Hospital Corps
UNITED STATES, a body of men attached to the United States army, whose duty it is to perform the duties connected with the field field hospital and ambulance service under officials of the Medical Department. The recruits belonging to to the corps are trained for the special services required of them, such as the giving of first aid to the wounded, the conveyance of stretchers and the handling of ambulances. While the members of the HOSPITAL SHIPS corps are given a certain amount of military instruction, and are subjected to the physical training of ordinary enlisted men, this is only given in view of emergencies, and they are not provided with arms. Military posts are all provided with units of the Hospital Corps, one non-commissioned officer to each four privates. During war these numbers are increased and regiments are accompanied by Hospital Corps detachments, with post surgeons, non-commissioned officers and privates in proportion to eventualities. The corps in war works in connection with the Red Cross, the Sanitary Service, and the other services having a common purpose, but the work is subdivided, so that there is no overlapping from the time the soldier is wounded till his removal to base hospital and home territory.