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
