[The army of the East and health services].
A medical disaster due to the failure of a plan intended to free Belfort by an army of 90 000 men, formed by Bourbaki in Nevers, joined in Besancon by 40 000 men from Lyon and from Dijon. Envisaged in three days, the regrouping lasts three weeks. A gigantic railway blocking, by an icy cold, leaves in the trains of the soldiers without food, of the horses without irons nor fodder. A third of manpower is from the start inapt for the fights. The utter exhaustion of the men don't make possible to exploit the success of Villersexel's battle (January 9), nor to cross Lizaine. The medical army officers joined those of the civil ambulances formed in South-east, and that of Pamard. The care given with delay on the covered with snow ground, in precarious shelters or encumbered hospitals, is summary. Cold, gelures, walk feet, infection, associated variola, are the cause of a high mortality: 8 500 died, and much of casualties. Ordered by Bourbaki, the dramatic routed to Switzerland by Pontarlier and the Cluse collar, under the Prussian shells will add 15 000 killed. The Swiss ones collect sick and wounded in 200 ambulances along the border, and on 87 000 men to be disarmed in 9 000 hospitalize. Pamard will remain until March 18 at the Pontarlier' hospital.
Guivarc'h
Marcel
M
D005602:France; D049672:History, 19th Century; D006801:Humans; D008887:Military Medicine / Q000266:history*; D008889:Military Personnel / Q000266:history; D014857:Warfare