The Washington herald., 1914-08-16
Army Surgeons Face
StupendouS Problems
Nep Arms and Nerp Bullets of the Great European Wa
Present Difficulties Not Met in Other Conflicts.
DR.. j. J. Walsh Explains

By J. J. WALSH, NJ. D., Pad. Sc. d
The eyes Of the medical and surgical
world are fixed on the awful problems
involved in properly caring for the i'm
mense number Of wounded that WIN
shortly have TO be removed from the bat
tlehelds of Europe We have perfected
the means of killing and wounding men
until scarcely more could possibly be ex-
pected. Machine guns Of all kinds can
NOV soldiers down by the hundreds and
thousands but each Of these when not
killed has TO be cared for individually.
and we cannot cure them by machinery,
nor in large numbers, but each individ-
ual case will require expert care and the
special consideration Of trained minds and
hands.
The new arms and new bullets have
added to the destructiveness Of war, but
have multiplied the surgeons problems
and have made military surgery a special
study for which, fortunately for human
ity, there is not much experience provid-
ed, although unfortunately for those who
have TO be treated right now, the sur
geons will have to do their best under
pressure from time and the number OF
their patients and conditions that are lit
tie suited for scientific surgery.
Belgian SurEeon'a Researches.
Prof. Octave Laurent, who spent eleven
months campaigning with the Bulgarian
armies during the recent war in the Bal
kans, has just published the story OF his
surgical experiences, and from this some
idea OF the grewsome work before the
military surgeons of Europe can be OBJ
tanned. although probably even this fails
TO give any adequate notion of the surgi-
cal experiences that will be forced upon
the army surgeons. Prof. Laurent de-
clares that ordinary civil surgery fur
vnfr Hvlfvz f1r y,,FIN
tary surgery and that the surgeon must
literally train himself and do the best
that he can.
The wounds inflicted by modern bullets
are quite different from those that have
been SO carefully studied and so much
written about in the past, and only his
knowledge Of the general principles Of
surgery and his own common sense and
power to meet emergencies of all kinds
will be helpful TO the surgeoon in the
unusual conditions that present them
selves
As Prof. Laurent himself is a we'll
known professor of surgery, and the au-
thor OF a textbook on the subject which
has gone through three editions, and
which has been translated into several
modern languages, his opinions on this
subject are well worthy of consideration.
His experiences have been presented to
French medical societies, and his obser-
Vations have been the subject Of serious
discussion that has always recognized
the value of his work. He is the surgeon
TO the hospital Of st. John at Brussels
and his Balkan experience will now be
of the greatest value for his countrymen
in the war which has been so suddenly
thrust on them, although, when his book
on the campaign in Bulgaria was issued,
few weeks ago, there seemed to be no
sign at all that Belgian surgeons would
so soon have to know everything avail
able with regard to the wounds OF mod
ern warfare.
ARTILLERY Wounds Fatal.
There is no doubt that there will be
vast number Of wounded to care for.
The experience in the Balkans was that
there was about four wounded for every
soldier killed. The wounds are usually
inflicted by the ordinary infantry arm,
while most of the dead are killed by the
artillery. About three out Of four SOL
diers wounded by the infantry survive.
Nearly three out OF four OF those wound
ed by the artillery have fatal wounds
inflicted.
More than one-haH of the fatal in
juries in the Balkan campaign came from
the artillery. Out of 100 killed and wound