The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-09-02

nm. Ihe bullet also had gone through
his heart. There is not the slightest
doubt Of it. Yes, he is getting along rap
idly. He will rejoin his regiment after
awhile unless he is retired. He Is % years
OLD and he may be pensioned from the
service. There you have good niustra-
ton of the effect OF the Mauser bullet.
Had the missile that went through Brown
been of the older type ne would have
been Instantly killed.
Shell wounds are the worst of all.
Where piece Of shell strikes a soldier IN
the arm or on the leg, that member usual
ly has to be ampuCated. These fragments
OF shells leave gaping wounds with lace
rated edges. They shiYer the bone. we
had many cases where skulls were shat
| tered, but We saved the lives of the men
by trephining. There was one odd condi-
ton we discovered that is hardly explain
able. Nearly every injury we treated was
on the left side. Usually, a man was shot
in the left leg, in the left arm, on the left
side of the head or on the left side of the
body In instances where the soldiers
were lying down, their left arms were eX-
posed more than their right arms and their
left legs were thrown over their right
ones.
Speaking of the penetrating powers of
| the Mauser, l must tell YOU of the case OF
a private in the Twelfth. That man was
long distance back from the firing line,
but he was pestered by bullets from sharp
shooters rifles To protect himself from
one sharpshooter who seemed determined
to Kill him, the private got behind a tree
that was just sixteen inches in diameter
While ne was standing there, satisfied that
he was out of danger. a bullet struck him
in the left nip and passed through it. The
ball had come out through the tree behind
which the soldier stood. Is may have
gone through several other trees after
leaving the private no one knows.
I'VE had any number Of cases where
men were shot through the lungs. All we
had VIII recover. They suffered slight
hemorrhages and usually had slight
touches of pneumonia, but that was all.
II was not so long ago that wound
through the lung was regarded as neces-
sarily fatal We also had a great number
OF cases where men We're shot through the
abdomen. One instance was that of Priv
ate Andrew Wraylorp of the Second In
fantry. A Mauser bullet struck him an
inch below the umbllicus and came out
of his back. He was NOT even operated
on, and he viii recover and be as well as
ever. Undoubtedly his intestines were
pierced"
To what do you attribute the slight
ness of mortality" was asked of DR..
Meyer
Greatly to the humane and merciful ac-
ton of the Mauser bullet and chiefly to
the intelligence and discipline of the
American regulars. You understand that
every soldier is equipped with frst-aid
dressing outfit. That as a packet four
inches long and an inch in thickness and
width. 1t contains two sterilized COM
preSseS ore gauze bandage, and one May
er scarf, on which are pictures illustrat-
ing how the scarf and bandages are TO be
used. The regulars are taught how TO
apply this so-called first-aid dressing and
| they saved many lives by means of it,
The moment a soldier was injured if he
was able, he attended to his own wound
according to the instruction which had
been drilled into him If he was help
less, his comrades attended to his in
jury. This preliminary treatment served
to keep the wounds open aud clean until
the sufferer was able to get to a hospital
thirds of the injuries received by
our soldiers healed without the formation
of pus. In the cases where pus did form
the amount was small and not at all Sc
rous. The statements that have been
made in effect that the injured soldiers
suffered from lack of treatment and i'll
treatment are certainly untrue Judging
from the stories of the injured at Fort
Monroe and the condition they were in
when they reached our shore. You will
appreciate this when. / say that out of
$50 cases at Fort Monroe but three were
fatal And every case of the 450 was a
severe one. There will not be many Grip
pied, either. OF course where a bullet
struck joint the owner of the joint will
be crippled, In other, gases nerves were
| injured"
will the bones which We're. pierced by
bullets be weakened?' was asked
mo, they will not. The only ill-effect
that may follow such injuries are slight
neuralgic pains The patients viii not be
crippled"
What was the condition Of the soldiers
when you first saw them?"
"All of them We're slightly debilffa tod nv
a mild fever known as Cuban fever. II is
not serious aflliction when cared for. Ii
comes from sleeping out at night in damp
clothes and on damp ground. But let me
say that the American regulars are a
mighty fine set of men, Powerful phys
ically perfect, courageous either on the
firing line or under the surgeons knife
They are satisfied with their lot no mat
ter what it be, and What would XIII them
in the way of prlvaton and suffering
would kin any body of men on the face
of the earth. The volunteers, of course
are not their equal The injured who are
dying and the fever-stricken soldiers who
are succumbing are mostly volunteers
The convalescent a Fort Monroe are be-
ing sent to Washington to make room
for fever patients from Porto Rico"
DR. Meyer brought home with him many
souvenirs Of the more marvellous cases that
came TO his notice. He also brought with
| him reports of the injuries of $50 soldiers
Those reports give the names of the in
! jured, the nature of the wounds, the dis
lance the bullet had gone before striking
and the effect of the wound. Those doc
uments are the first that have been col
lected, and DR. Meyer considers them val
liable from scientific as well as a surgi-
! cal viewpoint. DR.. Meyers rank in the
army is that of major. He is still in the
! service, but he viii probably not be order
ed away again unless there Is another en-
/ -. - a
! this country.
| Kisses and Glory.
| From the Baltimore Sun.