Medical Aspects of Chemical Warfare (2008) - The Black Vault

Medical Aspects of Chemical WarfareEXHIBIT 3-4HEADQUARTERS, FIRST ARMY CORPS, MEMORANDUM ON THE EVACUATION OF SICKAND WOUNDED, 1918Memorandum: Evacuation sick and wounded.The following plan of evacuation of sick and wounded for each division in the corps will be put into effect at once.AMBULANCE DRESSING STATION. . .2. At this ambulance dressing station will be stationed the following medical officers in addition to the personnelof the ambulance section conducting the station: division psychiatrist, division orthopedist, division medical gasofficer, and a medical officer with good surgical experience and judgment. Each of these officers should have anunderstudy who can relieve him when necessary to secure rest or food.*****************************************************************************6. The division medical gas officer will examine all gassed patients, returning to the front line all deemed fit forduty. He will return to the rear all that require hospitalization. He will also supervise the preliminary gas treatmentat this point. Bathing facilities will be provided so that mustard gas patients will get the earliest possible attentionand thus prevent subsequent burning.*****************************************************************************8. In past experience during open warfare, it has been found that large numbers of men return from the front diagnosedas shell shock or gas casualties. The great majority of these men present neither of the above conditions,but are simply exhausted, mentally and physically. They are disabled for the time being, but should not be sent toevacuation hospitals. They must be held in divisional sanitary organizations, given the necessary food, a bath whenpossible, and an opportunity to thoroughly rest. It will be found that within one to four days they will be able toreturn to full duty at the front, thus saving a very marked loss of man power when the maintenance of the manpower of a division at its full strength is most important. Any such subsequently developing serious symptomswill at once be transferred to an evacuation hospital.9. During active operations when the number of casualties becomes very large, it will be found that the availableambulance transportation will be entirely insufficient to carry all wounded to the rear and to prevent congestionof wounded in the front areas. It therefore is necessary for division surgeons to maintain liaison with the divisionmotor transport officer and to secure the use of as many trucks as possible to carry back slightly wounded andgassed patients. Severely wounded and gassed must be carried in ambulances only. The corps surgeon will giveevery possible assistance to division surgeons during such periods of stress and will utilize for this purpose allavailable ambulances within the corps.FIELD HOSPITALS. . .3. The field hospital will be utilized as follows: (a) Gas hospital, and (b) one hospital in reserve.4. Gas hospitals: One field hospital will be utilized as a gas hospital. To this hospital will be sent from the triage allpatients who have been gassed. Therefore, facilities must be provided to give them the necessary special treatmentrequired—proper bathing, alkaline treatment, administration of oxygen and, if necessary, venesection. As soon asthe necessary treatment has been given and their condition permits, such patients as require further hospitalizationwill be sent to the nearest evacuation hospital. However, during open warfare, it will be found as noted before thatthe majority of gassed patients or the so-called gassed, will not require anything beyond a few days’ rest, sleep,and food. These must not be sent to evacuation hospitals but must be retained until fit for duty (provided this doesnot require more than four days) and then returned to the line. At this hospital, there will also be installed a shocktable for the treatment of those needing shock treatment at this point.*************************************************************7. One field hospital in reserve: This will be used to give assistance where needed both in personnel and equipment.A detail of 1 medical officer and 10 enlisted men will be sent to the ambulance dressing station to give the necessarypreliminary bathing and alkaline treatment to patients with mustard gas burns as may be deemed necessaryby the division medical gas officer on duty at this station.Reproduced from: Lynch C, Ford J, Weed F. Field Operations. Vol 8. In: The Medical Department of the United States Army in the WorldWar. Washington, DC: Government Printing Office; 1925. Chapter 18.98