SWISS MILITARY LAW.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1502, 26 July 1912, Page 5

SWISS MILITARY LAW.

PROFESSOR ROGET ON HOSPITAI' : ■ AND AMBULANCE SERVICE.

At the London School of Economics anJ Political Sck'iico on May 29, Professor liogct, of tUo University of Geneva, delivered his concluding lecture on Swiss Military Law. entitled "Hospital and Ambulance Seivico: tho Red Cross." ■ Tho most striking feature in the discourse was tho lucid demonstration which Professor Rogot gave of tho harmonious way in \vhich the military and civil medical authorities wovk together, and how inseparably .they, are interwoven. In-the time of war each has its appointed duties and fiinotioiis to-perform; the military section being stationed immediately behind the.lino of fire; and tho civil at tho extreme roar, and some.considerable distance from tlie scene of action; The duties of the. military'consist of render-., ing first aid on tho battleiieJd, staunch* ing tho i blood of tho wounded, providing.. -. thenr with suitable refreshment,, and their" placing them in a position of safety, — there to await tho arrival of the ambitlance wagon, which conveys'them to the rear, where they are.handed,oxer, to,,tho custody of the civil doctor*. , * and nurses. They arc then conveyed to an impro*-- ■ vised field hospital, and after the nature of their injuries has b«n ascertained,--.* are dispatched by train to civil hospital "_!: centres. Professor Rogeb explained minutely how carefully, every detail of (hi?, elaborate schonio has boon considered, 'but ho-admitted that it had only been devised to apply to a war wasted within the Republic of Switzerland, and that if a" ". campaign was carried into the cneriiy'T '•' country ho was not prepared to claim that tho system would necessarily prove successful. ' .......... ..■». Every soldier in tTijo medical department s \. ■' of tho Swiss Army, whether ho intends to lwcomo an officer or not,"is obliged to' I ' , - , •enlist as a private. Ho serves forty days as a rearuit and attends a hospital course •■..-• of instruotiou for ft further period ■■ of . twenty days; boiii? under-Mus.control of the Physician-in-Chief. The. latter select!-.,, ... suitable mon for promotion, who then ' ■;' serve their firet' lorni of.command'wilh *■' tho troops as non-eouimiesioiied officers. Thoso who display tho recoivo a further couise of instruction"for forty-fivo days, when they take command ns lioutennnts; but it is oblicahu-y that they also hold tho Swiss Medical Sciiool certificate ns physicians, GurgcoiiA, or - • ohpiniete, before they are promoted to v '' this ra.uk, A captain is called upon 1n : ■ undergo a further course of <=pt>cinlif(>d' instruotion extending over fifty days.