Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-01-02

He Explains Hts Novel Surgical Features To
the Austrian Delegation.

the Austrian Delegation.
From the New York sun.
Prof Billroth spoke atlength in the Austrian
delegation on December 2concerning the needs
of the medical service in the next war. A. the
words of the foremost medical and surgical
authority the continent, his address has
been published in full by most German dailie-,
and has been quoted freely by French and
Italian and Swiss newspapers. Billroth spoke
to question regarding the improvement OF the
organization OF the medical an9 surgical corps
of the Austrian army, and when he was done
the deputies of the delegation passed q vote Of
thanks TO him for his exhaustive exposition II
the subject He began with showing that the
progress in the manufacture o: small arms.
which has been the most remarkable change in
weapons in the last few years. was such
would most acgravate suffering and slaughter
in tie latte of the future.
1.-The experience OF the army surgeon shows."
he said. THAT wounds from cannon balls and
grenades are exceedingly compared with
wounds from rifles At the battles of Mei.stn-
burg and Worth had an opportunity to notice,
and elsewhere also made the same obsorva-
ton, that artillery wounds are very few, TO say
nothing of the cavalry, for cuts or injuries
from blows seldom to he found. In figures
the proportion is 50 per cent OF the wounds
come from rifle balls, perhaps 10 per cent from
heavy guns, and per cent nom cavalry veap-
ons. 1 speak here of the bAttlefields and not
sieges. have heard the argument that the
cause Of this apparently gross disproportion
between the deadliness OF large and Of small
arms is that men injured by cannon balls or
grenades die at once or very soon. In the war
of 1901, however, accurate statistics OF those
buried in the dead trenches show that compare
lively few were killed by artillery.
surgical attention must then be devoted
principally TO the new infantry proiectile. We
have not had illustrations YET OF its working n
war. but we may form some conce ption of this.
Some people say that the long range Of the new
rifle will lead to mancuvefing at a distance.
aud that the shooting will he therefore wide %
the targets 10 be sure this maueuyering Was
the principle Of the last gar, but ii has its
limits. Ii depends on the contour OF the
country, and when an army lie cornered it
must fight. Had the French had enough am
munition to advance from two or taree Oh
their forts the maneuyerlng would have been
at an end. A collision must come some time;
and then what will the effect OF the new rife
be? Bullets that formerly stopped at the bone
will pierce it, and perhaps two or three other
bones the number of severely wounded will he
rapidly increased and the armies will dwindls
rapidly.
range the wounded must be treated at longer
distance IRON the enemy, say 400 PAGES further
than heretofore. Moreover with the quicker
| movements Of the troops comes the necessity
| IOr the QUICKER moving ol tit leAu uorpAAAr-
The number OF porters OF the wounded,
already too small in the austrian army, will
| have to he largely increased. In fact. many
| wagons must be drawn up immediately behind
the line OF battle to carry OF the injured"
| After dwelling upon tie Increase OF mortality
| to resul: from the use Of smokeless powder
| Prot. Biliroth continued:
| FINALLY, that most terrible Of fighting. the
i man hunt, will be facilitated by smokeless
| powder. This is the kind OF combat in which
A tl,.e afyar mos Is M a nt
neither is ready to begin. They watch keenly,
| and whenever a cap or helmet appears from
bush or wall, the enemy, like the beast from
its lair, spring forth to kill In such warfare
| the best natured men are as wild beasts, and
| the blood freezes In the veins to hear from one
of them after shooting his man; There! he
| keels over like a rabbit
AT Gravelotte st. Privet there were 5000
| dead and 1900 wounded. IwO-thirds OF the
latter were only slightly wounded and were
carried OF by railway. For the severely
wounded, when We calculate that two porters
with one stretcher made the trip of 800, GOO or
200 PAGES ten times during the eight hours OF
the battle, We lind that for the Germans alone
500 stretchers and l. 900 porters were necessary.
We have left out OF ali consideration here the
French, for whose severely wounded the Ger
mans as yictors bad TO care. This at least dou-
bied the requirements, 90 that 2, 200 porters and
| / 600 stretchers were needed. This shows how
entirely impossible the whole stretcher service
is. The war department answers always that
1t il impossible 70 increase the size
of the train with wagons and peas
ants wagons are often impressed tempo
rarily.' 1 remember at Worth that saw
q peasants wagon full Of wounded, the rides
and shakos hanging over the side so IL looked
like a game keepers cart with the rabbits
| strung along the box When the war DEPART
ment contends that an increase Of the train
would load down the army beyond the posi-
bility Of quick movements, L can only answer
i that new matter has been and IL constantly
added to the train, as, for instance, the teie-
graph wagon, the balloon apparatus, &c. Why.
| then, should the wounded be always neglected
| when the train 10 incressedY"
In conclusion, Prof. Billroth advocated the
resurrection and development of the Academy
| Of Military Surgery in Vienna, outlined the
| necessary course OF study, and the measures
i expedient for calling forth . corps spirit
| among the army surgeons, such a. char
scterizes the higher officers Of ell Europeaa
| armies