The German ambulance somewhat resembles our Greenleaf model, being slightly heavier, and carries four inside, two outside, beside driver, so arranged as to receive the field stretchers, which are all of one model and all the same size. Four of these stretchers, each bearing a wounded man, can be pushed into the after end of the ambulance, two on the bottom and two on steel tracks above.

NOTE.-Ambulance built with a perch so to permit four wheels to turn almost at right angles.

Litters.-Wooden frame, iron ends to keep the two wooden poles rigidly apart, canvas slung between; these are light, strong, and not destructible, so arranged that if necessary the patient can be taken directly from the field upon the litter; it forms a bed for him in the hospital, and, if desired, also a berth for him in the train for wounded. Field hospitals.-Tentage is small in amount, requisition to quarters in the nearest village being always used, the Germans have a saying that "their worst quarters are better than the best bivouac," so they never use canvas when they can get the tight roof of a house. Their canvas is linen, heavier than ours, wall tent in shape, and about the size of ours. Each hospital tent is provided with a double fly; also with poles at the corners as well as front and rear; also poles to every second seam at the sides; these are all very strongly guyed to large pegs or stakes that are shod with iron and have an iron band at the top to keep them from spreading. There are no cots with field hospital equipment. The cases are cared for on canvas stretchers or straw. Blankets, night shirts, etc., are furnished. Commodes, tables, washstands, pans, spit cups, etc., are generally of metal, a great deal of enameled ware being used. Cooking and messing arrangements are entirely in charge of the intendant, the medical officer not having this responsibility. The cooking is in kettle, and the same dietary is attempted as for the sick and very sick in general hospital.

First aid to the wounded.-Exactly the same as with us, the firstaid packet being almost identical. Each company has with it in the firing line the first-aid packets in the pockets of the men; these men having been previously instructed by the lazareth's helfer in method of application. This instruction is given by a medical officer to the lazareth's helfers.

NOTE.-Lazareth's helfer about the equivalent of our hospital steward or sergeant.

These lazareth's helfers instruct the enlisted men, there being one with every company.

Medical chests, panniers, and other field appliances.-The medical chests are identical with our own. Sterilizing apparatuses, bandage packages, dressings, orderly pouches, greatly resemble our own models. The medicine wagon" which accompanies each regiment is fourwheeled, front wheel cut under to turn at right angle, two men outside; opens in the rear with two doors; contents stored in drawers and lockers.

Contents.-Surgical instruments enough for operation; full supply of medicines for a regiment of 3,000 men; dressings; bandages; gauze; sterilizing apparatus; a small biological laboratory for making cultures, etc.; apparatus for examination of water; scales and weights for dispensing outfit; in fact, is a compact, thoroughly equipped apothecary shop and surgery.

Disinfectants. These are only used in hospital, not in barracks. As there are no sinks in barracks and no plumbing of any sort connected with the sleeping quarters no disinfectants are used, and the sinks are kept clean by scrubbing and thorough flushing with water, hired civilian scavengers doing the work. In the field, as no command is ever kept more than one day on the same ground, no disinfectant is here necessary, everything being buried and burned.

Sanitary rules and regulations.-They are issued by the line and enforced by the line.

NOTE. See "Ordmung fur den deutschen armee" sanitats corps.

All regulations regarding light, air, clothing, bedding, water, bathing facilities originate in the staff department in Berlin and are carried by the captains of the companies. There is a saying of a company, The captain is the father and the first sergeant is the mother." This will explain that the line officer looks after his men and sees to their personal cleanliness.

Sanitary appliances.-Water is not boiled and is not filtered, but all water before used at any barracks is carefully analyzed by the medical officer, and when troops are to be quartered in a town the water of that town is examined before the troops are sent there. There are no disinfectant arrangement for sinks except cleanliness and discipline. They are never in disorder. In barracks all garbage, grease, whatever scrap may come from ration, are carefully collected in large covered barrels and sold, the purchaser removing the same twice a day. In the field all refuse about a bivouac is carefully collected and burned.

Foot inspection.-The feet of the army are most carefully considered, each man's feet being inspected by one of his company officers, a medical officer, and the lazareth helfer at least twice a week in barracks, and oftener in active field maneuvers. The method of making this inspection is to form the companies in squads, standing upon tables or benches sufficiently high to bring the feet directly under the eye of the inspecting officer, and to bring under his observation any wincing or flinching when the inspected man jumps to the ground barefooted. The inspecting officer passes down the line, carefully examining the front of the feet and legs, which are bared to the knees, searching for strained tendons, blisters, improperly cut nails or untrimmed corns.

Having passed down the line, the men are about-faced and the tendoachilles carefully examined, and as they raise one foot and then the other the soles are inspected. As a man passes from the table or bench he leaps to the ground and runs to his shoes and stockings. This is to show any bruised soles or periostitis of the tarsus. Any case of blisters, improperly cut nails, teno-synovites are at once cared for by the lazareth helfer. More serious disorders are sent to quarters or hospital.

At the same time each man's socks or fuss-lappen and boots are carefully inspected as to the condition of cleanliness. As the infantry regiments average in marching a kilometer in ten minutes, being often pressed to a kilomeyre in from seven and one-half to eight minutes, each man carrying 60 pounds, this care of feet is most necessary. When tables or benches are not available, the trunk of a fallen tree or a block of stone are made use of..

Body inspection.-The entire body of every man is inspected every thirty days by a company officer and a medical officer, careful search being made for any heart lesions, hernia, venerial disorders, skin diseases, eczemas, etc. This is in order that any physical defect may be carefully noted, cared for, and reported that might be concealed by clothing or the improper modesty or willfulness of the enlisted

men.

Bivouac.-In bivouac the arrangement differs materially from our own. The German soldier and officer being provided only with a shelter tent, each man carries his own cover. The formation is by companies, by regiments, by brigades, much as our own. Ground is never occupied more than any consecutive twenty-four hours by any body of troops, fresh ground or bivouac always being found. Usually two men arrange to tent together. This being done, the one with the spade digs a trench 7 feet long by 4 feet wide, 6 inches to a foot deep. As ground for bivouac is always selected on the gentle slope of the hill, the foot of these "grabungs" is usually at the surface, while the head is considerably deeper.

The shelter tent is erected and spread out over the earth thrown up on each side and at the head, while the "grabungs" are filled in with straw, taken from the nearest stack, one bundle being allowed to each

man.

The fire trenches are dug as by accompanying plan and the food prepared as already described. The reason for this ditching and walling of the side of the tent is to keep out rain, water, and the cold wind. In fine weather or summer the shelter tent is never erected, the men sleeping upon it and their overcoats. Officers to the rank of colonel are tented in the same way as the men, there being no discrimination made. The colonel of the regiment and general officer have, however, a fly about the size of our three-seam wall canvas. officers' mess is prepared by their servants, with approximate simplicity to that of the men.

The

NOTE.-I must call attention to the new bakery wagon that was tried this year for the first time in active field maneuvers of the German army. It is a wagon, four wheels, 10 feet long, drawn by four horses, the body of which consists of a furnace arranged for a wood fire, over which is a corrugated sheet-iron oven, the heat from which is prevented from radiating by a paking between the two skins from powdered coral. This is so efficient that the outside of the oven will bear the touching of the hand without burning. In front is arranged a tank for the heating of water, used in the mixing of the dough, which mixing is done in a following wagon, where the loaves are shaped, placed upon boards, and prepared for the oven. capacity of these ovens is 80 loaves, baked ready for issue every hour and a half, at a speed upon the chausee of a kilometer in ten minutes.

The

The general effect of one of these wagons is that of an oval iron tank resting upon its short diameter, a smokestack at the forward upper end, a water tank in front, with stopcocks for drawing; fire box and doors at after end below, and doors for oven above. For fuller description, with drawing, I would respectfully call attention to the report of Major Allen, military attaché in Berlin. This mobile bread bakery has been tried with great success, and upon good roads in not too difficult country appears to give most excellent results. The old fixed oven is buried in sand, with a capacity of 100 loaves every hour and a half; but the necessity for transportation from the fixed oven to troops moving renders the oven upon wheels a matter much in discussion.

I would respectfully call attention to the accompanying photographs of the new wheeled stretcher, made of bent wood and for service with possibly one bearer. This was shown in the tenpelhoferfeld on July 28 and met with approving comment from the surgeongeneral and other medical officers of the German army. It is extremely light and, being made of wood steamed and bent, it is less liable to damage than stretchers made of several pieces. One bearer is able to transport with this machine over good ground as much as two bearers with the former modern stretcher.

I have been greatly aided in my work of studying and reporting upon the medico-military conditions of the German army in active field maneuvers by the able and courteous assistance of Captain Allen, our military attaché in Berlin; also by the executive ability of Mr. Jackson, our chargé d'affaires at the court of the German Empire.

Very respectfully,

JOHN MCG. WOODBURY, A. M., M. D., M. R. C. S.,
United States Commissioner,

Late Major and Chief Surgeon, U. S. V.