The National tribune., 1892-08-04

surgeon Crawford points out now ciVlllaus
regard taking colo" as sufficient reason for
cessation from theis employment and taking
care of themselves by careful nursing. 1t
was simply impossible to recognize this sort
of thing in an army without suspending all
military operations and converting the camp
into great hospital. Yet all the conditions
to produce this were infinitely greater and
more powerful in the army than they
could possibly be in civil life. They were
sufficient to impair the vigor and health of
neary every man who served in the field.
Though he came out apparently well and
strong yet the process of decay had been
begun, the vital processes had been perma-
nently exhausted and a train of morbid
processes had been started.
Taking up the question of wounds, he ex-
presses very concisely and forcibly what is
the universal operation Of military Surgeons
all over the world:
1t seems to be a common impression that the
wounds and injuries received in battle If not fatal
are only temporarily disabling, and are ultimately
recovered from and that time, with erasing finger
and restoring hand, wipes out the distortions and
builds up anew the damaged structures which the
missiles of war have produced. This is just the
reverse Of the truth. Tho implements OF modern
warfare make terrible havoc with the human body
and impartialy destroy whatever lies in their
track. The tissues that they traverse effectu-
ally and forever destroyed. The shattered bone 1t
is true may be replaced by callus; the severed
tendon and muscle may be replaced by other and
inferior tissues; the occluded blood-vessei may
find other and abnormal courses; the severed
nerve may become united by adventurous ma
terial, and yet a distorted painful, and cumbrous
structure is all that remains.
II is well known to the Surgeon, that the por-
tons of nerve destroyed by a bullet are never
replaced by true tissue; and that those pain
full nerve ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS apt to form
upon the separated ends of a severed nerve trunk.
These always become disabling with the
lapse of time; and atrophy of the injured parts an
increasing loss of power, lowering temperature
and increasing sensibility and pain are the certain
and necessary results / have stated that among
the casualties of the late 81 5i cases of
non-fata wounds. These varied in the location,
severity and number of the wounds inflicted upon
an individual. 1 have many nine Sc
1t should always be remembered in estimating
the effects of penetrating wound. that its
results not merely local, and that its painful
effects must be reflected TO every portion of the
system, and that the general health must con-
sequeny suffer. These remote effects increase
and become intensified by time. and the disabilities
which result grow greater with each succeeding
year. 1t is accordingly found that large numbers
of soldiers who were pensioned for wounds or
of,n.t
asking for increase of the amount allowed
them. In view of the present condition OF most
of these men, the amount originally allowed them
seems absurdly small. The true explanation of
this lies, doubt, i'll the facts just stated. The
condition of these men has been growing steadily
worse and will doubtless continue TO grow worse
during the remainder Of their lives.
Not the least valuable portion of DIR.
Crawford's essay is that in which he relates
the experiences of himself and the Board of
Examining Surgeons, of which he was a
member in affections of the heart:
The large number of cases of disease of the
heart which came before US for examination
matter of surprise. Many of the cases OF this dis
ease which found were not even suspected by
the applicant and no claim for pension based upon
that disability from that disease had been made by
him. About 30 per cent. of the men who came
before us for examination for disabilities growing
out of the service were found to have some form
of organic disease of the heart / began to fear
that the members of the Board, including myself,
were acquiring the weakness perhaps the ex-
cessive discriminating power of those specialists
who, it Is said never find healthy organ which is
included in the list of those to which their special
practice is limited. In other words while could
hnor
ton the judgment of my associates, the number of
of organic disease of the heart which we
found among applicants for pensions 30 greatly
exceeded all my previous impressions In regard TO
the frequency of that disease. that for a time /
almost feared that Board were getting "a little
cranky" upon the subject OF cardiac disease. My
perpexity upon this subject was. however, some
what relieved by reading in a report by the Sur
geon- General OF the British Army that the proper
ton of of heart diseases found TO exist among
the veterans of the British army just 80 per
cent. of their entire number.
In confederation of his belief about the
reduced vitality of veterans DR.. Crawford
says:
The statistics thus far gathered by the Pension
Department and the Census Bureau upon this sub
ject, and which the only extensive and reliable
yet to any great extent accessible to the public and
the only conclusions that we reach must
be based upon such facts, observations and dcduc-
tons as have here presented, imperfect and par
tial they The only statistics relating to this
subject gathered by the recent census yet given
TO the public, relate to the single State Of Mass,i-
chusetts, and may probably be justly taken as
fair average of the whole From this 1t would ap-
pear that the number of sick men among the 40 OGO
n
as II is among the other male inhabitants OF the
same age. This statement. taken In connection
with the fact that these men at the time Of their
enlistment selected from the hardy the ro-
bust and the physically perfect young men of the
State. would seem 10 verify the conclusions which
have presented for your examination.
The veterans of the country are deeply
grateful to DR.. Crawford for the able and
thoroughly scientific way in which he has
set forth the undeniable pathological facts
affecting them. The address should be
carefully studied by all who have occasion
to speak or write about pensions
SONS OF VETERANS, ATTENTION.
1t has been proposed TO have uniform ed
and armed companies of Sons of Veterans as
the garrison, escort and orderly duty at the
GREAT GATHERINGS of the yeterans nm The