The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1905-10-06
WHY THEY WON:
A Lower Mortality in the Japan.
ese Army from Disease
THAN IN ANY ARMY

, ! shot luS aNSu a kidt
Very Nearly a Perfect Sanitary
System and Well Equipped Hos.
pitals In Which to Treat
Their Sick Soldiers.
Maj. Louis l.. Seaman Of New Yorl
was tho central figure Thursday a.
the convention OF Military Surgeon.
Of the Unitcd States, at Detroit, Ill.
when he made answer to the criticism!
OF his utterance made last Tuesday by
Surgeon Charles e. Stokes Of the Unit
ed States navy and followed with 0
paper on THE Real Triumph OF ia
pau" or The Conquest OF the Silent
FOe," In which he riterated many OF
MS former statements and laIded tho
japanese government for its conduct
OF the sanitary and hygienic phase o
the late war.
Or. Seaman's paper was as follows
"Mc. President and Gentlemen: The
success OF Japan In the recent conflict
with Russia was due preemioently to
Jhree fundamental causes: First, thor
ough preparation aid organization foi
war-Such preparation as was never
made before; second, to the simple.
nonirrititing, and easily dgested ra,
tions OF the japanese troops; and third,
to the brilliant part played by the
members OF the medical profession in
the application Of practical sanitation,
the stamping out Of prcventable dis
eases In the army, threby saving it's
units for the legitimate purposes OF
war the smashing OF the enemy In
the field.
1t must never be forgotten that In
every great campaign an army faces
two enemies: First, the armed forces
the opposing foe; second, the far great.
er silent foe, disease.
or these enemies, the history Of
warfare for centuries has proven that
the ilfst kills 20 per cent. OF the total
mortality in the conflict, whilst the
second kills 80 per cent. This dread .ul
and unnecessary sacrifice OF life, es.
pecially in conflicts between the An.
glo- Saxon races, is the most CHASTITY
proposition Of the age, and the Japan.
ese nave gone long way toward con.
qusring or eliminating It,"
Maj. Seaman cited tables of statis.
tics Of battle records for 200 years
showing that there has rarely been a
conflict In which at least four mon have
not perished OF disease for one from
bullets. He contidued:
But the croWning piece of imbeci
lily was reserved for our late war with
spain, where more than ten were need.
lehsly sacrificed to ignorance and in
competency for every one who died on
The hiring line or from bullets. This,
100, In Che short campaign Of six
weeks.
All Of these statistics we're studied
With the minutest care and Ge,ail by
the japanese. Their authorities rec
ogn'z I'd that, In order to be victorious
over Zoe Ike Russia, this great silent
enemy that slaughters SO out OF every
100 that fall must be overcome. And
The medical men Of the army did It,"
The speaker then showed the actual
figures OF klllsd, wounded and sick in
the japanese army from February
1904, TO the end OF April, 1905, which
averaged nearly five Geaths from bul
let's 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 mon OF
the army achieved it,"
How this marvellous result was at
tained, Maj Seaman said was work
or 10 years, beginning Immediately af
ter the war with China, when Japan.
eSe statesmen real.z,d Japan would
again have to go to war to preserve
her independence as u nation. The
great amount OF illness likely to appear
i'll the army vas taken into considera
ton and the steps for its elimination
we're taken.
With this point always in view"
MAJ. Seaman continued, "she sent her
students all over the world to study
the army systems in Othor lands. u Don
the ceciaraJion or war she was pre-.
pared to house, scientifically treat and
terdcrly caro- for 25 900 sick and
Wounncd In Japan alone. Twelve Sc IS
of main hospitals, eacn with from one
TO live &ttached branch hospitals, were
scattered throughout the empire in
the Chief towns OF the ~ military dis.
oficts into which the country is dlvid,
ed.
The original 25, 900 odd beds were
rapidly increased In number as the
campaign progressed, by the erection
OF substantial, though exceedingly
pain, pine buildings running parallel
and 50 constructed that each was q
unit housing 100 patients, but )nnt CT
ing series 10y covered walks and run.
ways. Great elasticity was gained by
this simple form OF architecture, fox
wards could be tackled on Indefinitely
within 6he limitations Of the property
area.
"Onc and half years after the
commencement OF this war, or on the
9th Of July, 1906, the II great mill.
tary home hospitals possessed nor.
NAL capacity Of 58,26 available beds.
On this same day, however, only one
half Of them were In use, or, TO be cx.
act, there were %, SCI patients In hos
, pital. The apparent hospital over.
preparedness suggests that the Japan.
ese themselves failed to realize what
marked SucceSses would attend the en-.
forcement OF their new code OF MILL
tary hygiene and sanitation, as appii