Am.  Jour.  Pharm.  \ 
November,  19 17.  J 
the  French  Army. 
523 
The  material  comprises  three  wagons  of  the  sanitary  service 
to  transport  seven  paniers  of  dressings,  seven  cases  and  nineteen 
bales  of  hospital  materials. 
The  important  duties  assigned  to  the  sanitary  service  in  the 
rear  are  the  evacuation  hospitals,  sanitary  trains,  the  war  in- 
firmaries, the  stations  for  the  convalescents  and  maimed,  the  reserves 
for  the  personnel  of  the  sanitary  service  of  the  army,  the  reserve 
material  for  the  service,  and  the  supply  stations. 
Each  evacuation  hospital  is  provided  with  two  complete  infantry 
ambulance  outfits  and  provisions  for  two  sectional  hospitals  and  two 
disinfecting  apparatus  and  supplies  of  disinfectants,  and  fumigat- 
ing material  and  two  pharmacists  are  assigned  thereto. 
The  medical  supply  stations  are  under  the  direct  command  of  a 
pharmacist  with  a  personnel  of  one  sub-officer,  one  corporal  and 
seven  attendants.  The  various  hospitals,  temporary,  permanent  and 
auxiliary,  all  meeting  at  times  the  local  civil  demands,  draw  their 
supplies  from  the  nearest  supply  station.  An  important  duty  of 
the  pharmaceutical  corps  is  the  continuous  supplying  of  the  medical 
needs  of  the  various  formations  of  the  sanitary  service  whether 
at  the  army  front,  in  the  rear  or  in  the  interior  or  in  the  territorial 
hospitals  and  stations. 
The  conservation  of  supplies  of  important  medicaments  so  that 
the  needs  of  the  army  and  the  civilian 'population  were  alike  pro- 
vided for  in  this  war,  was  one  of  the  greatest  national  services 
performed  by  the  Pharmaceutical  Corps  of  the  Army. 
The  regulations  provide  that  the  pharmacists  in  a  campaign 
must  assure  that  the  pharmaceutic  service  conforms  to  the  instruc- 
tions and  to  their  spirit.  Under  the  orders  of  the  Chief  Physician, 
they  must  verify  the  nature  and  quality  of  the  medical  substances 
and  provide  these  by  purchase,  manufacture  or  requisition ;  they 
must  participate  in  the  inspection  of  the  foods  and  beverages  sup- 
plied to  the  camps  and  cantonments ;  must  examine  all  the  medi- 
cines when  received  and  make  monthly  reports  of  receipts  and  dis- 
position of  the  supplies  on  the  official  forms  provided.  During  the 
war,  the  work  of  the  pharmacist  has  been  extended  to  prepare 
many  of  the  sanitary  materials  and  medicines  the  necessity  for 
which  has  been  established  by  experience.  Among  these  newer 
preparations  may  be  mentioned  sterile  solutions  in  ampoules,  arti- 
ficial serums  and  compressed  oxygen. 
The  French  War  Department  has  taken  advantage  of  the  apti- 
