ion.

[Illustration: FIG. 3.--Tin Water-bottle for the march (Military
Equipment Company)]

This equipment was superfluous at the Base hospitals, but when in the
field with the troops proved very useful. In the early part of the
campaign I was able to do all my travelling by train, but later I
travelled by road only. I received the greatest kindness and help in
this particular. General Sir William Nicholson, Chief Director of
Transport, provided me with a buggy, a pair of horses, and a driver, and
Prince Francis of Teck, the Chief Remount Officer, selected a pony
suitable to my equestrian powers. The buggy proved a very great success;
the box seat carried my instruments and dressings, the front a 4-gallon
tin water-bottle for emergency operations, and the rear shelf my
personal belongings. The water-bottle was lent to me by the Portland
Hospital. (Fig. 3.)

The cart was able to cross any drifts or dongas, and when an engagement
was in progress was able to accompany the Ambulance wagons, so that I
had all my necessaries on the spot, even at the first dressing station.
In point of fact when with the Highland Brigade, on some occasions, we
did all necessary operations on the spot during the progress of
fighting; a most useful performance, since fighting on several days did
not cease till dark, and the evenings were much too cold to allow of
operations being done with safety to the patients. The great advantage
of the buggy was its lightness and smallness. On one occasion it
accompanied me between 500 and 600 miles without a single accident,
beyond the fact that one night I was relieved of both my horses by some
troopers whose own were worn out.

[Illustration: FIG. 4.--My Buggy on the veldt at Bloemfontein. (Photo by
Mr. Bowlby)]

With regard to the general health of the troops as subjects of surgical
wounds, I suppose a better class of patient could scarcely be found. The
men were young, sound, well set and nourished, and hard and fit from
exercise in the open air. Beyond this, in spite of the scarcity of
vegetables, a certain amount of fruit, rations of jam, and lime juice
made any sign of scurvy a rare occurrence--I never saw a case during the
whole of my wanderings. The meat was good, especially in the early part
of the campaign, when it was for the most part brought from Australia
and New Zealand, and we enjoyed the two collateral advantages of getting
plenty of the ice which had been used for the preservation o