New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-09-06

past and have discovered simple methods Of deal
with them.
The studies Of these same men have resulted
in the almost complete subjugaGon of the many
pestences which in former times killed many
more soldiers than the enemies bullets. Notable
among these are typhoid and malarial fever.
MODERN ARMAMENTs RESPONSIBLE FOR
MORE HUMANE WARFARE.
In the case of gunshot wounds modern
ments are responsible for the more humane nat
ure Of warfare Here, as DR.. Morris points out.
is one Of the real trumphs Of the peace adyo-
Gates. Realizing the futility of any attempt 70
do away with entirely under present eondi-
tons, these have bent their efforts to the
making of war less horrible The Hague tri-
bunals have obtained the consent of most of the
nations Of the world, including all Of those
at war, to the adoption Of a code of law under
which hostilities are carried on. But moro than
this has been accomplished The nations of the
world have been made to see that in warfare it
is not necessary to utterly destroy the enemy
but that the aim should rather be to knock him
out and render him ineffective for the time being
This rational attitude has led TO the universal
adoption of high power small caibre service
rifles. Before the days of rhed guns round lead
balls used. These measured about three
quarters Of an inch in diameter and had
muzzle velocity of about 500 feet second OF
little than fifth the rate of the modern
bullets These inflicted dangerous wound Of a
large, irregular character, which would be hard
TO handle now, but with no knowledge of anti
septcs was almost certain to develop serious
complications
MOST VICIOUS BULLETS WERE USED IN
ppA NCn ppI,cCTAN XVAp
1t is interesting to note, however, that it was
during the Franco-Prussian conflict of 1870 that
the most vicious sort of bullets ever used in
supposedly civilized warfare made their appear
ance These were lead sugs with blunt ends and
three grooves around the base. They were nearly
half an inch in diameter. The wounds which they
inflicted were of such a nature that hundreds OF
men were picked up dead who would not have
been seriously wounded with more modern form
of bullet The impact Of a mans body caused the
lead to fatten out into a sbapeless and jagged
mass. Small bones in the bullets path were car
ried away, while larger ones, such those Of
the legs and arms were shattered into dozens Of
pieces thus making amputation necessary Con-
ditions were further complicated by the low We
locity, the bullet usually remaining imbedded in
the wound. Only the earliest smatterings of anti
septic methods known, consequently the SOL
diers of both armies suffered untold misery, while
the mortality among the wounded was pitfully
high.
The deadly character Of the rifles used during
the struggle of 1870 was not due to any de-
liberate attempt to discover particularly iend
ish weapon, but was because it was the first time
that breech loading rifles had been used in
war OF any Importance. The breech-loading idea
was such new one that it had not been well
worked out, and gunmakers still chung to the old
idea that large bullets were Of prime importance.
During the forty-four years that have passed