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The Tale of a Field Hospital
Excerpt from The Tale of a Field Hospital
In this little book some account is given of a field hospital which followed for three months the Ladysmith Relief Column, from the time, in fact, that that column left Frere until it entered the long-beleaguered town. The fragmentary record is based upon notes written day by day on the spot. Some of the incidents related have been already recounted in a series of letters published in the British Medical Journal, and certain fragments of those letters are reproduced in these pages, or have been amplified under circumstances of greater leisure.
The account, such as it is, is true.
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 appeared 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.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
In this little book some account is given of a field hospital which followed for three months the Ladysmith Relief Column, from the time, in fact, that that column left Frere until it entered the long-beleaguered town. The fragmentary record is based upon notes written day by day on the spot. Some of the incidents related have been already recounted in a series of letters published in the British Medical Journal, and certain fragments of those letters are reproduced in these pages, or have been amplified under circumstances of greater leisure.
The account, such as it is, is true.
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 appeared 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.
About the Publisher
Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com
This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.
- GenresHistory
156 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1886
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About the author
Frederick Treves
165 books7 followersSir Frederick Treves, Bt, GCVO, CH, CB, LL.D, FRCS
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 25, 2012
I have an interest in Andrew Barton (Banjo) Paterson (1864-1941), an Australian poet and adventurer. He was a war correspondent in 1899, during the second Boer War. I have, therefore, developed an interest, during my readings, of the Boer War. Recently, I played Frederick Treves in a professional stage production of THE ELEPHANT MAN. Hence, I was surprised and delighted to discover that Frederick Treves was also in South Africa during the Boer War and wrote this detailed account of the time that he was attached to a Field Hospital.
OK - Take into account my serious interest in the Boer War and my attachment to the historical figure of Frederick Treves. You might choose to 'mellow' my account with this consideration. HOWEVER, I was enthralled with the reading of this book. The detail of conducting a war (and tending to the wounded and dying) over a hundred years ago, when an Ambulance was a cart drawn by mules, was not only interesting historically but was, moreover, beautifully and sensitively written.
Treves spends time describing the terrain and the environments that the 'mobile' Field Hospital found itself in. He also goes to lengths to describe the character of the British soldier, his condition during the war and, in particular, his reactions during the crisis of being wounded and attending the Field Hospital.
I would have to say that the most sensitive coverage (and my favourite Chapter) applies to a funeral service for a small number of officers and men who had died at the hospital. Frederick Treves' references to the onlookers are particularly insightful.
This book is a gem. It was very much by chance that I happened across it and I consider that to be a very happy accident. A Highly Recommended read.
OK - Take into account my serious interest in the Boer War and my attachment to the historical figure of Frederick Treves. You might choose to 'mellow' my account with this consideration. HOWEVER, I was enthralled with the reading of this book. The detail of conducting a war (and tending to the wounded and dying) over a hundred years ago, when an Ambulance was a cart drawn by mules, was not only interesting historically but was, moreover, beautifully and sensitively written.
Treves spends time describing the terrain and the environments that the 'mobile' Field Hospital found itself in. He also goes to lengths to describe the character of the British soldier, his condition during the war and, in particular, his reactions during the crisis of being wounded and attending the Field Hospital.
I would have to say that the most sensitive coverage (and my favourite Chapter) applies to a funeral service for a small number of officers and men who had died at the hospital. Frederick Treves' references to the onlookers are particularly insightful.
This book is a gem. It was very much by chance that I happened across it and I consider that to be a very happy accident. A Highly Recommended read.
May 7, 2021
3.5 | Extremely outdated language for certain things, but I suppose that's to be expected from a book by a white guy written that long ago (although obviously not okay). Other than that it flowed pretty well and was easy to read. I'm normally not too crazy about this genre/topic of book, but I found it to be pretty interesting. Overall it was a nice, enjoyable read.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews