754  Pharmacy  in  the  Russian  Army.  {ANov"emb4rPhia9ri™" 
line  is  drawn  between  hospital  orderlies  and  stretcher-bearers. 
The  former  are  trained  in  nursing  duties,  whereas  the  latter  are 
trained  only  in  first-aid.  Subordinate  personnel  for  work  in 
pharmacies  is  specially  trained  and  not  employed  on  other  hospital 
duties.  In  Russia  the  regimental  system  of  medical  work2  is  de- 
veloped to  the  fullest  extent,  and  every  effort  is  made  to  cure  a  sick 
soldier  in  the  regimental  lazaret  or  hospital.  Each  little  regimental 
hospital  has  a  dispensary  feldsher  and  usually  a  well-equipped  and 
well-stocked  pharmacy.  Pharmacist  officers  do  not  serve  with 
regiments  in  peace  or  war.  They  serve  on  the  staff  of  directors 
of  medical  services,  have  charge  of  hospital  dispensaries,  and  are 
employed  in  depots  of  medical  stores,  laboratories,  and  factories  of 
medical  material.  Before  the  war  a  certain  number  of  pharmacists 
were  selected  for  the  study  of  military  pharmacy  in  foreign  coun- 
tries. They  were  sent  abroad  at  the  government's  expense,  usually 
for  a  period  of  two  years. 
The  Russian  Army  has  three  types  of  field  ambulance — regi- 
mental, divisional,  and  brigade.  In  Continental  armies  a  "  regi- 
ment "  corresponds  to  our  "  brigade,"  and  a  "  brigade "  means  a 
group  of  regiments  smaller  than  a  division.  The  field  ambulances 
are  called  lazarets,  and  each  has  one,  or  more,  dispensary  feldshers 
who  performs  all  the  pharmaceutical  duties.  Behind  the  lazarets 
are  field-hospitals,  which  are  like  our  stationary  hospitals.  At- 
tached to  these  are  field  convalescent  depots,  which  have  no  counter- 
part in  the  British  Army.  Behind  the  field  hospitals  are  field  clear- 
ing commissions  corresponding  to  casualty  clearing  stations.  A 
pharmacist  officer  is  attached  to  each  field  hospital.  He  has  a  large 
subordinate  personnel  of  feldshers  and  pharmacy  attendants,  ranks 
as  a  captain,  and  has  the  disciplinary  powers  of  a  company  com- 
mander. Sometimes  field  hospitals  are  massed  together  in  groups, 
and  the  pharmacy  is  then  a  very  big  affair  indeed,  and  the  single 
pharmacist  officer  has  a  responsible  charge.  Pharmacist  feldshers 
are  employed  in  bacteriological  and  disinfection  columns,  but  the 
pharmacist  or  his  feldsher  may  be  found  everywhere.  One  of  their 
most  important  functions  is  the  care  of  the 
2  See  "  Pharmacy  in  the  French  and  Italian  Armies,"  C.  &  D.,  June  7,  p. 
50,  and  June  14,  p.  64. 
