Some account of the Brigade of Hospital Conveyance carts, attached to the Army in the East : formed on improvements suggested by Lt.-Col. Tulloh, Rl. Artillery, and Mr. Guthrie.

Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some account of the Brigade of Hospital Conveyance carts, attached to the Army in the East : formed on improvements suggested by Lt.-Col. Tulloh, Rl. Artillery, and Mr. Guthrie. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    the carts are fully employed carrying sick or wounded, the conductors are to lead the horses. A great advantage is derived from the construction of these carts, that whilst they will carry many persons with little motion at an*ordinary pace, they will also convey one person without inconvenience; and at a trot or gallop, the movement can he home for a time without complaint, unless under very disadvantageous circumstances, of broken ground. One Sergeant Major of approved character, four other mounted non-commissioned officers, and 69 drivers, including two farriers, in all 74, is the least number of men with which the duties of this brigade can be efficiently performed in the first instance, and the same number of horses will be required ; thus only five men and five horses are supernumerary' in the event of illness, accident, or the occurrence of those claims for other services, which they may be imperatively called upon to perform. It would be advisable therefore to augment the number of men and horses to ten supernumeraries if they can be obtained. If fifty or a hundred wounded men be left of an advancing division, the Staff Surgeon and such assistant surgeons as he may require should perform all the necessaiy operations; when these officers should be sent to their regiments, with the exception of one or two, who remain in charge with such of the medicines and stores of one or more of the reserve carts, as may be required for several days’ use; the carts themselves being forwarded to the front as quickly as possible, as their services may be required. If a larger number of wounded are left behind, one or more of the wooden panniers marked from 1 to 4 should be taken from one of the store waggons, perhaps a marquee and a tent, and such other stores as are apparently required. If from three to five hundred are wounded, all the assistant surgeons of the brigades which have suffered most should be re- tained, until all the operations, &c. urgently necessary, have been performed. Two out of three of the hospital establishments of the regiments of these brigades should be sent for, and remain for a time. One or two store waggons should be retained to furnish the hospital establishment, until assistance can be obtained from the general Medical Staff of the army. In the event of a general and decisive battle, attended by great loss, one surgeon only should remain with the troops per brigade, including the artillery in the first instance. The whole of the- remaining Medical Officers should be employed with the wounded. On an advance