ser\ ice of the active division, and of the transfers (evacuations). The officier en chef must endeavour to introduce every possible im]n'oveinent in the service, and will receive kindly every sensible suggestion j^roceeding from the officers and men under his orders conducive to this object. The greatest affability must distinguish the officers of this branch of the service, and they owe to the men under their orders the example of politeness, kindness, and simplicity of manners, as well as of the most rigorous punctuality and regu- larity in their reports, clearness, conciseness, and promptness in accounting for their operations, and readiness in volunteering for the service without ever being deterred by perils or difficulties. The officiers en chef should carefully avoid acting as accountants, which would too much complicate their occupations and responsibility, already great enough. They shall leave that ta.sk for the regular account- ants, who Avill transmit the accounts each separately to the officiers principcmx, who will hand them over with their remarks to the officier e?i chef. These will be then condensed into a general account, with an extract of the remarks, and transmitted to the inten- dant general, to whom the officier d'administration will furnish every necessary explanation that they may require, either in writing or verbally. The officiers of administration will give the examjjlc to those under their orders to abstain from all those places of idle amusements to which military men are wont to repair when out of active service. They co\ild not frequent them without neglecting their very important duties. The officiers of administrntion must inspect con- tinually all the material stowed on the carriages, to ascertain their right quantities and good preservation, and particularly that of the boxes containing surgic.il instruments and medicaments of all kinds. These inspections nuist always take jilace after a march or bad weather, to see if any damage has oc- cm-red, in order to have it repaired immediately ; and also after any consumption of material has taken place for the service of the wounded ; the material of all the divisions of ambulance must be completed again from the reserve carriage.^ which in their turn must be completed from the central depot as soon as possible. The officier en che f must inspect all the depots of ambulance and hospitals under his control, to verify the state of the invalids, of the nuiterial, and the regularity of the service. Also during the actions he must inspect with the greatest activity all the depots and sections of depots of ambulance wherever the wounded are transferred, to encourage the officers and the wounded, and to su})ply new material instead of those used up for the dressing. He may want the assistance of two mounted officiers d'administration in these excursions ; he will therefore be accompanied ])y two of the same mounted, whom he will direct to go wherever he is not able to go himself. After the action he will give a written report to the intcndants, where, besides the particulars of the service, he will mention with praise or bl.ame the conduct of the officers and men engaged in the ser- vice, who have given occasion for special niention. In a special report he will mention the quantity of material that should be replaced for what has been used. The officier en c/ze/'and the officiers principuicx will take care to assign to each officier d'administra- tion. infirmier major and injirmier in reserve, the rank upon which he shall march, that they may be ready at the proper time when commanded. The officers iind injirmiers must be all assembled at T the depots of ambulance, that they may be ready to relieve or replace those that having been actively employed, are fatigued or disabled. J' Duties of the Accountants and Officiers d'admi- NisTKATioN attached to the Divisions of Ambulance. We have already endeavoured to show the neces- c sity and utility for all the officers attached to the n medical department, to be kind and polite towards one ^ another, either superior, equal, or Inferior. It Is certain ^' that those are better obeyed who know how to gain ^' for themselves the attachment of their subordinates. tl The officiers d\idministration and the injirmiers ^\ must endeavour to place themselves as near as pos- sible to the combatants, to be ready to remove the \, wounded as soon as it can be done after they have fallen. The smoke and the movements of the troops may increase the difficulties of their service, but their zeal and ingenuity will contrive to find means to come to the help of many who would otherwise perish. They must endeavour to succour first those that are more dangerously wounded, never abandoning a wounded man so long as he sives the slightest sign of life. They must try to ascertain and note first, the name ' of the man, and to put on his stretcher his arms and a effects, the loss of which might concern him. The removal of the wounded must be done with the greatest possible speed compatible Avith the state of the man, whose pains and weakness nuist be duly considered, to avoid increasing them. They must be provided with a can full of wine and water to satisfy the thirst felt generally by the wounded, and to revive their spirits when too exhausted. They must have also scarfs or bandages to put on the wounds to prevent or diminish the bleeding during their trans- port. Their return empty after depositing the wounded must be at running step. To judge and be sure that the iiifirmiers perform projjerly their duty, and to direct them, the officiers d'administration must follow or lead them at sufficient l)roximity so as never to lose sight of them, to cause to be immediately replaced those that may have fallen, and to proportion both men and litters to the Avant of the nunnent. They will, with their example and orders show and direct the men to ofier every possible assistance to those who suff'ei', without timidity or cowardly i)recautions for themselves, or useless or foolish bravados, reserving themselves to do good service without selfish or vain feelings. Tlie officiers dadministration must show by their example and demeanor the true spirit with which their service must be animated, doing even themselves the work of the injirmiers if the event should make it necessary. The officiers d'administration attached to the ambu- lances of divisions mobiles must be Avell acquainted with the division's movements, to follow them with the necessary materiel and jjcrsonncl of aniliulance, and subdivide it in proportion to the subdivisions of , the corps. )>< The orders for these operations should depend on i'' the sons-intendant, but the director of the ambulance * Avill be always justified In sul)mltthig to liha his ^jj opinion on what he thinks useful and expedient. jj. If the sous-intendant be not present, he will act tk on the instructions he has received from him, and on an emergency act for the best on his own respon- i fi sibllity. if According to the nature of the ground, and the * ' strength of the detachments, a light carriage shall ^j be detached, or a common one, or two baskets on a horse, or a single basket carried by an injirmier, secured either on the bat or the hooks on the carriage, No. o. Each carriage should be accompanied by an officier d'administration, and at least six injirmiers, but In default of officier d'administration an injirmier$