The Miller sun. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 190?-19??, 1905-10-18
A DEATH ROLL.
Mikndo's Government Reports 72,45O
Fatalities During War;.

The japanese report 72,450 fatalities
during the war with Russia. OF the
dead $3.50 were killed in battle, 10.97C
died of wounds. and 1890 of disease.
No account is taken of thoss. disabled 10y
wounds or disease. In a war of eigh,
teen months, in which five battles indie.
nendent Of the siege Of Port Arthur and
several naval engagements were fought
Japan lost by death 12,450 men.
In the Civil War, in which operations
extended over four years, the Union army
lost GLOSS men killed on the field. 43,012
who died of wounds. and 249,4 5S who
died of disease. The Confederate loss
was $4,000 killed and MORALLY wound.
ed and 59,297 by disease, The several
armies were engaged in forty-eight bat.
ties and in many long and eXhauSting
campaigns, but III no battle of the Civil
War were half as many troops in &C.
ton as were engaged at Lao Yang OF
Mukden.
Satisfactory comparison between the
battles Of the Russo-Japanese war and
those of our Civil War or those of the
Franco-Prussian wal of 1870 cannot be
made until reports In detail are at hand,
says the Chicago Inter Ocean. 1t is
apparent, however, that of the many
wounded a larger per cent recovered
than in any previous war.
This was due partly to improvements
in surgery, to well organized hospitals,
and to a better emergency service in
battle. 1t was due also in part to the
character of wounds made by the mod.
ern rifle fired at long range.
The observation of surgeons during
the war was to the effect that men re.
covered more rapidly from gunshot
wounds than in our Civil War or in the
Franco-Prussian war. 1t was also con
tended that, firing at long range the
modern rifle was not the equal of the
old rifle in effecting permanent disabil.
ity. All these contentious seem to be
sustained by the report of the japanese
authorities.
However. the most remarkable feature
of the Japanese fatality list is the small
number of deaths from disease. With
probably 100000 men in the field only
$1,000 deaths by disease are reported.
1T is true that the campaigns were not
like those in the Civil War. 1t is true
that the 249,45S deaths from disease in
the Union army in the Civil War include
fatalities along all the short term and
unseasoned regiments that entered into
the composition of a total enlistment of
100000 men.
Yet, after all allowances nave been
made, the small death rate by disease in
the japanese army must be credited to
better sanitary regulations, better organ
ization in hospitals for the treatment of
camp diseases, and better methods in
handling contagious diseases.
1t was the rule in the japanese army
to send the seriously wounded and the
seriously sick to home hospitals as soon
as possible. where they could receive the
best surgical and medical treatment. The
genius of the japanese medical staff was
directed to the saving Of men, and in
both the Russian and Japanese armies
the wounded were so carefully and intel
ligently treated that the majority re-
turned to the ranks in a short time. The
wonder is not that Japan lost 3 1000 men
by death in battle, but that she lost only
1890 by disease.