Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-10-20
ONE LESSON FROM JAPAN.

! ONE IENSDN lkOM iAtAN'
one of the great lessons Of the pres
emf war IN Asia seems TO be this that
the great mortality from various kinds
OF diseases. that sometimes docimotas
armies is due TO acknowledgement In
our own war with Spain. diseases slew
thousands whore o. hundred Ten Tor The
bullets OF the enemy The same was
Che case in South Africa, aud now the
Germans ON the war path ln that couu-
ueHt arc falling the victims OF typhoid
| fever DOB great numbers This ls aIl
wrong. Experts tell us ,hat the Iapa.
ncso have proved that by the obsery-
anco OF the laws Of hyg.ent-of which,
boy tine way. they have but recently
comparatively speaking heard any
thing no all--iho lives of soldiers can
be preserved for duty In the field 1t
takes intelligent vigilance 20 do H. but
the japanese must save their men, az
much as possible, In this conflict II
they are 10 come out even against d
foe outnumbcrIng them four to one
Major Louis T.. Seaman a surgeon In
the United states army, has studied
the medical and surgical arrangements
Of the Japanese IN the field, and ac-
cordng 10 him, these little brown
mem are far ahead. IN that respect, OF
their western tutors, IN a paper read
before an association OF surgeons, at 81.
Louis. he maintains that we are cen-
turtles behind the japanese In matters
Of military medical organization and
sanitation, The japanese soldier Is
taught how to take care Of his digestive
organs lie is given a plain, rational
diet. 1T Is not we are told, AN lTrl-
tating. indigestible, fermenting mess
acting az local irrltant, and produce
Ing gastrts, duodenitIs ,enteritis, colIis,
hepitltls and the long list Of innamma-
tory Intestinal processes with which we
were an so familiar In the hospital
wards at Camp Alger Chattanooga,
Tampa, Cuba. Porto Rico and Montauk |
Point IN 1885
Major Seaman says Of the japanese |
medical officer that he Is omnlpresent
IN the campaign "He is with the first
screen Of scouts with his microscope
and chemicals, testing and labelling
wells go the army 20 follow shall drink
no contaminated water. When the
scouts reach a town, he Immediately
Institutes thorough examination Of
Us sanitary condition and II contaglon
or infection Is found he guarantees
and places a guard around the danger
Gus district Notices are posted so the
approaching column Is warned and no
soldiers are bllleted where danger ex-
lets Microscopic blood tests are made
I'm all fever cases-and meteorological |
experts, fully equipped, form part OF the
stan OF every divisional headquarters.
The medical officer also accompanies
fcraglng parties, and with the commits
sariat officers, samples the various food
fruits and vegetables sold By the ma
tlyes along the line Of march, long be-
fore the arrival Of the army II the food
is tainted or the fruit oyeTlpe or the
water requires boiling notice is posted
to that effect. aud such is the respect |
and discipline Of every soldier from com
handing officer to the file In the ranks,
that obedience to its order Is absolute.
The medical officer Is also found IN |
camp. lecturlng the men on sanitation
and the hundred and one details OF per-
sonal hygiene, how 10 cook-to eat
and when not TO drlnk-to battle and |
even TO the direction OF the pairing and |
cleansing OF the iinger-nails to prevent |
danger from bacteria As a conse-
quence, the major found a sanitary |
condition almost unprecedented. He |
says that the "conspcuously empty |
beds Of the contagious and infectious |
wards Of the great japanese hospitals
voice more tloquently than words the
most important lesson Of the war" lie |
reports that he saw only a few cases
Of disease Of the respiratory system,
only three Of typhoid In Manchura.
and only occasionally a case Of dysen-
terry. Ot the many thousands OF pa
tlen,s IN the hospitals he visited, not o
bakers dozen were suffering from dis
eases Of the digestive organs. IN fact,
there were but a few medical cases, all
told.
The science and art OF war Will we
hope, become obsolete before many
more sanguinary chapters OF human
history are written, but while waiting
for the prevalence OF the sentiment that
VIII compel the remoulding Of war i'm.
plements in the interest OF industry, the
nations OF the world should profit by
the lesson taught II seems that In
war AN efficient medical department is
as important as board OF strategy
METHOD nE EERTH ALTON