The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1905-02-17
An Army Surgeons Story
fOriginai. ]

Seryatlon in the Santiago campaign.
a number of heroic deeds were re-
counted, all of them cases where men
carried away by excitement seemed to
have lost realization of danger. All
had given experiences in the line of
bravery except one who had been a
surgeon in the war One of the .veter-
ans. noticing that the surgeon had
not spoken and assuming that acts Of
bravery were not TO be expected of
the medical officers, said:
Cheer up, doctor. Remember that
when man is once wounded the sur
geon to him is of more Importance than
his commanding general
Il remember az instance replied
the surgeon where one Of our de-
partment was Of more Importance to a
soldier than not only his commanding
general, but whole army"
Let us have it." chimed in every
one present
1T was Just before the surrender of
Santiago" said the surgeon, clearing
his throat rather from nervousness
than necessity, as if about to enter up
on a distasteful recital. There was
one battery on one especial day about
half an hour before dark upon which
the SpaniardS concentrated a heavy
fire A surgeon was directed to go
over there and look after the wounded.
He went and after giving hasty pre-
liminary treatment to several cases
turned to the next, a boy not more
than nineteen years old, who had had
his leg torn by a she'll only few mo-
ments before. The surgeon saw arte
rial blood being pumped from the
wound. Thrusting his fingers in, he
took hold Of the artery and, squeezing
it between his thumb and fOrefnger.
stopped the flow.
'"The Spaniards must have made up
their minds to eliminate that particular
battery, for every minute the fire grew
hotter and every minute they got a
truer range. One gun after another
was knocked over, and so many of the
men were killed that the rest, picking
up the wounded. got away under cover.
But two live men were left, the boy
and the surgeon. The boy couldn't go,
and if the surgeon let go Of that artery
for half minute the boy would die"
The speaker paused, lighted cigar
and added: II leave it to you, gentle
men, if that was not case where the
medical man was of more Importance
to the wounded man not only than the
commanding general, but a whole ar
my He paused for reply.
'Well!' exclaimed tie listeners
isn't that enough to prove the posi-
tion?"
position, rats. Go on with the sto-
ryw
ooh, the story. Well, the boy knew
well enough that his life depended on
that is, if some OF the shells or frag-
ments of shells exploding about them
every few seconds didn't kill them both
In the meantime-but he was brave
little fellow. / mean morally brave;
not brave like men who make dashes
and capture forts, ana he looked up
into the surgeons face and said:
you've done all any reasonable man
can expect. l confess do want to get
home again and see the folks, but I'd
rather not face them feeling that had
chung to you and kept you from get
ting back, Goodby, doctor Thank
you"
The surgeon paused again, this time
to relight his cigar.
"Wellr' chimed in the crowd.
SWELL" repeated the surgeon, don't
you see that the medical man was Of
greater Importance to that boy than
''Oh, get off that side track and go on
with what you're talking about"
Holding on with his right hand"
pursued the story Ter, 1.-The surgeon
felt through his lief, pockets-he could
not reach his right-for something with
which to make a tourniquet. If he had
only had a piece of string about him, a
bit of bandage, anything! But he had
not All he had brought with him for
the days use had been applied to other
cases. He wanted to get his hand in
his pocket to get out his knife
Had the firing ceased?''
Ceased? No. 1t was growing hot
ter every minute. One shell burst be-
side them and covered them with dirt
A fragment of another knocked off the
surgeons hat
Didn't he find anything to tie up the
wound with?''
'Yes. At last he thought of the
locket containing his ladylove's pic
ture, which he had Worn suspended by
a narrow ribbon around his neck He
got his left hand in under his coat,
broke the ribbon, managing to slip the
locket into his pocket and with ribbon
and pencil made tourniquet."
Again the speaker paused
'Did the firing cease?
"Of course it did. Everything ceases
if you give it time enough. 1t got so
dark the Spaniards couldn't see. Be-
sides, when they had made up their
minds that the battery had been knock
ed out they had no occasion to fire any
more 1t was only n matter of ten