The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-31
MODERN SURGERY IN WAR.
yisr ADTaNCE MADE IN sATING
LIFE LIMB.

The RnTEGuuH NNVNN ~ -" AbAA-
s.rent from What IL Was During the Civil
vnr - Decrease In the Death Rnte and In
AmputntionS The system In the Army.
WARRINGTON. July 30.-"Thcrc seems to DO n
decentralization on the part OF u good many
,crsous as to the modern medical service Of
tho army said an army surgeon who has been
detailed for the Porto Rico campaign. There
"a M sort OF doubt that there Il u general mis-
understanding OF what is required OF surgeons
In time OF battle. Many complaints have boon
made OF lack OF prompt surgical attention to
ths wounded at Santiago and an absence OF
system. 1t is asserted that there were not
enough, IL any. litter bearers except tho Rod
Cross volunteers. and few. II any. ambulnnces:
that tho wounded had to make thoir way an
aided TO the rear or else be carried by able
bodied comrades who were needed in the
ranks. There may be truth In these charges,
IN, II there Is tho blame should not
be laid on the medical authorities In Washing
ton. Nothing could be better than tho system
devised by them, and IL there was failure ut
Santiago the surgical stafr there mus be held
TO account. For tho division hospital . Ter
cent. OF the enlisted force Is detailed. The able
bodied mon thus taken from the ranks arc sub
jectcd to severe discipline. are thoroughly
drilled and have absolute and entire charge OF
tho wounded from the moment they fall until
tnNl pass lllS NllV hhLt "a an oNAhSSho ia Wv
hospital. These men are provided with stretch
ers and are expected to keep close on the heels
OF the advancing Inns to pick up the wounded.
The complaint hat there was 40 surgical
attention on the field is based on a mlsunder-
standing. For good reasons. the work OF the
surgeon does not begin until the wounded are
brought to the hospital. This hospital must be
outside the range OF bullets and shells and far
enough in the rear to be secure against demo-
lition or injury in a momentary retreat.
Surgery in the field. which was not uncom-
mon IN former wars. is positively prohibited by
the requirements OF modern treatment. The
fate OF the wounded rests in the hands OF the
one vino applies the first dressinR,' are the
words OF Nussbaum that have driven the army
surgeon from the field OF battle. In the civil
war il was the practice to set up q kind Of hos
pital, houseless, and without even q tent in
many cases, Just out OF range OF the enemy's
musketry FIRE. where temporary dressings
we're hurriedly applied and amputations per-
formed. chiefly for the purpose Of checking
lemorrhage. The probe was active, the re-
,noval Of the foreign substance being regarded
rs a matter of moment. The first dressings
would do it was considered until the wounded
could be carried TO & more permanent hospital.
Al this is changed. The first dressing
calls Tor the utmost care and nothing short
Ol IElltNltOh va Az AZ Ill Sllo
VINO knows the severe requirements Of aseptic
or antiseptic surgery. it must be obvious that
the battlefield is no place for the first dressing.
1t is far better that q wounded man should
wait three or four hours. il necessary. protected
from the danger OF hemorrhage by the wind
lass or circular bandage which every litter
bearer carries and knows how to apply. than to
risk his life in a first dressing that leaves any
thing to be desired. AS q rule, the soldier who
is not killed outright will save life and limbs II
the first dressing is perfect. Think Of what a
revolution that suggests. The late Mr.. Charles
A. Dana in his "Reminiscences says that MOTH
ing impressed him so deeply as the spectacle
OF amputated limbs. table high. at Vicksburg.
No such hideous piles are seen in modern war.
1T has been discovered that except when it
kills instantly. it is not the bullet that kills.
The thousands OF men who have died Of their
wounds in the past, really died OF conditions
that were due to the wounds but could have
been prevented if the surgeons had only known
how. As the naval battle near Santiago which
resulted in the complete destruction Of u Span
ish fleet. was the centre of attention to the off,
GERS OF every navy in the world and to naval
constructors in every country. so vas the land
battle of Santiago the centre Of attention to
military and all surgeons throughout the
realms of civilization. The naval battle
was a test Of modern warships in the con-
~struction of which revolutionary theories were
applied. The land battle in which the armies
engaged was perhaps the first since the aseptic
or antiseptic methods OF treating wounds be-
came general. Only in the case of so large q
number of wounds, and wounds OF so varied
nature, could there be a fair test and an oppor-
tunity for Il comparison Of results. In q gen.
eral way the public understands that the mod
ern treatment prevents many amputationS, the
drain OF %suppuration, and the exhaustion from
fever. the dangers of gangrene. erysipelas. and
the like, and especially that murderous state
known as blood poisoniIg-from which a man
has died after a catfish has pricked his finger
or after he has suffered some other apparently
trivial injury. There were between 1000 and
LOO wounded men in the two hospitals OF our
army after tho battle. Formerly that would
have meant great piles OF severed limbs and
q large percentage Of deaths, particularly the
latter. because Of the number OF wounds
In the head, chest and abdomen. Now it means
not more than a hundred amputations and vir-
tuaisy no deaths. There has not been q single
Instance Of blood poisoning. although the
wounded are in II tropical climate TO which they
have not been used. This seems 10 me 70. be q
iairly good defence against tho charges OF an
iheHlcl"nt surgical organization. 1t was only
last week that the surviving Confederate vet-
Grams met at Atlanta. and the great number OF
ineh In the parade who lacked an arm or q
Natural leg Inspired comment. They talked OF
the thousands OF comrades who died In lospl-
Ia! as the result Of wounds. A reunion of the
veterans oIthe present war will make no such
display OF cripples, and there will be no such
record OF comrades lingering for days and
"reEsin eNrruciating pain only TO die In the end.
10 whom docs the glory Of this amazing
achievement bclongi 1t is commonly bestowed
on Lister, and there is no feHr that the honors
IaIu 20 his memory will exceed his deserts.
but II wao not the exclusive accomplishment
olahy one man, Schwann asked. Why does
meat decay Probably others had asked the
same Question, but their Investigations were
less thorough than his. He discovered that the
decay Of meat was always accompanied by the
multiplication Of microscopic creatures. Then
ne MI the ordinary atmospheric air. and
ne found that it was filled with microscopic
creatures, He thought that If he should ex.
CIuAc the air from mani n MIGHT NOT p,,k.aS,,