The general hospitals, of which there were 27, were the only ones for troops returning from Europe. Twenty-two were in September 1918 completed, or nearly so. The total bed capacity in these general hospitals was about 20,000. It was planned to have one general hos pital for each of the 16 draft districts of the country, distributed so that sick and wounded soldiers could recover near home. Orthopedic hospitals were established at Washington. D. C., Baltimore, Md., and Colonia, N. J. There were neuropathic hospitals at Fort Porter, N. Y., and New York City.
The surgeon-general designated the follow ing 15 general military hospitals for the work of physical reconstruction: Walter Reed Gen eral Hospital, Washington, D. C.; General Hos pital No. 2, Fort Md.; General Hospital No. 3, Colonia, N. J.; General Hospital No. 6, Fort McPherson, Ga.; General Hospital No. 7, Roland Park, Baltimore (for the blind) ,• Gen eral Hospital No. 8, Otisville, N. Y.; General Hospital No. 4, Fort Porter, N. Y.; General Hospital No. 9, Lakewood, N. J.; General Hos pital No. 11, Cape May, N. J.; General Hos pital No. 16, New Haven, Conn.; General Hos pital No. 17, Markleton, Pa.; Letterman Gen eral Hospital, San Francisco, Cal.; United States Army Hospital, Fort Des Moines, Iowa; Plattsburg Barracks Hospital, Plattsburg Bar racks N. Y.; General Hospital, Fort Bayard, N. Ai.
No man was brought to this side as long as there was a reasonable chance of his being able to return to the firing line. Eighty-five per cent of all wounded were returned to the firing line in a comparatively short time. Fifteen per cent of the total sick and wounded were not able to return to the firing line within six months and they were classified and tagged in France according to wounds, sickness and dis ease, all located on arrival on this side and sent by train to the various general hospitals. Of the 15 per cent brought to the United States, one-third were later capable of some kind of military service. Of these, some were sent back to the firing line of trained for limited military service.
Those disabled to the extent that they were unfitted for further military service, if it was deemed desirable, were fitted again for their former employment; or if their injury pre cluded or circumstances indicated that change of occupation would be to their advantage, they were encouraged to take advantage after dis charge of the benefits afforded for vocational training by the Federal Board for Vocational Education, which had charge of the rehabilita tion, generally, of this class of ex-soldiers and sailors. It was recognized that a small group was and will be unfit for any work.
It was estimated that about 1 per cent of the men mobilized would be subjects for voca tion training; as the United States mobilized 4,000,000 men, there are 40,000 to retrain. Half
of the men susceptible of recuperation need medical rather than surgical care. Of the 20,000 surgical cases, about 2,000 are adismem Uerment)) cases, where there has been actual loss of arm, leg, hand or foot. Of the 2,000, about 250 have lost legs, and about 175 an arm or arms. , There were seven hospital trains in the United States. Each train was in charge of a transportation officer. In each train there was a convalescent capacity for 250 patients, and a bed patient capacity of 30. The trains were provided with every convenience and there were several types of coaches, kitchen cars, din ing cars and unit car for the staff. On occasion. special coaches were provided for disabled re turning soldiers to be attached to passenger trains. There were six hospital boats, ready with picked crews and nurses.
Staffs of hospitals were administrative and professional. The commanding officer in charge of a general hospital was a colonel or lieutenant-colonel of the Medical Corps. He had, as adjutant, a major of the Medical Corps whose staff of 17 includes sergeant, privates and civilian employees. The registrar was a major or captain of the Medical Corps; he had a staff of nine sergeants and privates. The quartermaster was a major or captain of the Medical Corps; his staff of 61 included a cap tain or lieutenant of the Medical Corps (who was in charge of the hospital mess) and 60 sergeants, corporals and privates, and civilian employees. Officer of the day, Officer of the guard and chaplain completed the administra tive staff. Professional division— the chief of the medical service was a major and serving under him were two sergeants and two privates. The surgical service consisted of one major, one captain or lieutenant, one sergeant, four privates and five army nurses. In the wards there were 12 captains or lieutenants of the Medical Corps, 6 sergeants of the Hospital Corps, 70 privates, Hospital Corps, and 53 nurses of the Army Nurse Corps. In the lab oratory there was a captain or lieutenant of the Medical Corps, a sergeant first-class, two ser geants and four privates, all of the Hospital Corps. The dental service was in charge of one lieutenant of the Dental Corps, who had one private of the Hospital Corps as assistant. The nursing service comprised one• chief nurse, nine assistants and 53 nurses. One head nurse in each ward served eight hours daily and was on night duty one month in three. In each convalescent camp there was a captain or lieu tenant of the Medical Corps and one sergeant first-class, one sergeant and six privates, all of the Hospital Corps.