U. S. *'Afi DEPT. TECHNICAL MANUAL 8-450 7STESXNAKT AOMIN 1ST HAT I ON TM 8-450 WAR DEPARTMENT TECHNICAL MANUAL VETERINARY ADMINISTRATION May 1, 1941 TM 8-450 TECHNICAL MANUAL 1 No. 8^50 WAR DEPARTMENT. Washington, May 1, 1941. VETERINARY ADMINISTRATION Prepared under direction of The Surgeon General ' < Section I. General. Paragraph Purpose 1 Scope 2 Organization of Veterinary Corps 3 Functions of Veterinary Corps 4 Relation to other services 5 Responsibility for conducting veterinary serv- ice 6 Administration 7 Duties and titles of veterinary officers 8 II. Assignment and duties of personnel. Station service 9 Duties of senior veterinarian 10 Station veterinary detachments 11 Regimental veterinary service 12 III. Animal veterinary service. * Remount purchasing and breeding board 13 Shipment of animals 14 Veterinary health certificate 15 Receipt of animals 16 Veterinary sick call 17 Veterinary hospitals 18 Administration 19 Veterinary morning reports 20 Register and report of sick and wounded ani- mals 21 Veterinary statistical report 22 Veterinary sanitary report 23 Examination of officers’ mounts 24 Examination prior to inspection for condem- nation 25 Deaths of animals 26 Disposal of animal carcasses 27 303383°—41 1 1 TM 8-450 SURGEON GENERAL Section IV. Meat and dairy inspection. Paragraph General 28 Scope 29 Relationship with other Federal inspection agencies 30 Kinds of food supplies inspected- 31 Classification of inspections 32 Station inspection service 33 Administration 34 Inspection prior to purchase 35 Rejection upon purchase 36 Storage 37 Disposal of deteriorated products 38 Inspection at issue 39 Spoilage : 40 Refrigeration 41 Milk and dairy inspection 42 Reports 43 Forage 44 Section I GENERAL Paragraph Purpose 1 Scope - 2 Organization of Veterinary Corps 3 Functions of Veterinary Corps 4 Relation to other services 5 Responsibility for conducting veterinary service 6 Administration 7 Duties and titles of veterinary officers 8 1. Purpose.—In common with all Army officers, the veterinary officer has certain general duties and responsibilities that devolve upon him when he accepts a commission. In addition, he has his specific duties as a veterinary officer. While it is true that the Veterinary Corps is a part of the Medical Department and is governed by many of the same factors and regulations, there are administrative practices and relationships that are peculiar to the veterinary service. A knowl- edge of the latter is essential in order that the veterinary officer may approach his particular duties with confidence. With this knowledge 2 TM 8-450 1-4 VETERINARY ADMINISTRATION and confidence, he should be better able to adapt his professional learning to the conditions peculiar to the military service. 2. Scope.—It is not intended that this manual contain all the information regarding administration which is essential or desirable for a veterinary officer. It treats principally with the fixed or non- mobile military commands such as posts, camps, and stations. Pro- fessional responsibilities and relationships are stressed. An attempt has been made to explain the more essential administrative duties of veterinary officers, particularly those concerning animals and the in- spection of food. No attempt has been made to present the minute particulars of administration, often called “paper work.” These, if learned, are usually forgotten; also, circumstances demand changes in requirements from time to time. It is desired, however, to impress the officer with the reasons for rendering the more important records and reports, what they contain in general, and the responsibility of veterinary officers with reference thereto. Matters of administration that are common to all arms and services have been purposely omitted. Although certain Army Regulations are epitomized, this manual is not a complete abstract of them; neither will it replace Army Regulations as a reference for the accomplishment of records, reports, and returns while on active duty. Army Regulations governing the administra- tion of the veterinary service comprise the pamphlets in the 40-2000 series. 3. Organization of Veterinary Corps.—The National Defense Act, as amended, provides for a Veterinary Corps as a component of the Medical Department. The Veterinary Corps consists of commis- sioned officers only. Officers commissioned therein must be graduates of an acceptable college legally authorized to confer the degree of doctor of veterinary medicine or its equivalent. The enlisted per- sonnel who assist them belong to the Medical Department (veterinary service). This commissioned and enlisted personnel together consti- tute the veterinary service of the Army and is charged in peace and war with the duties falling under two definite heads; those that per- tain to the protection of the health of the animals of the Army and the preservation of their physical efficiency, and those concerned with the food supplies of animal origin that are supplied to troops. 4. Functions of Veterinary Corps.—a. Animals.—The veteri- nary service is responsible for investigating the hygiene and the sani- tary condition of the animals of the Army and making recommenda- tions with reference thereto; advising as to methods of animal management insofar as they concern animal health and efficiency; 3 TM 8-450 4-5 SURGEON GENERAL instructing military personnel in military animal sanitation and man- agement and horseshoeing; examination of forage when procured, in storage, and at issue; evacuation and care of sick and wounded ani- mals; physical examination of animals; management and control of veterinary military hospitals and all other veterinary units; and control, training, instruction, and assignment to duty of commissioned and enlisted personnel of the Medical Department belonging to the veterinary service. b. Food supplies.— (1) The veterinary service is responsible for investigating the quality and sanitary conditions of meats, meat-food, and dairy products used by the Army prior to and at time of pur- chase, while in storage, and at issue; the sanitary condition of estab- lishments, storehouses, freezers, refrigerators, refrigerating space in cars and ships, and other places in which such supplies are manu- factured, handled, stored, shipped, or issued; the sanitary condi- tion of dairies and milk herds supplying troops; and for making recommendations with reference thereto. (2) Insofar as this service deals with the ultimate purchase, receipt, and issue of designated food supplies by purchasing and issuing officers, it is closely involved with the responsibility of such officers that such supplies as they may handle shall comply with the speci- fications under which they are purchased, received, or issued. 5. Relation to other services.—a. Medical Department.—The dual nature of the functions of the veterinary service, concerning animals on one hand and human beings on the other, involves a close and definite relationship in the general service required of the Medi- cal Department. The veterinary service with animals and the medical service with humans proceed along parallel lines. The problems of sanitation and preventive medicine, control of preventable diseases, professional care of the sick, and administration of hospitals are analogous, as are the procedures prescribed and the means provided for their solution. While appropriately units in one department and administered under one head, The Surgeon General, the veter- inary and medical services are, in a technical sense, separate except as they may occasionally meet on the common ground of an animal disease which might possibly be communicable to man. The veter- inary service with humans, that is, that phase concerned with the examination of food supplies, is a direct extension of the sanitary service of the Medical Department as the latter is charged with responsibility in all matters concerning the protection of the health of troops. Proper coordination of its activities as a branch can 4 TM 8-450 5-6 VETERINARY ADMINISTRATION be assured only when there is but one representative of the Medical Department on the stalf of the commanding officer. Since all con- siderations involving the health of personnel are paramount, such staff duty logically devolves upon the senior medical officer present with the command. In his staff relations, the veterinarian will fur- nish the surgeon with such technical information as may be necessary in properly representing the affairs of the Medical Department. In addition to their staff functions as surgeon and veterinarian, respec- tively, the medical officer commands the medical detachment and the veterinary officer commands the veterinary detachment, and in such command capacity each is directly responsible only to the local commanding officer. Accordingly, at posts, camps, and stations, the reports, returns, etc., relating exclusively to the veterinary de- tachment or to the technical operation of the veterinary service, not involving the health of man, will not be transmitted by the veteri- narian through the surgeon. b. Quartermaster Corps.—The Veterinary Corps also functions in cooperation with the Quartermaster Corps as that service is con- cerned with the purchase and distribution of animals and of food supplies used by the military forces. 6. Responsibility for conducting veterinary service.—a. The veterinary service of a territorial department, corps area, post, camp, or other station, or of an army, corps, division, regiment, or other unit is administered by the senior veterinary officer on duty whose official designation is as indicated in paragraph 8b. b. Veterinary service is provided military stations and organizations by the assignment of veterinary officers or specially trained non- commissioned officers depending either on the animal strength of the command or the amount of food products to be inspected thereat. The veterinarian commands and administers the veterinary detach- ment, veterinary hospital, or other units and exercises this function separate and apart from the administration of the medical units employed on medical service for humans. c. If the command does not have a veterinary officer, the surgeon is directly responsible for the veterinary service, including its ad- ministration, and for this purpose competent enlisted or civilian personnel may be provided. d. Where conditions warrant, such as in a conveniently located station having a small number of animals, provision is made for the assignment of a veterinary officer as attending veterinarian. He performs for this station the same duties required at his regularly as- TM 8-450 6-8 SURGEON GENERAL signed station, making weekly visits for the purpose of making sani- tary inspections, recommendations for the correction of defects, or for the proper care of the sick. 7. Administration.—a. The Surgeon GeneraVs Office.—The vet- erinary service of the Army is administered, under the direction of The Surgeon General, by an officer of the Veterinary Corps who is selected by The Surgeon General and assigned to duty in his office as chief of the veterinary division. This division is concerned with the procurement and distribution of veterinary personnel and supplies and with policies governing the veterinary activities of the Army at large. h. Department or corps area headquarters.—Whenever necessary and available, an experienced veterinary officer is assigned to the office of the surgeon at the headquarters of a territorial department or corps area for duty as department or corps area veterinarian. c. Station.—The veterinarian of a post, camp, or station conducts the veterinary service thereat as defined in paragraphs 5 and 6. His duties are described in more detail in section II. 8. Duties and titles of veterinary officers.—a. Duties.—In addi- tion to the duties and responsibilities devolving upon him as a prac- titioner of veterinary medicine, the veterinary officer has certain other duties and responsibilities by virtue of his commission as an officer of the Army. These may be classified in two groups, advisory and administrative. The former embraces duties analogous to those of the staff officer to his commander; the latter, duties of an organization or detachment commander to his superiors and to the organization or detachment which he commands. For example, the duties of a veter- inary officer inspecting food supplies are advisory; those of the com- manding officers of veterinary companies or hospitals are administra- tive; while the duties of station or regimental veterinarians are both advisory and administrative. (1) Advisory.—The duties of a veterinary officer acting in an ad- visory capacity are in general as follows: (a) To keep himself informed of existing conditions or those antic- ipated which have a bearing upon the health and physical efficiency of the animals of the command; or conditions concerning meat, food, and dairy products which may affect the health and physical efficiency of the troops. (h) To communicate this information to his superiors and to rec- ommend such measures as he may deem advisable to correct unsatisfac- tory conditions. 6 TM 8-450 8 VETERINARY ADMINISTRATION (c) To make prescribed reports and returns and to take such action on the reports and returns of his subordinates as may be required by existing regulations. (d) To perform such other duties as may be required of him by superior authority. (e) While veterinary officers acting as technical advisors to their superiors are responsible for pointing out insanitary conditions in connection with the animals of the Army and making proper recom- mendations for their correction, the direct responsibility rests with the commander. If, however, the commander authorizes the veter- inary officer to give instructions in his name for the correction of defects, then the duties and responsibilities of the veterinary officer are correspondingly increased. (/) The technical advice of veterinarians is not limited to the com- mander but is extended in a proper manner to all personnel having to do with animals or other matters pertaining to the duties of the veter- inary service. A veterinarian may advance many of his ideas and recommendations by personal contact with and by informal recom- mendations to the officers concerned. The majority of subjects upon which advice is required can and should be handled in this manner. Only such reports are made to higher authority that cannot be cor- rected by personal contact and which require action by that authority to correct, or that are of sufficient importance to deserve special men- tion, or that may be required locally. (2) Administrative.—Veterinary officers acting in an administrative capacity are directly responsible for the condition and efficient func- tioning of their commands. Their duties are similar in character to those of officers of the line of the Army in administrative duties. More specifically they are charged with the following: {a) The training, discipline, efficiency, and assignment to duty of the personnel which they command and the supervision of the inter- nal economy of their organizations and establishments. (h) The maintenance of equipment in proper condition by requi- sition for supplies needed and by proper care of property on hand. (c) The keeping of the prescribed records and the rendering of the required reports and returns. (d) The performance of such other duties as may be required of them by superior authority. These duties include those necessary in the general training and administration of a command, for example, conduct of schools for horseshoers, etc., courts martial, boards of officers, property surveys, etc. 7 TM 8-450 8-9 SURGEON GENERAL h. Titles of veterinary officers.—The titles of the senior veterinary officers assigned to various headquarters and veterinary units are as follows: Territorial department Department veterinarian Corps area Corps area veterinarian Post or camp Station veterinarian Animal purchasing board Purchasing board veterinarian Animal transport Transport veterinarian Port of embarkation Port veterinarian Purchasing and breeding head- Headquarters veterinarian quarters. Depot (quartermaster, remounl Depot veterinarian embarkation, etc.) Field force Chief veterinarian Army Army veterinarian Corps Corps veterinarian Division Division veterinarian Regiment Regimental veterinarian Unit less than a regiment, de- The veterinarian tachment. Veterinary troop, Veterinary Commanding officer company, separate. Veterinary hospital, unit, or de- Commanding officer tachment thereof. Section II ASSIGNMENT AND DUTIES OF PERSONNEL Paragraph Station service 9 Duties of senior veterinarian 10 Station veterinary detachments 11 Regimental veterinary service 12 9. Station service.—a. To a station having an animal strength of 200 or more, a station veterinarian may be assigned and where the number exceeds 600, additional veterinary officers are authorized as assistants to the station veterinarian. A station with less than 200 animals but presenting other veterinary requirements in con- nection with meat and dairy hygiene, maintenance of instruction courses, purchasing and breeding of animals, or other duties per- taining to the veterinary service may be allowed one or more vet- erinary officers as conditions warrant. 8 TM 8-450 9-10 VETERINARY ADMINISTRATION h. When required by local conditions, The Surgeon General may effect the assignment of a veterinary officer to duty at a central point to furnish veterinary service to such conveniently located sta- tions as may be designated. When so assigned, he commands the personnel and renders all reports at the station to which he is permanently assigned as the station veterinarian, while at other stations to which he furnishes veterinary service, he is designated as the “attending veterinarian.” c. When no veterinary officer is available for assignment to a sta- tion because of its small size or for other reasons, a specially trained noncommissioned officer may be assigned thereto for veterinary duties pertaining to the care and treatment of animals as well as for the inspection of meat and dairy products. When so assigned, he re- ports direct to the surgeon. 10. Duties of senior veterinarian.—a. The senior veterinary officer of a station, under the supervision of the surgeon, is responsible for the veterinary service of all organizations at that station. b. He commands the station veterinary hospital and the veterinary detachment which includes all veterinary officers and enlisted men of the Medical Department (veterinary service) at the station. His general, advisory, and administrative duties are described in para- graph 7. His special duties in connection with the station or hos- pital service, physical examination of animals, animal sanitation and communicable diseases, meat and dairy hygiene, as well as the reason for routine reports, records, and returns, are discussed in sections III and IV. c. Whatever the type of veterinary unit, whether it is a station veterinary detachment or a veterinary section attached to a tactical unit, the senior veterinary officer commands it and assigns its personnel to appropriate duties. d. Medical supplies required by a veterinary detachment operating a veterinary station hospital are obtained by requisition on the medical supply officer of the station while other supplies are ob- tained by requisition on the particular supply arm or service involved. e. All supplies required by veterinary sections, regimental medical detachments, are obtained through informal requisition submitted to the commanding officer of the regimental medical detachment. /. Equipment and supply allowances for station veterinary de- tachments will be found in the Medical Department Supply Catalog. For sections attached to tactical units, the same information will be found in Tables of Organization and Tables of Basic Allowances. 303383°—41 2 9 TM 8-450 10-11 SURGEON GENERAL g. As veterinary detachments are usually small, they are frequently rationed and quartered with the organization of the command to which it is most convenient to attach them for the purpose. A. Each veterinary section operates a veterinary dispensary for the care and treatment of animals of that organization, A veterinary dispensary at a station having a veterinary hospital should have suitable facilities for storing and dispensing medicines and other veterinary supplies for the use of the organization. It is utilized for holding sick call and for rendering necessary treatment for emer- gency cases until they can be sent to a veterinary hospital, or for minor cases of short duration until they can be returned to duty. 11. Station veterinary detachments.—a. General.— (1) The veterinary personnel permanently assigned to a station which is not a tactical organization is called the “station veterinary detachment.” The strength of the detachment varies with the particular need of the command. For efficiency of operation in peacetime, all veterinary per- sonnel at a camp, post, or station are usually grouped in a detach- ment under the command of the senior veterinary officer present and performs all the necessary veterinary activities for the station. (2) In large stations, particularly in time of war, there will ordi- narily be a station veterinary detachment which operates all perma- nent veterinary activities such as the veterinary station hospital, food inspection, etc., and a veterinary section, regimental medical detach- ment, for each mounted organization at the post. b. Functions.— (1) The principal duties of station veterinary de- tachments are training, sanitary inspections (animals, meat and dairy products, and forage), care and treatment of disabled animals in- cluding operation of veterinary dispensaries and hospitals. Accord- ingly, the enlisted men of the detachment are trained in the following general subjects: principles of animal sanitation and practical appli- cation thereof; inspection of shoeing of animals, including detection of ordinary defects; examination of forage; observation and interpre- tation of common symptoms of diseases in animals; dosage and ad- ministration of simple remedies; management of disabled or sick animals; principles of first aid, including application of dressings and bandages; and routine inspection of meats, meat foods, and dairy products. Qualifications in some or all of these subjects is a requisite for appointment to the several noncommissioned officer grades. It should be understood that activities of enlisted personnel are per- formed under the direction of veterinary officers and no attempt is made to qualify them in accurate diagnosis or the practice of veteri- nary medicine. 10 TM 8-450 11-12 VETERINARY ADMINISTRATION (2) In addition to this instruction, a station veterinarian is re- quired to organize and conduct classes for the instruction of such noncommissioned officers and enlisted men, other than those of the veterinary service, as may be directed from time to time by proper orders. He ordinarily gives instruction in animal hygiene and man- agement and in the principles of horseshoeing. It should be under- stood that the management of the veterinary station hospital is only one of the several duties of a station veterinarian. He must become thoroughly familiar with all conditions at the station which have to do with animal management, with a view to preventing and limiting animal disabilities rather than the treating of them after they occur. 12. Regimental veterinary service.—a. Provision is made for the attachment of officers and enlisted men of the veterinary service to organizations equipped with animals. All such personnel are assigned to veterinary sections of regimental medical detachments (which in turn are attached to tactical units) and are organized in ac- cordance with Tables of Organization based on the special needs of various arms and services concerned. h. The equipment for the veterinary section, attached to a tactical organization, is furnished according to the latest Table of Basic Allowances. c. The veterinary section is an element of the regimental medical detachment serving the regiment, and is operated and administered by the senior veterinary officer. d. All veterinary sections are attached to organizations primarily for the purpose of maintaining the animals belonging to such organi- zations in serviceable condition. They are responsible for the removal of nonelfectives from organizational responsibility, thereby maintain- ing the mobility of the organization, and should be ever alert for the first symptoms of contagious or communicable diseases or other conditions which might adversely affect the efficiency of the animals of the command. All personnel of veterinary organizations must be trained for field service and be in readiness to take the field with a mobile unit to which it may be attached. e. Each section operates a veterinary dispensary for the animals of the organization. A veterinary dispensary at a station having a hospital should have suitable facilities for storing and dispensing medicines and other veterinary supplies for the use of the organiza- tion which it serves. It is utilized for holding veterinary sick call and for rendering necessary treatment for emergency cases until they can be sent to a hospital or for minor cases of such nature and short duration that their hospitalization is not required. 11 TM 8-450 12-13 SURGEON GENERAL /. With the exception of not operating a veterinary hospital, a veterinary section has most of the general functions of a station de- tachment and receives the same training. In addition, it must be trained for field service and must be in readiness to take the field with the tactical organization to which it is attached. Section III ANIMAL VETERINARY SERVICE Remount purchasing and breeding board 13 Shipment of animals ; 14 Veterinary health certificate : 15 Receipt of animals 16 Veterinary sick call 17 Veterinary hospitals 18 Administration 19 Veterinary morning reports 20 Register and report of sick and wounded animals 21 Veterinary statistical report 22 Veterinary sanitary report 23 Examination of officers’ mounts 24 Examination prior to inspection for condemnation 25 Deaths of animals 26 Disposal of animal carcasses 27 Paragraph 13. Remount purchasing- and breeding board.—a. Headquar- ters removmt area.—The United States has been divided into seven remount areas, each in charge of an officer of the Quartermaster Corps with the required assistants including one or more veterinary officers. In peacetime, the officer in charge at a remount area head- quarters ordinarily makes all the purchases of the animals in his area. He also supervises the breeding of remount stallions in his area. There are approximately TOO remount stallions standing in the hands of civilian agents throughout the United States. In time of war, however, several purchasing boards will work in each area under the officer in charge. At least one veterinary officer will be a member of each purchasing board working under the professional supervision of the veterinarian on duty at the remount area head- quarters. The headquarters veterinarian also acts as a professional advisor in matters of breeding hygiene and animal management in connection with the use of remount stallions by civilian agents. b. Remount 'purchasing board.— (1) The veterinary service of a remount purchasing board is responsible for the physical examina- tion of the animals submitted to the board for purchase, their mallein 12 TM 8-450 13 VETERINARY ADMINISTRATION testing, and for supervision of the health and sanitary conditions under which they are handled and shipped by the board. Every animal prior to purchase receives a complete physical examination by a veterinary officer whenever one is available to insure that all animals purchased are physically fit for military service and have no defects which render or tend to render them unfit. Physical examinations must therefore be systematic and thorough. All 40- 2075 describes the general conduct of physical examination of ani- mals and should be used as a guide by examining officers. The physical examination is in addition to any inspection of the animal made by the purchasing officer. Whenever practicable, all animals are given the mallein test at the time of purchase. They may, how- ever, be accepted subject to passing a negative test on arrival at a remount depot, in case it is not practicable to make the test at place of purchase and movement to the depot does not conflict with State or Federal laws. All animals reacting other than negatively are rejected. (2) Matters of type, conformation, manners, height, weight, color, etc., are prescribed by the War Department for the guidance of the purchasing officer who is responsible for the interpretation of such purchasing specifications. This distinction between specification re- quirements and soundness must be borne in mind. The veterinary officer in making the physical examination should consider defective conformation only when manifested by congenital or acquired de- fects which are distinctly of pathological origin or character or on which may be predicated a dubious prognosis as to future health or physical efficiency. (3) The ultimate responsibility for the acceptance of an animal for purchase rests with the officer in charge. The veterinary officer in making his examination acts as the professional adviser of the pur- chasing officer. Having arrived at an opinion as to whether the age, soundness, and physical condition of the animal exclusive of any other factors whatsoever justify or do not justify its purchase, he recommends accordingly. Having made his recommendation, his further responsibility as regards the acquisition of the animal ceases and the matter of acceptance or rejection is determined entirely by the officer in charge. A daily report of all animals examined for purchase is rendered on W. D., M. D. Form No. 109. c. Remount depots.—There are three remount depots maintained in peacetime by the remount service of the Quartermaster Corps at Front Royal, Virginia; Fort Robinson, Nebraska; and Fort Reno, 13 TM 8-450 13-14 SURGEON GENERAL Oklahoma. In time of war, auxiliary depots would be established at suitable points throughout the United States. These depots serve as reservoirs where animals are conditioned, sorted, and distributed to the military forces. The veterinary service at a remount depot is essentially a station service. When purchasing or breeding activ- ities are maintained thereat, the only breeding of horses by the Army is conducted at the three above-named depots. The veterinary service also performs the special duties connected therewith. 14. Shipment of animals.—a. General.—(1) From time of pur- chase until their services cease, Army animals are subject to change of station effected by marching overland and shipment by rail or water. The veterinary service is concerned with when and how such changes occur. The measures adopted to prevent, limit the extension, and eradicate communicable diseases among Army animals are ini- tially applied whenever animals are shipped, issued, turned in, or change station. They consist of a physical examination to determine fitness and the application of the mallein and other tests to all animals intended for shipment at such time prior to the movement as will insure that only those free from diseases of a communicable nature or contact therewith are shipped. It is also a function of the veteri- nary service to inspect cars and other means of transportation to insure that they are clean and otherwise suitable for the shipment of, animals during the journey contemplated and that no animal is loaded therein that is not fit to travel. (2) In order that the veterinary sanitary measures adopted may be complied with, Army Regulations provide that the veterinarian be given timely notice by the commanding officer when the issue, shipment, sale, receipt, or turn in of one or more animals is expected to occur, and the destination or source of the same. h. Ports of embarkation and debarkation.—The senior veterinary officer at the headquarters of a port of embarkation or debarkation is known as the port veterinarian. He supervises and directs the veterinary service of the port, of animal transports and animal em- barkation depots, veterinary hospitals, and other veterinary activities maintained within the port area. He acts as adviser to the port commander in all veterinary matters pertaining to the port. His relation to the port surgeon corresponds to that of a station veter- inarian to a station surgeon. Although he may have many activities to supervise, they all have conservation as their main object; that is, the elimination from shipment and proper disposition of all ani- mals that have communicable diseases or which are not physically fit for shipment or for use after completion of the journey. 14 TM 8-450 14-16 VETERINARY ADMINISTRATION c. Animal transports.—A veterinary officer is assigned to every animal transport and designated as transport veterinarian. He su- pervises the sanitation of all animals on board. He observes all conditions bearing on the health and physical efficiency of the ani- mals, renders such treatment as can be given under the circum- stances, and makes prompt recommendations for the correction of sanitary defects to the officer (Quartermaster Corps) in charge. 15. Veterinary health certificate.—A veterinary health certifi- cate (W. D., M. D. Form No. 101) is prepared whenever one or more animals are moved or shipped from one station or command to an- other, or to civilian control, as by sale. The primary purpose of this certificate is to inform the veterinarian of the station receiving the animals of their condition at the time of shipment, date of last mallein test, and other pertinent information. It is not rendered between organizations at the same station. This form also serves for the health certificate required by shipping officers, common car- riers, and civil authorities. In case of nonreceipt of the certificate, the veterinarian of the receiving station makes every effort to secure the essential information from the issuing station. Certificates are made out in triplicate or quadruplicate, depending on the circum- stances of shipment. The original and duplicate are forwarded direct to the station veterinarian of the receiving station, one copy is furnished the carrier and one copy retained for file. Following the required quarantine period, the station veterinarian of the receiving station completes the original and duplicate of the form by the addition of information concerning the points at which the shipment was unloaded or encamped, the number and causes of deaths en route, the physical condition upon arrival, and any other pertinent information considered advisable. The completed original is for- warded to The Surgeon General’s Office and the duplicate retained in the station file. 16. Receipt of animals.—a. Immediately upon the arrival of animals at a station from any source whatever and before they have come in contact with any other animals of the command, they should be given a careful examination by the veterinarian and placed in quar- antine at least 21 days. This is for the purpose of controlling any communicable disease that they may be contracted en route. h. Prior to the releasing of animals from quarantine, the veterinar- ian will complete a physcial examination of each animal to determine freedom from contagious or communicable disease using approved diagnostic inoculations or tests as required. 15 TM 8-450 16-17 SURGEON GENERAL 17. Veterinary sick call.—a. Veterinarians utilize veterinary sick call, routine daily inspections, and every other available occa- sion for the prompt detection of animal disabilities. The routine daily inspections can ordinarily best be accomplished during “stables”, that is, the time designated for animals to be groomed. Veterinar- ians initiate the necessary action to secure the separation of the sick from the well, particularly those that may have communicable dis- ease; the segregation of patients in hospital or other suitable place and their retention therein until recovered; the adoption of appro- priate measures of management and restraint; and are responsible for the application of such curative procedures as they consider advisable. h. Sick call is a formation held daily at an hour and place designated by the commanding officer. It is usually held at the veterinary station hospital or dispensary. Each organization having a veter- inary detachment holds veterinary sick call. Thus a regimental veterinarian conducts sick call for his regiment and the station vet- erinarian holds sick call for animals not provided with veterinary detachments. At the time designated, the sick animals of each or- ganization are conducted to the place for holding sick call in charge of a noncommissioned officer who gives the attending veterinarian a list of the sick animals. The veterinary officer, after examination, indicates on this list the animals which are to be admitted to hos- pital and those to be returned to stables or to duty. He notes on the sick list what work, if any, the stables cases can perform and any other information in regard to the sick animals that he may have to communicate to the organization commander. Animals on sick report are classified as “Stables” or “Hospital.” Patients admitted to the register and which are under the complete care (treatment, feeding, grooming, watering, etc.), and control of personnel of the veterinary service will be classified as hospital patients; all other patients admitted to the register will be classified as stables patients. A stables patient will be given professional treatment by personnel of the veterinary service but all other care of the patient should be provided by the personnel of the organization to which the animal is assigned or attached. c. Sick call is not a suitable time for the careful examination and treatment of the sick. It is more properly a “sorting.” Its purpose is to determine the number of animals unfit for work so that organiza- tion commanders may act accordingly and so the morning report of sick may be promptly sent to the commanding officer. It should be 16 TM 8-450 17-18 VETERINARY ADMINISTRATION conducted as expeditiously as possible and at an hour that least inter- feres with the operation of the units of the command. Minor injuries and ailments are ordinarily treated during sick call, however, if they are few in number and the time and conduct of sick call is not pro- longed thereby. The equipment required in holding sick call need only be that necessary for making hasty diagnoses (thermometers, etc.) and dressings and remedies for treatment of minor ailments. d. Admission to hospital is accomplished after sick call has been completed. Should stables cases require treatment other than that which can be given quickly, it is done later. In case of emergency, sick or injured animals may be admitted to hospital at any hour. 18. Veterinary hospitals.—a. Veterinary hospitalization in peace and war conforms in type to other Medical Department organiza- tions, that is, the stationary or fixed establishments and the field or mobile units. On a peace basis and in the zone of the interior, only two types of fixed establishments are maintained; veterinary station hospitals and veterinary general hospitals. b. Veterinary station hospitals are established in both peace and war and are provided for the hospitalization of sick and wounded ani- mals of local commands and vary in size accordingly. In exceptional instances, they may be so located and established as to meet the needs of a district or section or may be designated to receive special cases from any place within the district or section under whose control they function. c. Each station having a veterinarian will ordinarly have a veter- inary station hospital, the size thereof depending on the animal popu- lation. A hospital may vary from a simple temporary building to one elaborately fitted out. In any event, it should be kept clean and orderly and should have the following conveniences: (1) Office. (2) Supply room. (3) Dressing room with proper means of restraint, (4) Water, hot and cold. (5) Quarters for stable guard. (6) Forage room. (8) An isolation ward for communicable disease. (7) Box stalls; one being sufficiently large for confining colic cases. d. Veterinary general hospitals serve general and special rather than local needs and are established when the number of animals or special needs in an area demand such a large establishment. They are units of standard size (500 normal plus 500 emergency patients) and in 303383°—41 3 TM 8-450 18-19 SURGEON GENERAL war may be located in either the zone of the interior or in the theater of operations (communications zone). Veterinary hospitals for field service are enumerated and discussed in appropriate Army Regula- tions, Tables of Organization, and Field Manuals. e. A veterinary hospital is essentially a place designated by proper authority for the collection, shelter, care, and professional treatment of sick and injured animals. Certain basic principles are involved in their construction and arrangement such as— (1) Shelter from the elements in properly lighted and ventilated structures. (2) Separate stall for each patient. (3) Hard, dry standings, preferably concrete, well drained and accessible for cleaning. (4) Facilities for the segregation of classes of cases and the isola- tion of individual animals. (5) Provision for the restraint and handling of special cases such as box stalls, colic stalls, foot bath, dipping vat, operating and dress- ing room; for the preparation of special feeds; for clipping, shoeing, etc.; and for pharmacy, storage, and office. 19. Administration.—a. Duties of veterinarian.— (1) For pur- poses of administration, the station veterinarian commands the vet- erinary hospital or dispensary at a station, its personnel and patients, subject to the authority of the station commander. He organizes the professional and nonprofessional service of the hospital and is responsible for its operation. He is responsible for the maintenance of the veterinary hospital, dispensary, convalescent corral, and other places set aside for the use of disabled animals. (2) The station or regimental veterinarian will determine what patients are to be admitted to the hospital or dispensary, will assign them to wards or divisions according to convenience and nature of their complaints, and take the necessary measures for their proper care and treatment as well as being responsible for deciding when they are so far recovered as to be able to leave the hospital and return to duty or to stables for further treatment. h. Sanitation.—Veterinary hospital establishments are peculiarly exposed to infection and unremitting attention must be paid to the routine cleaning and disinfecting of stalls, mangers, feed boxes, watering troughs, and exposed interior surfaces of every kind of equipment or appliance and of fences, corrals, feed racks, picket lines, etc. In order that patients may be kept in better condition and the period of hospitalization shortened, it is essential that strictest sani- tary measures are in effect at all times. 18 TM 8-450 19 VETERINARY ADMINISTRATION c. Communicable disease.—(1) Upon the occurrence of a communi- cable disease, regardless of the nature of its termination, every pre- caution must be exercised to assure a most thorough cleaning and disinfection after the removal of the patient and before other ani- mals are allowed therein. (2) In case of death, the carcass must be disposed of in accordance with the best sanitary practice by burning or burying and all equip- ment should be subjected to proper disinfection. (3) Should it be considered advisable, quarantine or restriction of movement of animals should be recommended to the commanding officer. An animal infected with glanders, anthrax, equine infectious anemia, or surra will be destroyed as soon as a positive diagnosis is established, while those infected with other communicable disease should continue in isolation until no longer a menace to other animals. Animals suspected of infection should be handled with as much pre- caution as if they were actually infected and all other animals in the lot or shipment will be regarded as contact animals. (4) Routine reports of communicable disease are rendered on W. D., M. D. Form No. 102. (5) The veterinarian will promptly notify the commanding offi- cer of all outbreaks of important communicable diseases in the command and in cases of glanders, surra, equine infectious anemia, and anthrax will also notify the proper local or State authorities and the surgeon in cases of disease which might affect humans. d. Veterinary supplies.—(1) Drugs, chemicals and reagents, sur- gical dressings, surgical instruments and appliances, hospital equip- ment and supplies, as well as laboratory appliances and supplies including biologies, field equipment and supplies which include Med- ical Department blank forms necessary in the care and treatment of animals, are procured from the medical supply officer by proper requisition. (2) Rapidly deteriorating products such as mallein and biologies will be requisitioned in such amounts as can be foreseen for the immediate future and care will be exercised to preserve products by proper storage. Special attention will be paid to the safekeeping and proper use of narcotics, poisons, alcohol, and substances contain- ing alcohol. (3) Issues of medicines and dressings are made to public animals and authorized private mounts without charge. e. Disinfection or destruction of infected articles.—Animal equip- ment and veterinary hospital furniture and other stores used in 19 TM 8-450 19 SURGEON GENERAL the treatment of communicable animal diseases will be disinfected or burned on recommendation and under supervision of a veterinary officer. The destruction of property to prevent contagion will be accounted for by the certificate of the officer responsible, showing fully the circumstances necessitating the destruction. /. Hospital lavmdry.—The linen of a veterinary hospital authorized to be laundered at public expense consists of operating and pharmacy linen belonging to the Medical Department, white coats and trousers of enlisted attendants including those inspecting food supplies, and blankets, covers, and other washable articles of horse equipment which are public property. Usually soiled linen of the veterinary hospital is turned over to the station surgeon to be washed: as a part of the laundry work of his hospital and clean linen is issued in exchange. g. Management of patients.—(1) The professional services common to all veterinary hospitals is the admission, examination, classifica- tion, mallein testing, identification, treatment, and disposal of pa- tients and the keeping of the necessary records and rendition of reports in connection therewith. Each ward is in charge of a veter- inary officer, assisted by enlisted men, the senior of whom is called the ward master. The ward officer is responsible for the professional care and welfare of the patients in the ward, for its records and property, and for the work performed by the personnel on duty. (2) Upon admission to the hospital, the patient is taken to the admission ward for a thorough physical examination and is then assigned to a ward. If the mallein test has hot been applied within the past 21 days it will be accomplished at this time. (3) A register card will be accomplished for each patient showing the data available at the time and the ward assigned noted on the reverse of the card. The clinical record brief (W. D., M. D. Form No. 55 a-V) will be made out and accompany the animal to the ward as authority for its admission. (See page 21.) The following morn- ing the diagnosis will be furnished the office by the ward veterinarian with the morning report of that ward. (4) The examination given patients in the receiving ward is an essential step in the detection of communicable disease and the pre- vention of contact with other animals. Animals presenting positive or suspicious symptoms are promptly removed to the proper wards and the necessary quarantine measures are adopted. h. Forage, special feeds, and bedding allowances.— (1) The forage allowance for patients in hospital is the same as prescribed for normal 20 TM 8-450 19-20 VETERINARY ADMINISTRATION animals. Special feeds as available and necessary for the treatment of the sick may be drawn from the quartermaster. The bedding allow- ance for each patient in hospital is 6% pounds of straw. Form 55 a-V Medical Dkpartment, U. 8. Akmt (Authorized March 31,1924) CLINICAL RECORD BRIEF INSTRUCTIONS Hospital— 1. When an animal patient is admitted to hospital, Form 55 a-V will be filled in (so far as the data are available at the time) in the receiving ward, if there is one, or in the office. This form will accompany the patient to the ward to which it is assigned, and will be the ward master’s authority for its admission thereto. Register No — Ward- Classification .. Organization 2. The clinical record will be completed in the ward, using such lettered blanks of Form 55 as may be neces- sary for the case. All important or continued treat- ment will be entered on Form 55 j. Serial No... Mallein test — Kind Reaction 3. When final disposition of the case is made, the ward veterinarian will complete and sign Form 55 a-V, fasten together all the sheets of the clinical record, including laboratory reports, by means of paper clips passed through the perforations, and send them to the office. Date of admission... Source of admission.. 4. All current clinical records in a ward may be conveniently kept on a small Shannon file furnished for the purpose. s—s7« 3—e?«i Initials of admitting officer... (To be filled la by ward \eterlnarlan when case Is completed) Disposition.. Date Final diagnosis Condition on completion of case—