The work of the dressing station is car ried on under the following departments: Dispensary, kitchen, receiving and forward ing, slightly wounded and seriously wounded. All wounded pass through the receiving and forwarding department. Those whose in juries are not sufficient to incapacitate them for the present performance of their military duties are directed, after receiving the neces sary treatment, to return to their units and the fact that such directions have been given them is noted upon their diagnosis tags. Other slightly wounded, able to walk, are, after like treatment, immediately directed to the rear in command of their highest-ranking officer or soldier. Generally they are sent to the station for slightly wounded. At the dressing station only such operations are per formed as may be immediately required to save life or to render the patients fit for fur ther transportation. The rules to be followed generally are that no operative or other in terference should be attempted under condi tions unfavorable for asepsis or antisepsis and also that no wounded for whom trans portation is available should be delayed at the dressing station. Conditions in these respects vary widely in different battles.
The ambulances and wagons remain far ther to the rear than the dressing station (usually in proximity to some unit or station through which communication with division headquarters may be maintained) until it is practicable to determine a line of evacuation for the wounded. As soon as the dressing
station is established and the location of the field hospital is determined a safe route for the ambulance service between these two es tablishments is sought and when found the ambulances advance to begin the removal of wounded from the dressing station. The wagons of the ambulance company, carrying a reserve of dressings, remain at a field hos pital whence the supplies are sent forward by ambulances returning to the dressing station. Ambulances must reach the station as early as possible even at the risk of losses. Ordi narily ambulances carry wounded only from the dressing station to the nearest field hos pital, immediately returning to the former. During the daytime when a battle is still in progress it is rarely possible for ambulances or other wheeled vehicles to advance farther to the front than the dressing station. Op portunity to have them do so will sometimes occur at night, and on the conclusion of an engagement they should always be used as far as may be at all points on the battlefield. Should it be impossible to evacuate the wounded at a dressing station before it is closed or moved, by reason of retreat or other wise, the commanding officer of the ambu lance company leaves with the wounded ac cording to their number and condition suffi cient medical personnel and supplies to pro vide for their immediate necessities, and ad vances or withdraws with the division the remainder of the personnel and equipment.