South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-27
MEDICAL MEN To
WITNESS BATTLES
Will Be on Fields to Study e.
feet of Bullets and the En-
duranCe of Men-Many Shot
in Legs.

LONDON, Aug. 27.-ATedical obser-
vations in the war now being fought
will be perhaps more complete than in
any previous conflict. The science of
hygiene, medicine and surgery has ad-
vanced amazingly since the last great
war and every nation will have emil
nent physicians in the field to watch
not only the effect of modern projec
tiles and instruments Of war, but the
endurance Of men on the field, the per-
centage Of casualties and the like.
Already in the brief fighting in Bel
GUM, ii has been observed that pres
ent day fighting induce exhaustion that
finally deadens the senses, producing
a condition on the body and mind not
unlike that of sunstroke.
A London medical correspondent
stationed at Brussels. sent a report,
part of which follows:
II have had an opportunity during
the last few days of visiting several
of the great Brussels hospitals and
ambulances and of seeing some of the
wounded who have been sent down
from the front,
Two facts nave struck me very
forcibly, First, a very large number
of the Belgian soldiers are wounded
only in the legs, and secondly, many
soldiers seem to have collapsed
through sheer exhaustion.
''In peace time one sees and hears
little or nothing of this extreme physi
cal exhaustion because, of course, in
peace time the almost super-physical
is not demanded, but war brings new
conditions.
Some of these Belgians soldiers
were at work and on the march dur
ing the stupendous days Of Wednesday
and Thursday of last week, practically
without a moments respite. They
went literally till they dropped. Only
with actual loss of consciousness was
duty relinquiShed.
This remarkable state of affairs in
terested me enormously as a medical
man. That force of will to fight and
struggle until the last gap of eXhaus-
ton one sees often, Of course, and a
heat stroke in hot climates is a COM
monplace, but this type of exhaustion
is. by itself, the final triumph of brave
spirits.
Present Alarming Appearance.
The victims present a very alarm
ing appearance when first met They
seem 10 be almost dead. They are
limp and pale and cold. After a
time, however, strength begins TO re-
turn and recovery is usually no. pro-
tracted.
In every case the men who had
been knocked out in this manner ex-
once TO the ranks. They seemed even
TO hold themselves IN some contempt.
Many Of them have already had their
wish.
The fact that so many of the Bel
gian wounded had been shot in the
legs aroused considerable surprise at
first I'm medical circles. 1t soon be-
came clear that this was not merely a
matter Of chance
When the German prisoners began
to come in and were Intercepted, the
explanation was forthcoming. II
transpired that orders had been given
TO fire low, no doubt in the belief
that a man hit in the leg must be
Immediately placed hors de combat.
While there may be something 10 this
theory. IL remains a fact that a flesh
wound in the thigh or calf tends 10
heal quickly and that may of those
wounded are already on the high road
TO recovery. The German wounded,
on the other hand, have been hit for
the most part about the body.
The Belgian doctors are splendid
and are working magnificenuy. Two
schools have been converted into am
balances, and l saw an operating
theater. beautifully equipped and ar
ranged. which had been made out OF a
classroom in twelve hours Only the
blackboard remained TO indicate the
original purpose of the room.
"Unhappily the surgical work at
Liege was greatly hindered by lack OF
chlOroform. which could not be OBJ
tanned in sufficient quanut. ?. me
moment when IL was most required,
AM this through no fault Of the med
zeal authorities"