but must rally to the support of liberty and equality — liberty and equality in the old-fashioned sense.

The equality of our fathers may be an old-fashioned institution, but it is not nearly so old-fashioned as the institution of private property or the institution of marriage. And as those who value our civilization will do nothing to render private property insecure; as those who value the family will do nothing to weaken the institution of marriage; so those who value personal liberty and popular government will do nothing to impair or destroy equality.

THE HARVARD UNIT, R.A.M.C. (1)1

BY HUGH CABOT, '94, C.M.G., LIEUTENANT-COLONEL, R.A.M.C.
FORMER OFFICER COMMANDING No. 22 GENERAL HOSPITAL, B.E.F.

THE closing months of 1917 found the Harvard Unit still carrying

on at No. 22 General Hospital, B.E.F., but far stronger and more efficient than at any previous period. During the fighting season of 1917 wider opportunities had been available to the officers to see service in Forward Areas. Three or four "Surgical Teams" had been "up the line" constantly from about the middle of July until the close of fighting in December. This not only gave a wider and rounder experience to the operating surgeons, but enabled the other members of these teams the anesthetists and the team sisters to get an insight into the handling of casualties at Forward Stations and thereby a perspective which enabled them to carry out their work on L. of C. (2)

The practice of drawing "Surgical Teams" from the General Hospitals on L. of C. in anticipation of increased pressure during heavy fighting was essentially a development of 1917. Tried on a small scale in the previous year on the Somme, it was clearly demonstrated that the only method of meeting the tremendous pressure during heavy fighting was to move officers in this way up to the C.C.S.'s (3), and

thus not only increase the amount of work done there but to a considerable extent relieve the strain upon the hospitals farther back. The credit for this development belongs entirely to Major General Sir Anthony Bowlby, Chief Surgical Consultant of the British Expeditionary Force, on the whole the most remarkable medical officer whom it was our fortune to meet in France. A very senior man, one of the older surgeons at "Barts," he had seen service in the Boer War as a Consultant and brought to the problems of this war not only a knowledge of war surgery from the point of view of an experienced civil surgeon, but also a very profound understanding of human nature in general and of general officers in particular. The position of Surgical Consultant in the British Army, and I take it in all other armies, is rather ill-defined, his function being to be familiar with existing conditions in his areas and to suggest methods of improvement. The weakness of his position lies in the fact that he has no power to enforce changes that he thinks desirable nor in fact any important ability to give orders at all. His power, such as it is, depends upon his ability to persuade the executive medical officer to whose staff he is attached of the desirability of change. This has often largely limited the usefulness of surgical consultants, as in their proper desire to avoid friction they have failed to get action. In spite, however, of these handicaps, which bear quite as heavily upon the Chief Surgical Consultant as upon his more humble brethren, Sir Anthony Bowlby was a real power. A most charming gentleman, an optimist in the highest sense of the word, a raconteur of exceptional ability, a surgeon of remarkable soundness, he rarely failed to persuade those whose business it was to give the necessary orders that the changes or requirements which he suggested would be desirable. His general method of procedure was to circulate widely through the Stations in the Forward Areas talking to everybody, picking up miscellaneous information with due regard to its availability for engaging stories, and generally acquainting himself with the problems. In pursuit of knowledge he would often wander widely around L. of C., gossiping with the surgeons, lunching at the messes, at which he was always a most welcome guest, and finally returning to G.H.Q., where having come to his own conclusions, he would lay them before the D.G. (4) in so convincing a manner as to command attention always, and support as a rule. But his effect upon the Army Medical Service did not rest wholly upon his ability as an organizer or his skill as consultant. The work of any organization like the R.A.M.C. depends not a little upon its state of mind, on what may

perhaps be covered by that much abused word "morale." Sir Anthony came and went, often with precipitate haste, but leaving behind him an aroma of optimism and cheerfulness mixed with an increased desire to work, largely based upon delicate suggestions which he would let drop merely as obiter dicta in the course of conversation of what Soand-so was doing at such and such a Station. No matter how badly things might be going, in fact he always radiated optimism. Of the many British officers to whom the Harvard Unit is indebted, none will, I think, rank so high or remain so long in our memories, as Sir Anthony Bowlby. He early recognized that here was a source of energy, of reasonable skill, and of great desire to work, and he supplied many opportunities, which would not have otherwise been available for broader experience both for officers and nursing staff.

Thus after fighting quieted down in 1917, No. 22 General may be said to have had a first-class experience and to be well equipped for the heavy strain to which it was even then evident that the British Line was certain to be subjected during the succeeding and what proved to be the final year of the War. In December, 1917, Officers Commanding Units on L. of C. were advised from G.H.Q. that the British Army in France had been seriously depleted in the fighting of that year, that it was considerably outnumbered even at that time, that German divisions were coming from the Eastern Front in increasing numbers, and that every effort should be used to keep in France every available man who might otherwise have been evacuated to England and to leave no stone unturned to bring him into a state of reasonable fitness by the early spring. Units stationed on L. of C. were combed out thoroughly of all men who could be used for fighting purposes; and their places filled with older men or men unfit for active service on account of previous wounds.

The winter of '17-'18 was the mildest of the War, a fact which, though it probably diminished the incidence of sickness in the armies and therefore to that extent increased the number of men available for the spring fighting, was unfavorable to the Allies in that the Germans were able to move troops freely behind their lines in areas which ordinarily would have been impassable on account of mud during this season and were able to stage their first heavy drive on the British lines more than a month earlier than would have been possible under ordinary conditions.

The Unit was fortunate in acquiring early in 1918 the services of Captain (afterwards Major) O'Connor, a young British officer who