lirigade Surgeons,
 GENERAL ORDERS, )   HEADQUARTER?:, ARMY OF THE POTOMAC,
      No. 20.      \                     Washington, October 3, 18(11.
   The following regulations respecting the duties of Brigade Surgeons
 are published for the government of all concerned :
   1.  The Brigade Surgeons will frequently inspect the police, cooking,
 clothing, and  cleanliness  of the camps and  men in their respective
 Brigades ; the position and condition of  the sinks, the drainage of the
 camp grounds, the ventilation  of the tents,  &c,  making  written
 reports  to the Brigade commanders whenever, in their opinion, any
 errors in these respects  require  correction, and sending duplicates of
 these reports to the Medical Director of the Army.
   2.  They will see that the Medicines, Hospital Stores, Instruments,
 and Dressings of the several Regimental Surgeons are kept constantly
 sufficient in quantity, in good  order,  and always  ready for active
 service.
   3.  They  will collect from  the several  Regimental Surgeons, and
 transmit, every Saturday morning,  to the Medical Director, a  copy of
 their morning Report made to  the  commanding  officer of  their Regi-
 ment, and will accompany these  with remarks showing the character
 of the principal diseases prevailing.
   4.  They will promptly report to the Medical Director all  changes  in
 station,  or location, of themselves, or of any of the medical officers  in
 their Brigades, with the number, date, and authority of the order by
 which such  changes were made.
   5.  They will inspect carefully all  men receiving certificates of dis-
 ability for discharge, and, if they approve, they will countersign such
 certificates.
   6.  1 he hospital  attendants, to the number of ten men to a Regiment,
 and  the Regimental Bands, will be assembled under the supervision
 of the Brigade Surgeons, and will be drilled one hour each day, except
Sunday,  by  the Regimental Medical officers,  in setting up and dis-
 mantling the  hand stretchers, litters,  and ambulances ; in handling
men  carefully,  placing them upon  the litters and ambulance beds,
putting them  into the ambulances, taking them out, etc.; carrying
men upon the hand stretchers, (observing that the leading bearer steps 
2
off with the left foot, and  the rear bearer with the  right;) in short,
everything that can render this service effective and the most comfort-
able for the wounded who are to be transported.
  6. Brigade Surgeons will see that the orders of the  Commanding
General, in relation to  the uses to which ambulances are  to bo applied,
are  strictly obeyed, and they will report  promptly to  the Brigade
Commanders all infractions of these orders.
  7. Whenever a skirmish or affair of outposts occurs, in which any
portion of  their Brigades  is engaged, they will  see that the  ambu-
lances  and Etretchers properly manned  with  the  drilled men  are in
immediate  readiness and  attendance to bring off  the wounded ; and
that-the Regimental Medical Officers are at their posts, with their
instruments, dressings,  and hospital knapsacks in complete order, and
ready for immediate use, so that no delay may occur  in rendering the
necessary surgical aid to the wounded.
  8. They  will report  in writing to  the Medical  Director,  within
twenty-four hours after any affair with the enemy, the  name, rank,
and regiment of each of the wounded, the nature and situation of the
wound, and the surgical means adopted in the case.
  9. Brigade Surgeons will  be  held responsible  that   the hospital
service in their Brigades is kept  constantly effective and in readiness
for any emergency.  No remissness in this respect will be tolerated or
overlooked.
  By  command of Major  General McClellan:
                                  S. WILLIAMS,
                                       Assistant Adjutant General.
  Official :                         g      ^


                           Aide-de-Camp.

  Note.—The Medical Director desires that exsection of the shoulder
and elbow joints shall be resorted to in preference to amputation, in
all  cases  offering  a reasonable  hope of success,  and that Pirigoff's
operation at the ankle  should be preferred to Chopart's, or to ampu-
tation  above the ankle, iu cases  that might admit of a choice.