The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-08-20
AMPUTATIONS
LESS FREQUENT
IN MODERN WARS
Most Fatalities Occur From Per-
forations of Modern Bullet

Interesting figures OF the cost OF
medical service in war and the per-
centages Of death from wounds in
modern warfare are given i'm an edi-
torial in the current issue of The New
York Medical Journal. The journal
quotes Prof Charles Richet of the
University Of Paris as authority for
the assertion that ambulance service
alone for 100000 wounded or i'll costs
81 a day for each or 100000.
This is startling sum-" says the
editorial but apparently it does not
take into consideration the cost OF
feeding the doctors. nurses. and either
chaufeurs, or drivers Of horses con-
nected with the ambulance service.
while there is no estimate of the first
cost Of the elaborate paraphernalia,
drucs, apparatus. instruments, &c, re-
CURED
Roughly speaking, the editorial as
serts. battle casualties in recent wars
have varied from 10 per cent. To 20 per
cent Of the number of soldiers engag-
ed. The ratio of killed and wounded
has been about one TO four OF the
casualties from So To so per cent. were
caused by rifle fire and from 20 to 80
per cent. by artillery fire. chiefly
shrapnel. Bayonet and sabre wounds
have been Of comparatively infrequent
occurrence and little mention is made
Of them in reports In the civil war in
this country 80 per cent of the total
wounds recorded were caused by small
arms, while the injuries from artillery
TO only 9.S7 per cent of the
total wounds.
Wounds BY Modern Arms.
The increase in range, the rapidity
and accuracy of fire developed in mod
ern military firearms. supplemented by
the relative increase in the strength OF
field artillery, will have an important
bearing upon the character OF the
wounds and the number OF the casual
on the present war. Experience in
recent wars has demonstrated the
character of the injuries produced by
modern firearms. The European pow
ers have all adopted rifles with SINH |
lar ballistic properties. The bullet is
iacketed, OF small calibre, varying
from 6.5 millimetre TO s millimetre, |
and weighs from $50 To 200 grammes. |
Il is either ogival or pointed in shape |
and has an initial velocity of from q,
200 to 200 feet second.
The pointed or 'spitz BALI has been |
adopted by England. Germany, Tur-
key, and the United States. The |
inflicted are therefore entirely |
different from those inflicted by the
rifle in use several decades ago. This
weapon had "A low velocity and carried |
1 soft leaden bullet of large calibre.
Experiences in the Russo Japanese
md Balkan wars have demonstrated |
hat at the greater ranges perforations
If the abdomen, chest, and skull may |
AXE place with astonshingly slight |
Effects. This statement must be modi-
led, so far az the pointed bullet is
concerned. since this bullet has it's
'entre OF gravity on meeting with
light resistance. thus forcing it's way
through the tissues in its length in
tead Of in it's diameter.
Hemorrhaee Is More Frequent.
Fatal primary hemorrhage occurs
much more frequently than in earlier
vars, because the small-calibre jack
ted bullet is more likely to sever yes
els while the large calibre bullet,
moving with less velocity, affords time
or the vessel to be pushed aside from
Is course. 1t has been estimated that
. per cent. of deaths on the modern
battlefield are due to hemorrhage.
secondary hemorrhage, which i'm for
ner wars was of such common occur
ence, nowadays rarely occurs, while
raumatic ancurism is much more fire.
uent.
"Amputations are much less fire.
uently necessary, and then only
where there is extensive destruction
( limb, as i'm wounds by large shell
fragments, or injuries to blood vessels
arrcsting circulation.
Wounds inflicted by the modern rifle
ullet, IL properly protected against