The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1905-10-04
WHY They WON.
A Lower Mortality in the Japan
ese Army from Disease
THAN IN Any ARMY

System and Well Equipped Hos.
pitals in Which to Treat
Their Sick Soldiers.
Mai. Louis L. Seaman Of New york
was tee central figure Thursday at
the convention OF Military Surgeons
Ct the United States, at Dstroit, Ill,
when be made answer to the criticisms
OF bis utterance made last Tuesday by
Surgeon Charles F. Stokes Of the Unit-
ed States navy and followed with q
paper on ''The Real Triumph OF ia.
pan" OF The Conquest CT the Silent
FJe," il which be riterated many OF
MS former statements and iauded the
japanese government for its conduct
OF the sanitary and hygienic phase OF
the late war.
Dr.. Seaman's paper WAS as follows:
''M-. President and Gentleman: The
success Of Japan in the recent confict
with Russia was due prominently to
three Fundamental causes: First, thor
ough preparation aud organization for
waI-such preparation as was never
made before; second, to the simple,
non. irritating, and essily digeStsd "a
5iors OF t0e Japanese troops; sno third,
to the brilliant part played by the
membsrs OF the medical profession in
the application Of practical sanitation,
the stamping out OF preventable dis
eases in the army, threby saving it's
units for the legitimate purposes OF
war-the smashing OF the enemy In
the field.
It must never be forgotten that in
every great campaign an army faces
two eremies: FIRST, the armed forces
the opposing fcs; second, the far great
er silent foe, disease.
''Of these enemies, the history OF
warfare for centuries has proven that
the first kills 20 per cent. OF the total
mortality in the conflict, whilst the
second kills 80 per cent. This dreadful
and unnecessary sacrifice OF life, es-
pscially in conflicts bsJween the An.
glo.Ssxon races, is the most CHASTITY
proposition Of the age, and the Japan
ese have gone long way toward COZ.
ouerirg or eliminating it,
Maj. Seaman cited tables Of stats,
tics OF battle records Tor 200 years
showing that there has rarely been g
conflict in which at least four men have
rot perished OF disease for one from
bullets. he contidueo:
But the crowning piece Of imbeci.
| lity was reserved for our late war with
Spain, where mere than ten were need.
lessly sacrificed to ignorance and in
com potency for every one who died OF
the firing line or from bullets. This,
TOO, In the short campaign OF six
weeks.
AL of these statistics were studied
with the mirusest care and detail by
the japanese. Their authorities rec
ogn:zed that, In order to be victorious
over a foe like Russia, this great silent
enemy thai Slaughters so out OF every
100 that fall must De overcome. And
the medical men OF the army did It.
The speaker then showed the actual
figures Of killsd, wounded and sick in
the japanese army from February
1904, TO the end Of April, 1905, which
averaged nearly Eve deaths from bull
lets for one from disease, or 900 per
cent. better than the average In his
tory. Maj. Seaman says:
This record IS unparalleled and un-
approached and the medical men Of
che army achieved it,
How this marvellous result was at
tanned, Maj Seaman said was work
OF 10 years, beginning Immediately az
ter the war with China, when Japan
eSe statesmen real;zed Japan would
again have to go to war to preserve
her independence as nation. The
great amount Of illness likely to appear
il the army was taken into coosidera.
tion and the steps for its elimination
were taken.
With this point always il view, 81
Mai. Seaman Continued, she sent her
students all over the world to study
the army systems in ether lands. q pon
the declaration OF var SIZE was pre-
pared to house, scientifically treat and
renderl5 care for 5000 sick acd
wouaned in japan alone. Twelve sets
VI main hospitals, each with from cne
to i've attached branch hospitals, were
scattered throughout the empire il
the Chief togDs Of the II military dis.
s7icts into which the country is divid.
Cd.
THE origical 5000 odd beds we're
rapidly Increased in nunbsr as the
campaign progressed, by the erection
OF substantial, though exceedingly
pain, pine buildings running parable;
and so constructed that each wss a
unit housing 100 patients, but conn5ct-
ing series by covered walks and ruG-
ways. GrsaJ elasticity was gained by
this simple form ct architecture, for
wards cou!5 be tackled or Indefinitely
within the limitations of the property
area.
"One and haii yesrS after the
commencem OF this war, or on the
9Th Of July, 1865. the y great mill.
sary home hospitals possessed q nor
m:.l capacity OF 5S,263 aTailable beds.
. On this same day, however, only one
half Of them were in use, or, to be ex-
act, there were 2S, 56l patients in hos
pitsl. The apparent hospital over.
preparedness suggests that the Japan
esq themselves failed to realize what
marked successes would attend the en-
forceme1t OF their new code OF mill
tsry hygiene and sanitation, as appll
ed for the first time in the field.
whether the medical department
prepared this immense hospital sys