Have we the best possible ambulance system? : Reprinted from the Christian examiner, January 1864 : and published, for gratuitous distribution, by the committee of citizens who have in charge the sending of petitions to Congress for the establishment of a thorough and uniform ambulance system in the armies of the republic.

Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Have we the best possible ambulance system? : Reprinted from the Christian examiner, January 1864 : and published, for gratuitous distribution, by the committee of citizens who have in charge the sending of petitions to Congress for the establishment of a thorough and uniform ambulance system in the armies of the republic. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    President regulated it, that system is under the exclusive con- trol of the commanding general of each army in the field, and a uniform system throughout the United States is impossible. How is it as matter of fact ? Congress is silent. The Presiclent, through the army regu- lations, prescribes that before the action the division quar- termaster shall make all the necessary arrangements for the transportation of the wounded, and give his assistants the necessary instructions for the service of the ambulance-wag- ons, and other means of removing the wounded. The medical director of the division, after consultation with the Quartermaster-General, distributes the medical officers and hospital attendants at his disposal to the depots and active am- bulances. He will send officers and attendants, when practi- cable, to the active ambulances, <fec., &c. These are the principal provisions bearing upon the subject. Three things will here be noted. First, it is left in considerable uncertainty whether it is the general in command, or his division quartermasters, or his medical inspectors of division, or all three jointly, who are charged with, and responsible for, the transportation of the wounded ; but it is entirely certain that each general, or army, and probably each division quartermaster, may have just such a system, or no system, as he likes. Second, there is no provision for any attendants perma- nently attached to the ambulances ; the quartermaster is to furnish attendants upon the eve of an engagement from the employees of his department, who have enough to do at such a time without attending to ambulances. Third, so far as any system is found here at all, it is the system so strongly condemned byMajor Delafield's Report in these words : The details and requirements of this branch of the service should not constitute a part of the general trans- port service of the army, as has been the case in our service. No person can so well preserve the efficiency of the surgical and medical apparatus, as he who best knows its uses. As to the first point, the dangers of a divided responsibility can hardly be exaggerated. If it is considered that the gen- eral in command is alone responsible, still the disadvantages