A VISIT TO THE PURVEYOR'S DEPARTMENT.
Amidst the glare aval roar ol'great, battles and the brilliance of tremendous campaigns developing all tin! resources of some master mind and tlie majesty of tome brute ibive; when the laurels are being showered about, and the trumpets being blown in front of the so-called great man, there are one or two humble retiring unroniantic but most hard-working subordinates that must never relax their duties, but in rain mid shine, victory or defeat, continue their exertions, anil wiliiout whom no armv of warriors, however splendid or romantic, could continue their career for a day.—and who yet never come in for any of the glory, and by many are never even hoard of; seldom mentioned in despatches, and never mentioned as maintv instrumental in any great success. We ailinfe to those greatest of all contributors to victory— when eliicienl —the Commissariat and its branch Otlicers, —the men « ho bring the gorgeous fighting man his food when he wants it, or bis blankets when he must lie down—and his tent to cover him.—who are waiting ready to carry him into hospital if lie is wounded or sick, and tenderly minister to all his requirements with every comfort he would find in the best hospital in London, even if he should happen to be at the uttermost parts of the earth —delicacies tor his languid palate—stimulants tor bis exhausted frame—cleanliness for his fever-heated body, and cooling soothing draughts—stretchers to convey him from the field of battle to where are waiting him every form of' ease giving bed or bandage, or bath or lotion for whatever hurt he may be stricken with. All these wait upon the soldier in whatever part he may be, and coutribute more than anything to his strength,
the want of them in fact paralysing him and rendering him as harmless as a starving baby. But where are the laurels for General Beef or General Boer or Marshal Thinking thus, 7.-e prepared to see over the stores of one of these brr.iiL'iies of that many headed monster,, a British Army, namely, the Purveyor's Department at Barrack Sqtinre, nmi seeing this,, only one auxiliary dcrnrtineut of a small foreo detached t'roin the main army of J'ngland. one ce's a good idea of tlie scale on which war is m.'."Hied now-a-days. The Purveyor's Department :■-■ !he l'ranch of the Commissariat providing all requisites tor die hospitals, exceptingmedicines, trinr. the liecf-tea and jelly or port wine down to the -hist-pans and the slippers — from a medical comf-vt box containing every requisite for tin , aid ;!i;-l comfort of the sick and wounded of a whole raiment, down to a quarter-pint physic niii; lor Private John>mith ii> take Ins dose oi'M'ima from, or a combi" comb Private John Smith's tangled hair wi:h when h ,, requires it. Kiueriug :he Priiires-s'.ircr gate of the Bnr--v.'rk yard, one Mnis .-lightiy to the right, aud ilic -itU" •>'•' thf MjKare ,-i-oria building, ilia! i< nii-.v tin* Miiit >ry Hospital, one turns into a small door and enters the lower part of the. I'lrl'inc. Here. unce:v]iio!ii...u>ly crowded away, is liirthe ] re.-ent thi; indispensable and most, H-lniira'nle dej'iin.-iie::: ~f j)... urinary service, so c\cr!i.'iit;y iiiaiiagi it In - lr.de Burgh Adams. Such demands tor space never 1 u-in anticipated in lliis country, of course ureal inconvenieuee is experienced liv -imre than one uf the departmcir.s of tlie service in Auckland, and amongst; the number is tiie .Purveyor's Department, which is thus obliged to make shift with the. celierage ot' the Hospital lor its stores of so many various kinds of delicate and fragile articles—its otliecs wliere so much work has to l>-.' done, aud its should-l e (for they are in this instance purely imaginary) private rooms of the head ot' the department. Kn'ering the ion - , massive, narrow, stouo apartments, one sees before one. apparently tho most incongruous collection of articles imaginable, covering the "alls, piling the centre, heaped in every available inch ot' space, and even bursting out ot' the doors and windows, siieh is the want of room. Along tho walls rows of wanning pans, dust pans, brooms, brushes, mops, are hanging: underneath stand heaps of pail-, lining one iusi !•• another, rows of jars of disiufe'ti .5 fluid, \ ::■■':< e;s of every conceivable form of b.;th for d if. ivnt limbs or parts of the body: bottles of fani.liar, jolly old London porter, in regiments 01 hundreds, ready tn strengthen any man. woman, or child tha; may require stivimtli. Port and she'ny keep ii)) a kind ot' select st ili' dignity, away in a corner there ; and ah ng shelves stand rows of but ties of desiccated niiik—bland and benign and comforting as so many old cows. In the centre are i-raies of every description of crockery wan , , from plates, di.-hes. and wash-hand-hasins. down to blood porringers, to catch the blood of the unhappy wounded. Heaps of blankets, counterpanes, and sheets ; heaps of hospital suits of rlorhcs, piles of boots, tons of potted and pre.-erved meals, soups, jellies; tables even of forms adapted to the reclining bed-ridden sick mm : great easv arm-chairs lor pan- 11.aimed l-ilo\\s to recline easily in; every chamber convenience of the newest forms, to ensure comfort, scrupulous cleanliness, and saving of trouble : trays for hospital attendants, sponges, flesh brushes, water-proof blankets tor field hospitals, stretchers, water-beds, and even the slationerv readv printed in forms for the most conveni'ent method of keeping account ••!' all that i< distributed. The gcntleiiir.n who kindly guided us throu-h the whole of the >io!-es, then pointed out .several of the nioro remarkable subjects tor observation, and showed us afior.vards their practical application in the lii'spiliil above. The lir.-t of ihes. , is the dryrnliber, made um> of in damp weather in tho wards, instead of the Usual scrubbing with soap and water. The implement mane u e. of is a very bard short-hauvd broad sc: übl'ing-brush, on the to;> oi' which is ii\ed si heavy iron weight. This i~. then, used without water, tho weight driving the short still' br.sties- into the gram of the uood, and removing every particle of dirt as e i'e«-Hi:iily as the most vigorously applied legitimate scrubipiiig. The many forms of baths tor limbs next attracted our attention. I'oep teie.-copic-lookiiii: leg b:iths : small portable arm Imt to be worn in a sling, like tho senium of a broken arm : and others of too extensive a variety to admit of more than this passing notice. Then, inspecting the clothing anil dietary stores, and enquiring how they weie distributed, we heard (hat a man coming into the hospital gives up his clothes, money, and property of any kind into tl.e hands of a a man appointed to take charge vl' them, ami they are then locked in a room especially appointed for them. lie is then provided wnli a hospital suit from the stores. Bed, bedding, and every chamber convenience, including, if he be too ili to sit up, a small tray thai tits ,-i' Toss his i-hr.-l uiihoiit touching him, and holds hi.- food close to his lace. The. dietary to: (he whole number ot patients is issued in bulk by the purveyor-slew.ird to the wardmasters, by whom it is divided into each room's allowance, and then again divided by attendants into each patient's share. There are trays divided into compartments on which the attendants can carry round every description of food separalelv. so keeping every individual's particular form'of diet apart from that ol'others ; and other iravsoi'a similar description for the medicines or surgical requirements. J-or the outposts, a purve;. or's-stcw ard is appointed, who is generally a sergeant in the Army Hospital Corps, ami to him the purveyor's Mores are sent in small quantities only at a time, but as often as required, and an oliicer of the department pays periodical visils to every Maiion to .see that all uocs riylit. The Commissariat liuds conveyance tor all stores, and the Held hospital draws upon tin- piirvevur's stores for all that is needed from its branch, giving a receipt in the form of a banker's cheque, oa which there is in tho same, way attached a counterfoil, one-half thus beiir; signed by the issuer and die other by tho receiver. Particularly ingenious provision for field service is the Medical Comfort Box, in which every thine from the purveyor's stores, necessary for a regiment of men, is issued. This is a largo square chest, about l> feel high, and 2 feet l> inches square, with drawers, and divided into a large number of compartments of different sizes, lilted some of them with lids, aud lined with tin or sheet lead. These are adapted for everything 1 have mentioned as included in the necessaries, and comforis, issued by the Purveyors' Department. Arrowroot, soups, jellies, flour, medicines, preserved meats, surgical instruments, wine, spirits, and, in fact, everything likeiy to be required on an emergency. It all shuts in with an outer jid. and is transportable anywhere. The hospital is now filled, and, therefore, outside is a larje hospital marquee — siiowin" how complete i:i:iv b" the comfort obtainable in one of them—made of double cloth, with proper ventilators, lilted u;i with waterproof carpeltim;. and in every way dry and warm, it struck one as beinneveii more comfortable than the wards of the stone building, this is b-'ini: erected a new large kitchen and abiutionro.Hii. in which such patients as areable mav m-ji*li themselves thoroughly, without being exposed Up me weather, or spilling water about the wards. Around are some young trees, growin;,' rapidly into a pleasant shade. These have been planted by the patients, when strolling about in the delicious idleness of a man recovering from illness. Sitting at the door of the hospital, in one of the large, soft easy-chairs provided from the store of the department, was. a poor fellow whose leg had been amputated about midthigh, lie had been shot at Kangiriri, aud is_ now recovering sufficiently to bo in ""ant ol
the air. Sitting there, ia his easy-chair, propped up, and as comfortable as you cnn call n poor fellow in his rirrumstimuei', his pule fact , spoke volunirs.—snd no better cor.i'nientarv could have In , ™ offered upon the nieaninLT and riorkinir of die IVinevors' Pepartmont.
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 115, 26 March 1864, Page 3
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1,698A VISIT TO THE PURVEYOR'S DEPARTMENT. New Zealand Herald, Volume I, Issue 115, 26 March 1864, Page 3
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