Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-28
MEDICINE AND. WAR.
Japan's Wonderful System Described
by Miss McCaul of the Red Cross.

Japan's Wonderful System Described
by Miss McCaul of the Red Cross.
From the New York Times.
The London papers are printing an inter-
view with Miss McCaul, who was received
few days ago by the queen on her return
from an important mission to the far east,
having for its object the study of the jap
anese Red Cross Society. A detailed report
Of the Japanese military nursing system is
now in the hands of her majesty, ana an
account of the mission will shortly be pub
lished in book form. Miss McCaul, who
gave her services as volunteer in South
Africa during the Boer war, left England
early in the present year, and was absent
six months. Her journey was under the
auspices of the queen, by whom it was
sanctioned, and was made with the full
permission Of the Japanese government.
Miss McCauI said
Il left England, accompanied by Miss
Elaine st. Aubyn, and when we reached
Japan, Nine. Kuroda, a Japanese lady at
tached to the Tokyo war department, was
specially detailed to accompany me on my
tour. My object was to inspect the Japan
csc military and civil hospitals and prisons,
and to thoroughly investigate their system
of ambulance, military medical service,
field hospitals, etc, with view to seeing
what was to be learned. Throughout re-
ceived every possible facility from the au-
thorities. / was received more than once
by the empress, who takes the deepest in
terest In these questions. BY the great
courtesy of the Japanese government l was
permitted to go to the front. and at Gen.
Kuroki's headquarters saw japanese med
ical work in the field. We were the only
women who had gone to the front, and We
were furnished by the government with an
escort of fifty chair-bearers and troops.
There can be no doubt that the Japanese
are ahead of us in the matter Of surgical
and medical outfit and most certainly In
the management of field hospitals. This is
due to the tremendous forethought and
wonderful inventiveness of the japanese.
Yet rigid economy is observed. We have,
indeed, many useful lessons to learn from
them. The equipment of the hospitals is
magnificent, and the fact that their system
goes like clockwOrk Is due to the intense
esprit de corps among all their medical
men. 1 was thoroughly delighted with what
/ saw of the care of the wounded. The
medical science and nursing skill of the
Japanese are wonderful. No woman nurses
are allowed at the front, all the work be-
ing done by men. During war the female
nurses are drafted into the big reserve and
stationary hospitals in Japan, where they
replace the male nurses who are dispatched
to the front They are all Red Cross nurses.
and are kept as reserve. After a course
of training they sign for sixteen years
service, but are free to follow their ordi-
nary avocatiOns SO long as they report at
intervals, so as to be available when
wanted.
II was greatly impressed with the Red
Cross system of Japan, but it is too early
to say how it would work in England. 1t
answers splendidly in Japan. think how
ever, that it would be advisable to have
fewer women nurses in our own army sys-
tenn, and to employ orderlies of higher
training. l was especially struck by the
japanese medical and surgical appliances,
which l cam only describe as wonderful.
and was much impressed by their lightness.
Indeed, the whole of the medical transport
is very light. u1oreceived permission from
the government to go in hospital ship to
Antung, en- route for Feng- huan- cheng, and
I may say that the system on board left
nothing to be1fdesired. I also visited the
Russian prisoners in the Island of Shikoku,
at Matsuyama IL found them happy and
Asked aboutatIie charges of cruelty and
the use of dum-Sfum and explosive bullets
MissMcCaul said:
II never saw or heard of explosive bull
let's Both among the Russian and JAPAN
csc wounded I found that the bullet holes
were just like those made by Mauser bull
let's being veryfsmall and clean wounds.
which healed xery. quickly. The Japanese
gave me a complete infantry equipment
and collection of ambulance appliances
to bring homo to show to people in Eng
land. 1t is. however, curious thing that
I could not obtain bullet. All those ex-
.tracted from the wounded are carefully
kept as the property of the government
and are arranged in cases.
Summing up her remarks, Miss McCaul
added:
THE Japanese admitted to me that they
had learned many useful lessons from the
South African war. and thereby had been
able to improve their own system The
| perfect organization and discipline to be
| seen everywhere In Japan, even down to
the minutest detail form object-lessons,
not only for us. but for every other ma
| tion.''
| Miss McCaul also stated that the Japan
| csc troops were very pleased at queen
| Alexandria's interest In their nursing sys-
| tenn and added that in this respect the
mission had had beneficial effect on Jap
anese public opinion.