El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-08-29
IN
BATTLE MARKED
Terrific Strain Causes Many
to Collapse, but They
Soon Recover.

London. Eng, Aug 2g.-Medical OBJ
Servations in the war now being
fought wiz be perhaps more complete
than in any previous conflict. The
science of hygiene. medicine and sur
gerry has advanced amazingly since
the last great war and every nation
has eminent physicians in the field
Il watch not only the effect of mod
era pro5ectiles anC instruments of
war. but the endurance Of men on the
field. the percentage Of casualties and
the like
Already it has been observed that
present day fighting induces exhaus-
ton 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
-tIe last few days or visiting several
Of the great Brussels hospitals and
ambulances and Of seeing some Of the
wounded who have been sent down
from the front
Collapse from Exhaustion.
Two facts have struck me very
forcibly. First, very large number
Of the Belgian soldiers are wounded
only in the legs. and secondly, many
soldiers seem TO have collapsed through
sheer exhaustion.
I'm peace time one sees and hears
little or nothing of this extreme eN-
haustion because. of course, in peace
time the almost superphysical is not
demanded. but war brings new condi-
some Of these Belgian soldiers
were at work and on the march prac-
tcally without q moments respite
They went literally till they dropped.
Only with actual loss Of consciousness
was duty relinquished-
AS a medical man this remarkable
state of affairs interested me eHor-
mously. That force Of will to fight
and struggle until the last gan Of
exhaustion one sees often. Of course.
and a heat stroke in hot climates is
a commonplace. but this type of ex-
haustion is. by itself. the final triumph
OF brave spirits
The victims present a very alarm
ing appearance when first met. They
seem to be almost dead They are
limp and pale and cold After a time.
however, strength begins 10 return
and recovery is usually not prOtracted.
Always Wish to Return.
IN every case the men who had
been knocked out in this manner ex-
pressed the keenest desire TO return
at once TO the ranks They seemed
even to hold themselves in contempt
Many of them have already had their
wish.
The fact that so many of the Bel
Sian wounded had been shot in the
legs aroused considerable surprise at
first in medical circles. It soon be-
came clear that this was not merely
a matter of chance
When the German prisoners began
to come in and were interrOgated, 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 imme-
diately placed hors de combat While
there may be something in this theory.
IL remains a fact that a flesh wound
in the thigh or calf tends TO heal
quickly and that many Of those wound
ed 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.
Belgian Doctors.
The Belgian doctors are splendid
and are working magnificently. Two
schools have been converted into hos
pitals and I saw an operating theater,
beautifully equipped and arranged,
which had been made out Of a class
room in twelve hours Only the
blackboard remained TO indicate the
original purpose of the room
"Unhappily the surgical work at
Leige was greatly hindered by lack
o. chloroform. which could not be OBJ
tanned in sufficient quantity at the
moment when IL was most required,
and this through no fault of the med
ical authorities"