The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-10-09

and the next day there were twelve,
among the number being several
hospital ships.
Five large hospitals have been built
here, and one or two others are near
ing completion. They are all under
Ked Cross regulations. the Red Cross
flag floating over them, and every
patient has the Red Cross on the
white sleeve of his invalid robe. Skill
full surgeons-and among them are
some OF the best in the World-are
in charge, and trained nurses, jap
anese women, in their dainty white
regulation dress ard in faithful attend
ance The wounded soldiers are
brought here in hospital ships imme-
diately from the front. Most of the
difficult surgery is performed here.
Only the cases that demand prompt
attention on the field to save life are
treated there With all possible dis
patch they are then sent to hiroshima.
Hundreds arrive by single ship. and
are placed in the wards of these hos
Eitals which have accommodations for
$500. When l tell you that the con-
valescents have to be hurried away
by train loads to other points in order
to make room for those coming from
the front with fresh wounds or deadly
disease, you may have some idea OF
the dreadful casualties of this terrible
war
With exceeding courtesy / was given
every facility to observe the manage
ment of these great hospitals A
Japanese surgeon accompanied me. as
did also DR.. Ante McGee, from Wash
ington d. c., who came here in April
with nine young lady nurses from
America to assist in this noble relief
work. l was shown how skillfully
the surgeons use the X-ray in tracing
Ian of
bullets. They have almost abandoned
the old-fashioned probing process. To
the eye of a layman some of these
operations were really wonderful.
! [ was told by the chief surgeon that
| there are very few amputatlonS. The
| rifle balls of to-day do not tear the
/ flesh and shatter bones as formerly.
| and skilled surgery is far better pre-
| pared to treat successfully all gun
| shot wounds. In one hospital con-
tanning 800 or 400 patients there has
| been but three amputations performed
since the beginning of the war.
Another fact I observed while
Watching the work of these japanese
surgeons is that the soldiers never
| take an anesthetic. With Il Stolcal
face and never murmur of pain they
submit to the surgeons knife with
| scarcely a finch. To complain under
such circumstances is regarded as
unmanly. The Japanese children are
taught in their earliest years to en-
dure pain without complaint, This
| doubtless is one of the results of Bud
hism, which for SO many centuries
dominated this beautiful land. But
while this stoicism is applauded. [
doubt if it is much to be admired,
after all. The higher the civilization
| of a people. ana the more delicate
| and complex their nervous organiZa-
! ton, the more sensitive they are TO
| pain.
| In the wards of the wounded Off
| GERS / saw many interesting cases. and
| had several notable conversations.
| One splendid fellow, a colonel, with
account of the battle in which he was
wounded, and with genuine pride
showed me his sword, the metal
| scabbard of which had been pierced
| by a Russi9n bullet. The ball first
| 11assed entirely through his body, and
then through the scabbard, grazing
| the blade of his sword. 1t was a
picture that impressed me deeply
the expression of that brave mans
| face as he locked upon the mute evil
| dence of his own heroiSm in the
wound of his trusty sword. Through
all the years that Scared scabDard
will be his dearest possession. and to
1
| with a patriotic blessing.
! Another soldier showed me his can
| teen, flattened out of shape by Rus
sian rife ball, but which had saved
/ his life. He said that by some strange
good fortune he had hurriedly thrust
the canteen in the left pocket of his
jacket. Its presence there prevented
the ball from piercing his heart. With
/ a genuine and reverent touch he
| hot Mt
friend that preserved him from death.
Another brave young fellow a
! Christian officer. and exceptionally
we'll educated, had lost a leg. The
surgeons worked heroically to save the
| limb, but at last had to remove 1T in
order to save his life. He spoke
| English fiuently, ands seemed almost
overioyed at the visit of Christian
friends The story of another young
| man was told me who had received
| twenty Russian bayonet thrusts in his
body. One or two penetrated his
lungs. After varying battle for life
| he was convalescent. And scores OF
other stories might be related, all ac-
centuating and confirming the Japan
ese world wide reputation for fearless
heroism and undaunted devotion to
| country.
/ 1t was a great pleasure to meet DR.
Anita MCGEE. of Washington. and the
noble young Red Cross women who
accompanied he'd to this country az
4 the outbreak of the war. Their com
, ing has been generously and univer-
sally appreciated by the Japanese
They regard it as sio'nal assurance OF
Americas sympathy. l saw three
| young women in the wards at work
! among their patients, and it made my
American heart beat with pride to see
one bending over fine looking youne
Japanese soldier dressing his wound
and another bathing the fevered body
of a heroic sufferer. Their laborious
and unstinted service have made
great impression on the whole Japan
ese nation. | am sorry that IN feW
weeks they will be compelled to re-
turn to America.
1t is difficult to see how these
emergency hospitals could be much
improved. AS proof of their eff
cheney, a very small per cent. of the
woun ded brought here fail to recover
| These little brown fellows are GER
tainIy a happy lot, in spite of their
wounds / never saw a scowl upon
a single face or heard a complaining
word. They are proud of the wounds
they bear, and are impatient to get
back to the front.
Closing an account of a debate be-
tween Webb and Newell the Madison