Surgical Experiences in South Africa, 1899-1900: Being Mainly a Clinical Study of the Nature and Effects of Injuries Produced by Bullets of Small CalibreMakins, George Henry
History
Surgical Experiences in South Africa, 1899-1900: Being Mainly a Clinical Study of the Nature and Effects of Injuries Produced by Bullets of Small Calibre
Makins, George Henry
Gunshot wounds; South African War, 1899-1902; Surgery, Military
I saw on several occasions the German and Dutch ambulances, and was much
struck by the excellence of their equipment. In some details there was
much to be learned from them, especially in the matter of appliances,
dressings, and instruments. The Dutch ambulance I saw at Brandfort had a
complete installation of acetylene gas, which was carried, gasometer and
all, in one Scotch cart. They were, however, really designed to fill the
combined position of our Field, Stationary, and General hospitals, and
when it became necessary for them to move about frequently, the inferior
mobility they possessed in comparison with our own Field hospitals was
at once demonstrated.
The large General hospitals of 500 beds were a great feature in the
campaign. Although designed and organised some time since, the present
was the first occasion on which they have come into general use, and
they may be said to have actually been on trial. The organisation of
these hospitals proved itself excellent, and in the case of the best of
them left little to be desired.
In some cases the accommodation was temporarily strained enormously, and
the number of patients was extended beyond more than three times the
regulation limit. The additional patients were then accommodated in
marquees and bell tents, according to the nature of their diseases.
Under these circumstances the working of the hospitals was difficult,
and the officers both of the R.A.M.C. and the civilian surgeons were
placed at a great disadvantage.
My space does not allow me to give any description of the general
arrangement of these hospitals, but I would suggest that a certain
number of them should be so modified as to increase their mobility and
allow of their being more readily utilised as Stationary hospitals.
During the whole campaign it seemed to me that the Stationary hospitals
(that is to say, the hospitals necessary to receive patients when the
Field hospitals were rapidly evacuated), were those in which some
increased uniformity of organisation was most needed.
It scarcely needs to be pointed out that this is the most difficult link
of the whole hospital chain to be uniformly well organised and equipped.
It is needed at short notice, and often for a short period, and it is
difficult to maintain a regular staff of officers ready for any
emergency without keeping a certain number of men idle.
The conversion of Field hospitals to Stationary purposes is undesirable,
as the troops move with only a regulation number of the former, which
under ordinary circumstances is the minimum that may be necessary.
Stationary hospitals as individual units are undesirable for the reasons
above given.
[Illustration: FIG. 11.--Type of a General Hospital (No. VIII.
Bloemfontein) extended by use of bell tents in the distance. (Photo by
Mr. C. S. Wallace)]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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