Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1914-10-09
LEARNED FROM WAR
Sanitation and Surgery Have
Been Wonderfully Improved.
There 10 Less fear Of Disease Now
Bullets Are Jacketsdsand Modern
Military Rifles Leave No
Gaping Wounds.

IN the American (ffi WAa c4bAt Hoa-
diers died OF disease to one from
wounds. writes a United States army
surgeon. Experts expect that IN the
present general European struggle not
more than three will fall victim 70
sickness to one killed on the field OF
battle. Such Is the advance OF army
sanitation aad army surgery In %
years. The Americans and the Japa-
nese have been the leaders. Tho
United States army hospitals have In
stalled many remarkable Innovations
since the spanish-American war. with
It's dreadful lesson In the danger OF.
typhoid. and these new Ideas have
been adopted By the army surgeons
OF old world powers.
So II is expected that the present
war, the greatest yet IN history. also
will be the most humane. There win
be no disproportionate mortality list
from disease and no army OF crippies
as an aftermath.
The modern high power. qnick.nring
military rife and the Development 10
artillery viii have much to do with tho
change
Those who die VII die more quickly.
Gangrene and infection win bs prac-
tically unknown quantities. Il -
thought
Before the Russo.Jaranese conflict
the armies the world over used htEh
callher bullet. made OF unaheathed lead
and creased 10 overcome friction tn.
the barrel.
The muzzle velocity was leas than
half that OF the missiles nov employed.
Then. too. basonef ard saber charges
were more common. These resulted 10
hideous wounds. very difficult for sur
geons 10 handle.
The bullets Of the modern rife are
Of less diameter than the ordinary lead
pencil They are iaeketed With nickel.
lead or steel and have tremendous We
Iocity.
The soft. nushroomsns bullets Of
the old day resulted In the SCATTERING
OF bones and the crushing, rather thar
cutting. OF tissues. Infection Was al
most inevitable. the grease being spe-
cially unsanitary. A wound IN the ABB
domen was considered necessarily
fatal. The death rate among tho
wounded WAS enormous.
In recent campaigns there are In
stances where soldiers shot In what
were once considered vital spots have
walked unsupported 10 the field hos
pitfalls.
Germany nsss Manser rife. with q
bullet OF nm cAIlber. steel and cop
per coated. Great Britain's missile 10
the Lee-Enfield. caliher IT nm. the
coating being cupro-niekei
The French weapon IL the Lsbei
rife. of nam. callber. with bullet
coated with nickel Russia uses Mos
sin-Naxant rifles. 7.ez nm. with bull
Z lets cnpro-nick<i coated. Austria's
chief small arm h the Mannlicher.
calIber nm, ~ith steel sheet over
the tip.
Hitting a man beyond $50 yards.
the wounds inflicted By al these bui-
lets are clean cut. They frequently
pass through bone tissue without pplln-
tering
When meeting an artery the bullet
usually pushes II TO one aide and goes
around without cutting the blood chan
rel
Adaptations are very rare compared
with wafs OF more than hffy years ago.
bullet wound through a Joint.
/ such nsstbe knee or the elbow. then
necesKitated the amputation OF tho
limb. Now such wound IN easily
opened and dressed.
Even Russia. shichsmade SD ssni-
tary showing ia the var with Japan.
now has learned her lesson and has
efficient surgical arrangements.
All the nations use vaccine 20 com
bat typhoid. the scourge which once
declmated camps. and killed 1000 In
our Spanish war.
Every army division $4,000 to 49,
600 mem is supplied with four field
hospitals. each capable OF caring for
| Jos patients There are also two eyAcu-
alton hospitals. with capacity OF 100
/ each. for each division. The evacua-
ZION UohtitHfe HtAd tHt mofE UfftDuaiy
wounded back to the hospitals at
home
Then every Officer Is instructed in
| FIRST aid treatment. This aileviates .
great deal OF suffering on the Geld Of
battle.
Next to typhoid. dysentery is the
great army scourge. This 10 attacked
by sterilizing the drinking water
History shows sanitation has often
determined the fate Of nations. In
1872, when the fine Pfussian troops
marched to the relief OF Louis XVI.
| the raw leyies OF the young Republic
| met and repulsed them. General :Du
INQUIRIES, commander OF the French
| troops. shows clearly In bis report that
the Prussians had been united for
service BY dysentery. Ordinary sani-
tary precautions would have prevent.
ed this.
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