MECHANICS AND USEFUL ARTS. 



THE FRENCH FIELD HOSPITALS, OR AMBULANCES. 



The word Ambulance, or field, or flying hospital, is very familiar to most 

 of our readers ; but many are, perhaps, not aware of the actual manner in 

 which these hospitals are organized and conducted. 



The principle upon which the whole arrangement rests is that the medical 

 officer viz. the scientific man, should not be harassed with anxiety about 

 stores and packages, and that those matters should rest entirely with 

 responsible agents, whose duty it is to attend to his directions, within the 

 limits of the regulations. Hence we have the following practical divisions: 



The medical officer at the bedside is invested with the whole control and 

 management of his patient. The pharmacien, upon the surgeon's prescrip- 

 tions, prepares the medicines ; the clerk sees to the procuring and proper use 

 of the required articles of furniture, and to the carrying out of the diet cards 

 filled up by the medical officer; the ward attendant takes the immediate 

 charge of the sick or wounded man ; the Sisters of Charity and chaplains aid 

 in the work of benevolence and kindness ; the assistant-commissariat officer, 

 who receives orders from his superior, watches over the management of 

 the whole ; and the regular working of all these secures a perfect unity of 

 action. 



The ambulances, temporary hospitals, and convalescent depots are intended, 

 during a campaign, for the reception of the wounded or sick soldier. If the 

 seat of war is too distant from the frontier of France, where hospitals are 

 organized for the reception of the sick or convalescent, an eligible locality is 

 chosen for the erection of temporary hospitals ; hence the great central noso- 

 comical establishment of Constantinople. Xow. these various modes of relief 

 for the soldier viz. the ambulance, the temporary hospital, the convalescent 

 depot and the permanent hospital, have each a peculiar organization. 



The ambulance is the movable hospital which follows the army in all its 

 movements. There are ambulances for the infantry, and others for cavalry 

 all connected with the different divisions. At head quarters there is, besides,' 

 a reserve of surgeons, and two ambulances of infantry and one of cavalry, 

 always ready to go forward at a moment's notice. It was important, in order 

 to insure lightness and rapid movements from one place to another, to 

 arrange the packages so that they might not prove cumbrous under any cir- 

 cumstances. Everything must, therefore, be reduced to the least volume, and 

 all the requisites for dressing wounds are disposed hi panniers, the weight of 

 which is so calculated as to suit the strength of the pack horse, in case the 

 usual wagon breaks down, or cannot be got through a difficult country. 



Only five carriage boxes are allowed for the reception of the following 

 articles: amputation and trephining cases, tents, fitters, splints, solidified 

 broth, brandy, linen and lint, medicines, &c. These five boxes or cases con- 

 stitute an infantry ambulance, and provide 8900 dressings. Three cases, with 

 4900 dressings, form a cavalry ambulance. These ambulances are sub- 

 divided into active and reserve sections. The reserve section, which com- 

 prises two cases for the infantry, and 3500 dressings ; and one case, with 



