The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-03

L IL not generally known lhal tho
IN men at the guns OF American
W. warshp are provided by tie navy
surgeons with appliances for
quickly mnistering 10 the reeds of
their wounded comrades during
the progress of a fight. There Is sup
ply OF rubber handages and dressings near
each of the big guns. and the crew Is told
just what to do for an injured mar before
il is possible for the doctors TO attend 10
him. The important thing is 20 stay tho
loss OF blood. which Is the cause Of at
least three-fourths OF the deaths In battle.
Wives and mothers will agree that IL il
better to save one OF our own injured men
than TO slaughter a dozen of the enemy.
and this principle Is accepted in the navy.
As soon as a man falls, one OF his COM
rades runs To his aid II he Is wounded
in the leg. the limb Is quickly bound with
rubber tubing In such a way TO stop
the hemorrhage. II possible. and antisep-
tic dressings are applied according 10 tho
instructions already given by the sur
Geons. The injured limb Is then bound 10
the uninJurea ore for protection and sup
port, and the man is dragged TO a place
OF safety. Then his conirade. who has
acted as surgeon for the time being,
PUSHES back IN his place by the giin.
IL the most protected places on the ship
dressing stations are established. In this
way the wounded can he more quickly
attended 10 than was possible In the old
days when they had To be carried TO tho
sick bay before receiving the first assist
ance
There Is a male nurse assigned 10 each
Of the doctors. This nurse carries tress-
ings and other things necessary for linz
mediate use. and assists the doctor IN any
way required The nurses duty rnay be
anything. from binding up a wound 10
giving hypodermic injection Of morphine
TO ease some poor fellows sufrer.ngs
n HATE Ia .fs
are caused by fragments Of bursting
shells Such wounds are said by so COM
petent an authority "a Surgeon General
Stevenson to be generally less dangerous
to life than those produced by the ordt-
nary small bore bullets on the field OF bat
tie. They are often superficial rather than
deep. though the flesh Is generally much
bruised and torn.
In the case OF wounds from fragments
OF shell. there Is mnch danger from tho
lodgment Of foreign substances. bits OF the
projectiie itself, shreds OF clothin,, etr..
often being deeply imbedded in tho flesh
These must be carefully removed or they
will infect tho wound and cause serious
trouble. The clothing Immediately over
the wound liz always carefully examined
60 see II any portion of IL r. missing which
has probably been carried into the flesh
The men a; the guns are carefully In
siructSd 10 avoid touching wounds with
their hands. smeared as they must he with
powder and grease.
II Is not until the guns are slicrt that
the surgeons real work begins The most
urgent cases. such those OF hemorrhaxe.
are always taken FIRST, the question being
how 10 save as many lives as possible.
Whisky and other Etnlulants are given 10
those who are suffering from shock ard
wounds are covered with pads OF gstze,
wrung o.t In antiseptic solution until
such 'iine az their treatment can be under
taken In detail