Page 56
CHAPTER III (F),
38
65
(F.)—Action by Principal Medical Officer.
1. The Principal Medical Officer will at once arrange for the establishment of a dressing-station with the headquarters of each of the six Sections, and for the distribution to Sections of the officers and men of the Royal Army Medical Corps according to Tables B (i), B(vi), and B (vii) of Chapter II, and Table F (ii) below, and of the medical and surgical equipment in the annexed Table F (i). He will then proceed to organize base hospitals and to arrange for the assistance of the civil practitioners whose names are already noted.
2. The existing military hospitals would be supplemented by base hospitals in Victoria and Kowloon, the former in the three lower blocks of Victoria Barracks, and the latter in the southern blocks of the Whitfield Barracks, vacated by the companies on Sectional duty. Victoria Barracks will be equipped with 15 beds for officers, 92 for British soldiers, and 25 for Asiatic soldiers; total, 132 beds. The Kowloon Base Hospital will be equipped with 125 beds exclusively for Asiatics. The Government Civil Hospital will be utilized for the sick and wounded of the Chinese Coolie Corps.
3. The medical care of the sick will be carried on as at present by the Royal Army Medical Corps, who will proceed to their dressing stations, with the troops of the Sections to which they have been detailed. When this takes place, the civil medical practitioners whose names are noted will assist in looking after the sick and wounded in the base hospitals. Although the names of six medical practi- tioners are noted, it is not anticipated that anything like this number would be required; in fact the aid of civil practitioners will only be resorted to when an attack is imminent or is being made. The tables show the state of affairs if the station and base hospitals are filled to their full extent. As there will be at least thirty days of expectancy to one of attack, it would be absurd to permanently engage civil prac- titioners for what might prove hypothetical services.
4. A sufficient stock of medicines, medical appliances, &c., exists in the command for the sick and wounded estimated for.
5. On the general base hospitals being established, the wounded from the dressing stations would be transferred to them, and the ordinary sick would, as in peace-time, be sent to the station hospitals.
6. As the regimental stretcher-bearers would only be available for carrying the wounded out of action, dhoolies and coolie-bearers are provided in Table F (ii) for the longer transport, but would only be demanded as required.
7. In the event of one or more Sections being reinforced from other Sections or from the Reserves to meet a threatened formidable attack, special arrangements will at once be made by the Principal Medical Officer for supplementing the medical and surgical equipment in that Section.
Table F (i).-SURGICAL and Medical Equipment to be supplied to Sections.
Section.
1
Field Companion and
Water Bottle.
Surgical Haversack
and Water Bottle.
Field Fracture Box.
Field Tourniquets,
First Field Dressings.
10
50
10
50
10
50
10
50
10❘ 50
10
50
Total
4
6
6
60
300
As required.
Medical Comforts
Method of Quartering.
Remarks.
R.A. Barracks. Matshed, Lower
Belchers. In Sanitarium. Matshed, Wong- nei-Cheong. Office, R.E. Fore- man of Works. Canvas, Kowloon
city camp.
These articles will be carried to the various Sections by the de- tachments of the Royal Medical Corps, assisted, when necessary, by hired transport.
Page 56
Page 56
Page 56