The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1914-11-04
WAR GROWS MORE HUMANE.
SANITARY MEASURES TAKEN BY
ARMIES TO PREVENT Dis
EASE.
Change In Modern Arms from Those
Used In Former Wars-Many Adj
vanCcs Made in Surgery and Arms.

wound? Experts expect that in the
present general European struggle not
more than three will fall victim to
to one killed on the field Of
battle.
Such Is the advance of army SANTA
tion and army surgery in fifty years.
The Americans and the Japanese have
been the leaders. The United States
army hospitals have installed many.
remarkable innovations since the
Spanish American war with it's dread
full lesson in the danger Of typhoid
and these new ideas have been adopt
ed by the army surgeons Of old world
powers.
So it is expected that the present
war, the greatest yet in history also
will be the most humane. There will
be no disproportionate mortality list
from disease and no army Of cripples
as an aftermath.
The modern high-pOwer, Guick-ilr-
ing military rifle and the development
in artillery will have much to do with
the change. 'r
Those who die will die more quick
ly. Gangrene and infection will be
practically unknown quantities. 1t is
thought.
Before the Russo-Japanese conflict
the armies the world over used a high
calibrc bullet, made of unsheathed
lead and creased to overcome friction
in the barrel.
The muzzle velocity was less than
half that Of the missiles now employ
ed. -
Then. too, bayonet and sabre
charges were more common. These
resulted in hidcous wounds, very diff
flcult for surgeons to handle.
The bullets which are flying in Eu-
.Eane- &Odax~AHssQ Qf less diametes ban
the ordinary lead pencil, They are
jacketed with nickel. lead or steel and
have tremendous velocity.
The soft, mushrooming bullet Of
the old day resulted in the shattcr-
ing Of bones and the crushing, rather
than cutting, of tissues. Infection
was almost inevitable. the grease be-
ing especially unsanitary. A wound
in the abdomen was considered nee
Cssarily fatal. The death rate among
the wounded was enormous.
In recent campaigns there are in
stances where soldiers shot in what
were once considered vital spots have
walked unsupported to the field hos
pitals.
Germany used q Mauscr rifle, with
a bullet Of Smm. calibrc, steel and
copper coated. Great Pritains mis-
sile is the Lee Enfield. calibrc ~ mm.,
the coating being cupro-nickel.
The French weapon is the Lebel
rifle, Of s nm. calibre, with bullets
coated with nickel. Russia uses Mos
sin-Nagant rifles. calibrc 1862 mm,
with bullets cuprO-nickci coated. Aus
tria's chief small arm is the Mann
licher, calibre mm., with steel
sheet over the tip.
Hitting man beyond $50 yards the
wounds inflicted by all these bull
lets are clean cut. They frequently
pass through bone tissue without
splintcring.
When meeting an artery the bull
let usually pushes it to one side and
goes around without cutting the blood
channel
Amputations are very rare COM
pared with wars of more than fifty
years ago. a bullet wound through a
joint, such as the knee or the elbow
then neccsstated the aInputation o!
the limb. Now such wound is easily
opened and dressed.
Even Russia, which made sad san
itary showing in the war with Japan,
now has learned her lesson and has
sufficient surgical arrangements.
All the nations use vaccine to COM
bat typhoid. the scourgc which once
demicatcd camps and killed 900 i'm
our Spanish war.
Every army division 1900 to 49,
900 mcm is supplied with four field
hospitals, each capable of caring for
los patients. There are also two
evacuation hospitals, with a capacity
Of 700 each, for each division. The
evacuation hospitals send the more
seriously wounded back to the hospi-
tails at home.
Then every officer is instructed in
first aid treatment. This allcviatcs a
great deal Of suffering on the field of
battle.
Next to typhoid, dyscntcry is the
great army scourge. This is attacked
by stcriliZing the drinking water.
History ShOVS sanitation hce oricn