WORK IN THE ARMY 217 
The task was truly gigantic and the engineering and medical 
staffs of the zemstvos had to strain all their energies in order to deal 
effectively with the situation. The army authorities, for their part, 
became nervous and clamored for daily reports of what was being 
done. Meanwhile the railways found it impossible to give prompt 
delivery of the building materials, medical supplies, and equipment. 
Again, some of the sites assigned for the hospitals proved swampy, 
whilst others had no drinking water. To make matters still worse, 
the enemy’s air raids repeatedly destroyed whatever was being built. 
In spite of these difficulties, a number of huts were available by the 
beginning of March. The haphazard organization of the undertak- 
ing could not but leave its mark upon the work, which proved un- 
satisfactory in many respects; but at any rate food, shelter, and 
medical treatment had been provided for the wounded soldiers in 
places where but for these hastily created hutments, they would have 
been doomed to hunger and cold. The many serious difficulties which 
continually obstructed the execution of the plan made it necessary, 
it 1s true, for the army authorities gradually to reduce its scope, so 
that only 12,000 beds on the western front and 15,600 on the north- 
ern front were provided. 
Dental Hospitals. 
One of the services that the medical officers at the front took over 
and learned from the practice of the field detachments was the or- 
ganization of dental treatment. The first zemstvo dental clinic was 
opened as early as January 22, 1915, in connection with the dis- 
pensary of the northwestern front. The very large number of officers 
and men who traveled long distances to be treated suggested that it 
might be useful to bring the dental clinics within easy reach from 
the trenches. On February 1 the first dental hospital at the front 
began work, to be followed by five more. Each hospital consisted of 
a staff of four dentists, and had its own transport facilities consist- 
ing of two or three teams of horses for conveying the equipment. 
The patients were received in the field hospitals of the Zemstvo Un- 
ion or in the regimental hospitals, just behind the line of the 
trenches. Dental treatment was given twice a week, an arrangement 
which permitted the same surgeon to take care of a relatively large 
area. From the larger dental hospitals special flying squads were