The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1913-01-16
MODERN SURGERY
SUCCESS IN WAR
Hundreds Of Lives Saved In
Balkan Conflict.
FOREIGN MISSIONS SPLENDID
United States Medical Expert Reports
$4,000 Wounded Cured Out of $4,000.
X Ray a Big Faetor-Only Twenty
five Amputations-Turkish Aim 10
Proved to Be Deadly.

4 ~ hdJ o StH FaChor-onJ tWcHky
five ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Aim 10
Proved to Be Deadly.
Modern hospital methods have saved
thousands of limbs and hundreds Of
lives In the Balkan war, according to
Major p. G. Fauntleroy OF the medical
corps of the United States army, who
has made a careful study of the Bull
garian military hospitals. His observa-
lions give a vivid picture Of the surgi-
cal side OF the conflict.
"Thlrty-fve thousand wounded have
been brought north of the frontier
since the fighting began. and of these
fully 2S,000 have been cured" he said.
This record Is remarkable when Il
Is considered that 80 per cent Of the
wounds were infected before the pa
tents entered the hospitals owing to
the utter inadequacy Of the field hos
pitfalls. The soldiers were not supplied
with bandages, and their wounds were
dressed clumsily If at all. Many had
TO make their way unaided more than
q mile from the battlefield before they
could receive care. Despite this, OF the
$4,000 cases which have been attended
In the Sofia hospitals | have heard of
only twenty-five amputations and thir-
~ resections.
1.-The foreign missions, which have
devoted themselves to the care Of the
wounded, cannot be tso highly com
mended, for without them conditions
would have been terrible. AS IL Is.
Germany, Austria. England, Hungary,
Bohemia, France, Greece and Russia
are represented here. The last named
country has been especially generous
both with men and equipment and sue
cessfully cares for 100 beds.
Bring Up to Date instruments.
The foreigners have brought many
up to date instruments to work. The
X ray, for example, Is a feature Of the
hospital practice In this war. BY
meal of it the surgeons have been
able to determine the exact location
OF a bullet and the injury caused, thus
showing Immediately whether there
! must be an operation and making prob
ing unnecessary.
Another feature is the suturing OF
nerves and blood vessels. always with
good results. A large number of men
shot In the head have recovered. OF
the trephining cases 90 per cent have
been successful, and early operation
has saved many men from muscular
disability, loss of voice and other par
alytic symptoms.
"Seventy-ive per cent of the Bull
garian wounds were caused by Turk
ish shrapnel, which appears to have
been deferred with great accuracy.
The Turks throughout seem TO have
been lighting from intrenched artillery
positions. The Bulgarians, on the con
trary. advanced impulsively and were
unable to bring up the artillery In time
to take part In the battles.
Nevertheless | have found few sa
Der wounds and only two bayonet
wounds, which indicates that the Bull.
garians did not follow up their victo-
ries quickly and that such hand to
hand fighting as was done vas largely
fatal. The battles appear to have in
creased In severity as the campaign
advanced. Bulgarian officers ever
compare Lule Burgas with the battle
OF Mukden. in the Russo,Japanese war.
Seventy per cent of all the wounds
received were In the hands and feet.
The worst wounds were from frag-
ments Of shrapnel; then came those
from rife bullets and after that those
| from shrapnel balls.
Bullets Splinter the Bone.
"The Bulgartans use a round nosed.
steel jacketed bullet like that of our
old Krag-Jorgensen rifle. The Servian
bullet is similar, but smaller. Both
of these completely splinter the bone
or greatly damage the liquid contain
ing vital organs if fired anywhere
within 500 yards. The Turks use a
pointed, steel jacketed bullet, like that
recently adopted by the United States
army. Such bullets aimed at men
1000 yards away would hit interven-
ing cavalry Mt any point In their flight.
whereas other bullets at the apex Of
their fight would pass over the caval-
rvs heads. These bullets begin spin
ming the instant they strike. doing
fearful damage.
1.-The ratio of killed to wounded In
this war appears to be about the same
as usual-one to five. My own obser.
vations confirm those Of other medical
men concerning the fine physique of
the Bulgarian soldiers. Their wounds
close and heal with marvellous rapid
ty, owing to the freedom Of the blood
from alcoholics"