WORK IN THE ARMY 211 
and sufferings of war with such marvellous courage and endurance, al- 
ways following the movements of our division under the most trying 
conditions.? 
Combating Epidemic Diseases. 
It was the business of the field detachments to keep in touch with 
the needs of the troops at the front. The nature of their operations, 
requiring light equipment and a high degree of mobility, made it 
impossible for them to create a permanent organization to protect 
the army from one of its worst enemies,—infectious disease. The 
army moved amidst a population part of which still clung to their 
homes, whilst others had already abandoned them, and offered a 
favorable field for the spread of disease. To isolate the army from 
all contact with the local population was, of course, impossible. If 
the health of the army was to be safeguarded, it was necessary to 
watch with great care the state of health of the civilian population 
and to take far-reaching measures of prevention in due time. With 
the retreat of the army in 1915 it became necessary to dig several 
new lines of trenches in the immediate rear. For this purpose thou- 
sands of men and women were sent to the front. To some extent they 
were recruited among the natives of Siberia, who were accustomed to 
altogether different conditions of life. These vast armies of laborers 
had to be provided with food and shelter, more or less tolerable 
sanitary conditions had to be created for them, and they had to re- 
ceive medical attendance. 
The authorities were only too well aware of the terrible danger 
threatening the army from infectious disease, and they offered no 
objection to the measures adopted by the Unions of Zemstvos and 
of Towns. The various army headquarters staffs were completely in- 
capable of solving these enormously difficult problems and therefore 
cordially welcomed the coéperation of the unions which submitted 
simple and practical proposals to the authorities. This sentiment 
inevitably spread from the army at large to the General Head- 
quarters, and the result was that the fight against epidemics in the 
war zone was officially entrusted to the Unions of Zemstvos and of 
Towns. 
The Union of Zemstvos endeavored to organize medical relief 
after the pattern of the medical establishment of the zemstvos in 
'2 Izvestia (Bulletin), No. 82, pp. 124-125.