Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-06-12
Advance of Surgical Skill in a Genera
ton Reduces it by Half.
(New York Hcrald)
New York Herald.)

In the civil war the proportion of
Union soldiers who died from wounds
to those who We're killed outright in
battle was forty-three to ffty-seyen,
or not far from seven to eleven. These
1gureS are taken from the report OF the
adjutant generals office. The statis-
tics on the Confederate side are less
exact, but 1t may be assumed that the
proportion there was about the same
AS there would be little chance of find
ing out whether a man found dead on
the field before medical assistance had
reached him had or had not been killed
instantaneously. it may be also as
sumed that died OF wounds" means
died in hospitaF'-the inference on the
part Of the surgeons of those days
being that death was the necessary re-
suit OF the wounds.
1t is some comfort to know, now that
the United States is entering upon an
other armed struggle. that the number
of deaths from wounds is not likely to
be as much as so per cent. as large
in proportion to the number of wounds
received as it was in either the civil
war or any other prior to the present
generation. And this in spite Of the
more than tenfold increased destruct-
iveness of the latter day weapons.
The reason and ground of this hope
are not in the nature of the Kraig
Jorgensen and Mauser rifles, used re-
spectively by our own and the Spanish
armies. but in the outstanding progress
OF the last twenty years in the art of
surgery It is not because a man hit
with an up-to-date rifle bullet more
often dies on the spot, for that this is
the case is very far from certain.
During the first. third and fourth quar-
tiers Of a modern nickel coated slug's
flight, its rending effect is terribly
fatal. it is true, but in the second
quarter. or humane area" OF its range
it has tendency to cut a clean hole.
But all experiences of recent years
indicates that where nine wounded
men out of ten would have been buried
from a field hospital in the years be-
tween 1861 and 1865. only four would
die in the year 1898. the other six being
eventually discharged safe, whole and
probably in better health than they
enjoyed before they were wounded
In fact,E'died of wounds" so far as
it applies to the wars of past genera
tions. including our own civil war.
really means in most cases that death
I resulted from hospital gangreen,"
hospital fever" of erysipelas. The
surgeons3of those days We're quite
aware OF the symptoms. but their caus-
rs had not yet been discovered. It was
supposed that the atmosphere OF a hos
ptal was impregnated with subtle,
impalpab BILE infection which could only
be combatted after it had begun to
~ oAAS
/ fluid result of this infection was even
called quantity enough "laudable pus,"
because of the theory that certain de-
gree Of suppuration was unavoidable,
it was regarded as hopeful sign
when the wound threw Off the trouble
some humor which, if kept in would
produce fever. It was not then known,
perhaps hardly even suspected that
the surgeon himself was actually In
| oculating patient after patient with a
! terrible specific disease. 3
The surgeon Of the civil war would.
doubtless, have been very much SUE
prised to hear that their bands. has
| tily rinsed in cold hydrant or spring
| water were busy carrying from wound
to wound hundreds of organisms, the
proper name of which was.or was to be
"Streptococcus Pyogenes." Two med
ical discoveries, one in the honest sense
Of the word empirical. the other result
| ing from pruely scientific investigation
| led to the detection and apprehension
| OF this wholesale ASSASSIN.
Many a surgeon before the year 1878
would have been glad to know how II
might be possible to amputate legs and
arms without suppuration. Many tried
for solution Of the problem, although
most We're, no doubt, content to take
things as they found them. welcome
the appearance OF the ''laudable pus.
and fight the. to them. inevitable hos
pftal fever Itswas Joseph Lister
i whose name Is now known in every
surgical ward in. he world, who first
l II, started the hounds on the righ
acent, when they were all at fault
Il This shrewd Scotch surgeon. coming
II from & Ed hlIrssh XII fFst * iners # Coleg,