The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1904-10-15

the antlseptio treatment In surgery has
been proved to be.
In all past wars the losses by disease
have far exceeded those in direct battle,
and that experience seems to be repeated
in full measure In the case Of the Russian
army in the present conflict. Among The
Japanese. however, Major SEAMAN's
report is that they have been almost
entirely eliminated. His testimony,
from his own observation in Japanese
hospitals In Japan and in Manchuria,
supplemented by the testimony Of "those
most conversant with the facts" that
the Japanese "loss from preventable
disease in the first six months of this
terrible conflict will he but a fraction OF
per cent" is hardly credible by any
one who has had experience OF WARRIOR
example, of our own brief Spanish war,
in which the mortality from bullets and
wounds was only 28s while the deaths
from disease, contracted chiefly In camps
away from the seat of hostilities, were
1892 or more than fourteen times az
many In the Boer war the British losses
by disease were appalling also, az they
had been in the Crimean war. During
our civil war the destruction of life by
disease was frightfu.
1t is not merely the direct loss inflicted
by disease which weakens an army in
the field. The care and transportation
of great part of the force incapactated
BY it hinder and complcate military
operations and tax transportation SER
vices. Moreover, even the troops re-
turned as effective are likely to suffer in
energy and endurance, to very large
extent, by the cause which actually lays
low so many of their comrades. After
the Seven DAYS Battles of the civil war,
when the Army of the Potomac returned
from Malvern Hill to Harrison Landing
the whole army was practically inca
pactated by malarious disease AS
Gen HOOKER testified, it was then in
such condition of lassitude due to the
almost universal sickness that an enemy
might have beaten it with sticks.
GRANTS losses in his continuous battles
in the Wilderness were exceeded by Nc
CLELLAN's losses by disease in camps on
the Peninsula
Will civilization profit by the expe-
rience of the Japanese in this conflict,
so that in future wars loss by prevent
able disease will be almost wholly elm
mated? In the end, probably, but in the
early future it is not to be expected. To
the Japanese the latest scientific improve
ment of civilization is as new as the
oldest They are without traditions and
prejudices to hold tAHll back from
adopting the best method presented by
civilization, no matter how new it is.
They take our science even more seri-
ously than we do ourselves. Besides,
they are naturally docle and amenable
to discipline. No American or European
army, not even German, would give
like heed to the minute sanitary direc-
tions so punctiliously followed by the
Japanese, under the instruction of medi-
cal officers Practically. they are more
civilized beings than make up the rank
and file of Western armies, and their
officers are really more scientific SOL
diers, for careful and faithful regard for
sanitary measures is of the highest gen
eralship
The Japanese. for the frst time, have
put the scientific medical officer in his
true and foremost place in the art of war.