The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1905-10-03

when Japanese statesmen realized
Japan would again have to go to war
to preserve her independence as
nation. The great amount OF i'll
ness likely to appear in the army was
taken into consideration and the
steps for it's elimination were taken.
with this point always in view,
Major Seaman continued, "she sent
her students all over the world to
study the army systems in other
lands. Upon the declaration OF war
she was prepared to house, sclentltl-
callv treat and tenderly care for $4,000
sick and wounded in Japan alone.
Twelve sets of main hospitals, each
with from one to five attached branch
hospitals, were scattered throughout
the empire in the chief towns OF the
II military districts into whloh' the
country is divided.
Number Of Beds Increased.
THE original $4,000 odd beds were
rapidly increased in number as the
campaign progressed, though ex-
ceedingly plain, pine buildings rum
ming parallel and so constructed that
each was a unit housing 100 pa
tients, but connected in series by
covered walks and runways. Great
elasticity was gained by this simple
form of architecture, for wards could
be tackled on indefinitely within the
limitations of the property area.
/ "One and half years after the
commencement of the war, or on
the 9th of July, 1905, the IL great
military home hospitals possessed
normal capacity of 58,263 available
beds. On this same day, however,
only one-haH of them were in use,
or, to be exact, there were 28,5o1
patients in hospital. The apparent
I,hospital over-preparedness suggests
that the Japanese themselves failed to
realize what marked successes would
attend the enforcement of their new
code of military hygiene and sani-
tation as applied for the first time
in the field.
"Whether the medical department
PREPARED this immense hospital sys-
tenn for sick OF wounded is Of little
importance; the fact, however, be-
ing that when the ghastly cortege
from Mukden did arrive in Japan in
April there was hospital room for
everv disabled man of the thousands
and thousands, and instant medical
attendance and care and nursig ready
and waiting.
"The pharmaceutical side Of these
military hospitals is an auxiliary ma
chine, working in perfect harmony
with the whole. Like the field ser
vice, it is irdisputably responsible
for all the medical and surgical sup
plies, and issues them upon requlsi-
ton of the doctors and surgeons.
Besides this, the department is re-
sponsible for all sterilized milk, wash
ing of bandages and rerolling, disin-
fection of bedding, and the making
of chemical tests Of urine.
every hospital throughout Japan
and every base and field hospital in
Manchuria has it's archaeological lab
oratory.
Praise For The Surgeons.
TOO much cannot be said in en-
thusiastic commendation of this side
of the service. Undoubtedly the pains
taking researches have been the
means of saving thousands of lives
by forestalling possible epidemics,
and saving individual life by prompt
determination Of the trouble. No
man suffers from temperature but
whose blood goes under the micro
scope. Malaria is malaria, and ty-
phoid is typhoid in the Japanese
army. Diseases are not guessed at,
as they were in Cuba, the Philippines
and South Africa, where often for
a full week the physicians attempted
to diagnose cases by sleight of hand
and trick Of eve.