Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-03-15
MARKED ADVANCE IN MEDICAL.
SCIENCE,

Perhaps nothing has served to measure
art during the past decade so completely
as the figures Just published showing the
the loss of life sustained by the Japan
csc forces in the war with Russia as the
result or disease and the number Of men
who died the result of wounds at the
hands OF the Russians. This gauge will
he better understood IL we compare SINH
lar results in the Russo-Japanese war
and various other conflicts of modern
times.
Statistics show that for every American
soldier who died of wounds in the Span
sh-Amorican war no less than fourteen
sucumbed to preventable disease. Seven
years later medical Knowledge and skill
had made such progress that in the pro-
tractcd struggle between Russia and ia
pan, with immcasurably larger number
of troops engaged and with infinitely
greater difficulties of transportation and
longer distances to be covered four ia
nanose soldiers died from wounds for
every one that sounded to disease.
DR.. Louis l.. seaman has recently pub
lished book in which he depicts the Won
erful sanitary arrangements made by the
Japaneses government for the care of the
wounded in their great war Upon the
declaration Of war with Russia the ia
panese were prepared to house, scienti-
hcany treat and tendelly care for 1000
sick aud wounded in Japan alone.
Twelve sets at main hospitals, each hay
ing from one 10 i've attached branch hos
pitfalls, were scaAPred throughout the en-
pire in The chief towns Of the twelve
military districts INTO which the country
is divided. The original 1000 beds were
rapidly Increased ia number as the cam
paign progressed hy the erection OF sub
siantial though exceedingly plain pine
buildings, running parallel so constructed
that every one was a unit, tousng 100
patients. connected in series by covered
walks and runways.
There were times. though, when every
bed was in demand: for example, after the
battle OF Mukden, when the total capacity
Of some eighty thousand beds was taxed
poured in from every transport, yet when
they did arrive in April, there was
i'm ST at Il
nursing ready and waiting for every man. |
In these hospitals were seen all sorts
of ingenious devices, which would be no
vel in any land, for the treatment of the
sick and manned. For instance, there
was massage.
A complete text book OH massage has |
been written by the military officer in
charge of the main hospital on the results |
obtained from this. About twenty-five |
patents were treated at a time by skilled |
masseuses under the eye OF several tech |
ncally trained experts, who examined |
the cases and directed the work of the |
kneaders according to the results It was
desired to obtain. The work was. done
in drill form. AT the. word of command |
the masseuse began operations. worked |
for five minutes. rested for two; then con-
tinued for five more and so on.
Ten minutes was usually the limit for a |
single treatment, though the same patient |
might come for several treatments a day. |
The drills were mostly in the open air
and made a spectacular: display. Every !
man with crippled joints wasted or con-
traeted mucles, or other physical defssm-
tiles that could be aided by specialized |
u