It may be that the story is a little sombre, and possibly on occasions gruesome; but war, as viewed from the standpoint of a field hospital, presents little that is cheery.

It appears that some interest might attach to an account of the manner in which our wounded faced their troubles, and of the way in which they fared, and under the influence of that impression this imperfect sketch has been written.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER

  1. [The Field Hospital]
  2. [Frere Camp]
  3. [The Hospital Dog]
  4. [The Morning of Colenso]
  5. [The Hospital under the Ridge]
  6. [Inside an Operation-Tent]
  7. [The Surgeons of the Field Hospitals]
  8. [A Professional Visit by Rail]
  9. [The Hospital Train at Colenso]
  10. [The Nurses at Chieveley]
  11. [Some Traits in the Men]
  12. [The Sign of the Wooden Cross]
  13. [The Men with the Spades]
  14. [The Marching]
  15. [Spearman's Farm]
  16. [The Hospital at Spearman's]
  17. [The Two White Lights]
  18. [After Spion Kop]
  19. [The Story of the Restless Man]
  20. ["Did We Win?"]
  21. [The Fighting Spirit]
  22. [The Body-Snatchers]
  23. [Seeing Them Off]
  24. [A Funeral at Spearman's]
  25. [Absent-Mindedness]
  26. [At Chieveley Again]
  27. [A Journey to Ladysmith]
  28. [A Straggler]
  29. [How a Surgeon Won the Victoria Cross]
  30. ["SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MUNDI"]

THE TALE OF
A FIELD HOSPITAL

I

THE FIELD HOSPITAL

The Field Hospital, of which some account is given in these pages, was known as "No. 4 Stationary Field Hospital." The term "stationary" is hardly appropriate, since the Hospital moved with the column, and, until at least the relief of Ladysmith, it followed the Headquarters' camp. The term, however, serves to distinguish "No. 4" from the smaller field hospitals which were attached to the various brigades, and which were much more mobile and more restless.

At the commencement of the campaign the capacity of the Hospital was comparatively small. The officers in charge were Major Kirkpatrick, Major Mallins, and Lieutenant Simson, all of the Royal Army Medical Corps. These able officers--and none could have been more efficient--were, I regret to say, all invalided as the campaign progressed.