New-York tribune., 1905-06-04
GROWTH OF SURGERY.
In It's Military Character Of Modern
Origim-Some Surgical Feats.


were concerned. shall be published il will show
that many almost miraculous cures Of battle
manned fighting have bsen effected within
surprisingly short times. This pnrt OF the report
is supported almost every day by press reports
from the front. which Indicate ths daily return to
the firing and fighting lire of wounded veterans
discharged from field hospitals cured and III
TO again render active service.
Military surgery. as distinguished from surgery
| in general is CO modern origin The Greeks haA
no military surgeons: their warriors their
doctors. Thus Podairsus ana M1cliaoa. OF
Fsscuiapius in the Trojan Wa- united the soldiers
with the surgeons art. ard show the estimation
in which the latter was held Homer makes IdOme-
neus excianl--
physician skilled our wounds to heal
Is more than armies TO the public veal
Alexander the Great surrounded himsel: with
physicians in his wars bu: they ministered to him
alone and his soldiers had to treat their own
wounds best they might The Romans had a
poor opinion Of doctors; vet they acknowledges
their or the battlefield. and each legion had i,s
Medicus vuIneraius. Such good service did they
render TO the armies of the republic that augustus
gave them the privileges OF citizenship. exempted
them from taxation and treated them with as
tinguished honor The nations Of Europe cid not
initiate Rome in institution OF military surgery
and in the Crusades ard other wars Of the Middle
Ages there was provision made for the system
attic OF the wounded. king would have MS
own physician; the barons had their clerks or
chaplans who had rude empirical knowledge OF
|
patrons.
The rest of the army depended on ignorant pre-
tenders who followed the camps endeavoring 20
sell much vaunted balrus, and certain of the
camp women who made a profession Of sucking
wounds This practice. the suction of pen rating
wounds. originated in Greece and has been
handed down almost to the present day women
OF al ranks says Fourner. sucked the wounds
Of warriors some matter OF business ana
others from the devotion their love: the girl
would suck her lovers wound" Jean Pitard. born
| in the beginning OF the thirteenth century, was
the medical director of Louis KS crusade he
had with him as assistants number of monks ana
| chaplajns who united the healing art with the
care of souls. Even St. Louis, however. kept MS
surgeons for his own exclusive use and Pltard and
his successors If they minstered to any but their
immediate patrons. expected an addltionai zee lO'
! so doing or did it act Of charity Whlch no
| one could demand and which no one had a right
! to expect.
! The invention of gunpowder. by introducing a
new and frightfuI class OF injuries, mace the
wounds of battle rauch serious and such as
| TO demand much greater skill and care Ior 'ie-l
treatment than in the days Of lances ana arrows.
| Yet it was not till the reign of Henry ~ OF
France that military surgery. properly so calleu.
| cama into being Even the nlustriOus Ambrose
| Pare whom Abernethy classes among the barOer-
/ surgeons had no military rank but accompehlea
! the armies merely Il private iAdlVlGual. Ae'
nv tie slIuererinence Of his genius he was acho"i-
| edged the chief by all his companions NhoeVer
! vas wounded wished for his aid He did away
with the use of boiling OIL which before ms .liLo
was considered a suitable and appropriate appici
+ion TO gunshot wounds and by his skill anu 9e=as-
nent gained the high reputation which ne sim en-
| iovs The reputation of Ambrose rare, aNS
Forrnfer was so universal in the armies t ina '-o
| soldier knew no danger when th1s great SUie 80
| - nress,t Metz was besieged; the wouroeo
wa Wa' ,sh,re deprived of all salusary aid Pare
! tostens into the city to afford tneln inc 'i0
| . ,is ort the soldiers knowing MS arrival cl!-
ol @ N-s 80 no+bi,r now; our AMBROSE is with US!
eIaav
- .ba most precious reinforcement that cou-d
bo sent them and. By their care aOuiu@-
| reioned in his house, while the oeSleeeu
during the most rude privations. - ~
| Military surgery proper began WIN 49,
" ar-+ aeta blished military hospitals WEtch o'
| fore that time had been unknown ms - -
| +Lo staee of Arniens in 1897; and Sc aslesio ioiS ~
| - hi tro,ns that they called that tine Nel'et a.
| 80. " ., In the reign of Louis XIII the meclcs-
I denartrent Of the French army began 70 asSI-
a form ard organization and was gIaouans gz ~ g..
r-o,-ed tilI under the first Napoleon IL Is-ltieu -
come of perfection by the care OF the iI'u9'i
| D. ord the vet more iIlustrous Larrey- Inc
orr,,- surgeon through all that perlod' WAS TIC
only one who could expect to attain en1ihs"ce
elder Petit the inventor OF the tourhidue'' 80
M 1aes than eight campaigns and ms son ioui- IL
1-a1.nd Tobn Hunter. Hennen and Guthrie thTee
~ the brightest names in British surgery were an
military surgeons. Before the tune OF reI-S. -
medical corps of an army were Always p,eeo -
the rear at considerable distance from tle -l.ie
| oF hattie where their attentions We're necessarily
confined to such OF the wounded as could DC
| brought TO their station Percy INTRODUCES tI'e
nractice of certain of the surgeons gong 10 ti'o
front with disciplined assistants. and thus giving
their aid where it was most needed. and saving
many lives that must otherwise have perished Tor
want of timely sucCor To Percy belongs the honor
Of having instituted the first organized ambulance
| corps.
| For many years and not until very long ago.
| trephining or trepannng. was one of the most
FREQUENT OF capital operations in the army espe-
| ciaHy and many a surgeon, in France particularly
thought as little of tapping mans head as he
would of tapping wine cask. This has all passed
away and the operation Is noT FJI! ra1f-y qotS Trgs
doses of tartar emeta- which IN these DAY now
campaiens of the English in the Peninsula profuse
| bleeding the treatment FOR chest wounds; ana
If the patient did die of the wound and not
LiIied Ry the trea alent he slowly recovered When
| the man first wounded. ne was freely bed,
| or his puIse frequent. he was bled again: almost
every new symptom the indication for another
ever Conferred upon humanity have been met at
first with the most violent opposition. amounting
in some cases almost 10 persecution WIlen rare
| introduced the HgatUre. he was greeted with a
perfect storm Of ridicule and abuse and finally In
| self-defence, had TO show that the idea was not
strictly original but might be traced in the writ
Writing Of bravery and courage displayed in
surgical operations Carlyle. referring to Duke Leo
PU5f PPfnf in ie him too He died for example, in this
manner Falling with his horse. 1 think in
dared him in lighting Leg could not be cured
Cut it Off then. said Leopold This also the leech
could not do, burst not and would not that Leo
pold was come quite to halt. Leopold ordered
two squres put his thigh upon block and the
sharp edge of at the right point across his
thigh: Squire first, hold that axe: steady. Squire
seeond se you on II with gqrse-saInmeT T11 VIII
struck heavy enough and the leg flew off. but
Leopold took inhammationg. and died in a day or
it IS Recorded that in is2S he performed What IS
! allowed to be he