AMBULANCE COMPANIES. In the United States a limited number of field hos pitals and ambulance companies are main tained in time of peace to provide trained or ganizations for duty with the troops when they are on field service and to afford a means for training officers and men of the sanitary service in the work of the sanitary field or ganizations. In the training of these organi zations special attention is given to those elements of field work for instruction in which only limited facilities are afforded at posts, such as the practical use of the articles of field equipment, lines of aid, equitation, care of animals and the use of the pack-sad dle. The personnel of these organizations in time of peace comprise two classes: (a) A permanent cadre, consisting of such number of non-commissioned officers and men as are deemed necessary to maintain continuity of policy and method in instruction; (b) tem porary personnel attached to these organiza tions for purposes of instruction. On field service with a mobilized division the field hospitals and the ambulance companies operate under their two respective directors whose relation to them is similar to that of a major of the line to his battalion. The senior officer of two or more field hospitals or ambulance companies conducts the course of instruction as though they were a single organization and assigns the instructors from the permanent personnel of the organizations as he deems best. In other respects, however, the several organizations retain their autonomy as sepa rate and distinct administrative and tactical units, each under the command of its own senior medical officer. The discipline and in terior economy of these organizations con form so far as practicable to those of a com pany of infantry. The program of instruction for these organizations, the sequence of the subjects, the manner in which the same are taught, the details thereof to be taken up and the time to be given to each are prescribed by the War Department.
The personnel of an ambulance eStnpany at war strength are ordinarily distributed as follows: (a) With the dressing station, in cluding the litter-bearers — four officers, one sergeant first class, six sergeants, one acting cook, 40 privates first class and privates, all of the medical department; (b) with the wheeled transportation — one officer, one ser geant first class, one sergeant, one acting cook, 28 privates first class and (one as farrier, one as saddler, two as musicians, 12 as ambulance-drivers and 12 as ambulance orderlies), all of the medical department; also one sergeant (blacksmith) and three pri vates (drivers) of the quartermaster corps. The function of the ambulance company is to collect the sick and wounded, to afford them temporary care and treatment and to transport them to the next sanitary unit in the rear. In camp it operates the ambulance service be tween the camp infirmaries and the field or other hospitals. On the march ambulances are distributed among the marching troops, usually one to each regiment, for the purpose of sup plying transportation to those who become un able to march.
In combat the ambulance company operates in two parts. The first establishes and oper ates a dressing station and collects the wounded thereat, the second operates the wheeled transportation in evacuating the wounded. The dressing station party, includ ing the litter-bearers with its equipment on pack-mules, -moves forward in rear of the troops ready to establish the dressing station. The location of the dressing stations and the number to be established is determined by the division surgeon acting under the instructions of the division commander. The director of ambulance companies supervises their open ing, giving the necessary orders therefor to the commanders of the ambulance companies. The site selected for a dressing station should have the following advantages: (1) Protec tion from rifle fire, (2) protection from direct artillery fire, (3) accessibility for wheeled transportation, and (4) a supply of water. Effective shelter from fire is the chief desider atum. A site inaccessible to ambulances on account of exposure to fire need not invari ably be condemned, for the greater part of the work of the ambulances is done after the close of the battle or after nightfall. The sta tion is pushed as far to the front as possible to reduce to the minimum the distance over which the wounded must be carried on litters. In some cases in which the establishment of the dressing sta tion is delayed, or in which the troops are about to move forward, it may be possible to locate the dressing station at the aid station, thus practically eliminating one station. Un der these circumstances the dressing station assumes the work of the aid station and the personnel of the two co-operate until the aid station moves forward. The requirement that the sanitary personnel with the combatant organizations keep in touch with those organi zations may make it necessary for them to leave the wounded where they fall, pausing only to administer such aid as may he abso lutely essential. Cases thus left are collected and cared for by the dressing station party as it advances. As soon as the dressing station is open its bearers under the direction of a medical officer proceed to the front as far as the enemy's fire permits. Ordinarily they are divided into as many sections as there are aid stations, each under a non-commissioned offi cer, and one section proceeds toward each aid station. They direct wounded who are able to walk to the station for slightly wounded. They transport other wounded from the aid station to the dressing station. When prac ticable they also assist the regimental medical personnel in the care and removal of wounded from points in advance. Meanwhile the com manding officer of the company with the dressing station personnel proceeds to put the dressing station in condition to receive pa tients. When possible for wheeled transporta tion to reach the dressing station a message is sent to the officer in charge of the ambu lance train directing him to report at the sta tion with the ambulances.