Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-08-21
JAP ANESE first
TO HAVE CAPABLE
MEDICAL CORPS
Sanitation Is First Lesson
the Soldier of the Mikado
Is Taught-Real Reason
of Success.

Washington, Aug. 21.-The Japanese
were among the first to recognize the
true value of San army medical CORPS,
according to DR.. Louis Livingstone
Seaman. of New York, in a communi-
cation to the National Geographic So
ciety. at Washington. DIR. Seaman has
made a worldly wide study Of contag-
eous and epidemic diseases. He was
with the second Imperial Army of Jap
an at the front in Manchuria, and is
the author of many we'll known medi-
cal books and papers.
THE Japanese medical officer Is
omnipresent." he says. you will find
him in countless places where in an
American or British army he has no
place. In the Russian Japanese war.
he was as much in the front as In the
rear. He was with the first screen Of
scouts with his microscope and chem
icals. testing and labelling wells SO the
army to follow should drink no con-
taminated water When the scout
reached a town he Immediately insti-
tuted a thorough examination of it's
sanitary condition, and IL contagion or
infection was found he quarantined and
district. Notices were posted, so the
approaching column was warned. and
no soldiers were billeted where danger
existed. Microscopic blood tests were
made in all fever cases and bacter-
biological experts, fully equipped, formed
part of the staff of every divisional
headquarters.
Lectures on Sanitation.
1.-THE medical officer was also found
in camp, lecturing the men on santa
ton and the hundred and one details
Of personal hygiene-how to cook. to
eat, and when not to drink. to battle,
and even to the direction of the par
ing and cleansing of the finger nails
to prevent danger from bacteria. II
was the rule of the Jananese surgeons
at the front to do little or no operating
except in cases of extreme emergency
or where hemorrhage threatened death.
All cases were treated by the appli-
cation of the first aid dressing and
then sent to the rear as quickly as
possible. thence by hospital boat or
transport to the base hospitals in
Japan.
distinguished Jananese officer,
when discussing with me the subject
of Russia's overwhelming numbers.
said, You know in every war four men
die of disease for every one who falls
from bullets. That will be the position
of Russia in this war. We propose to
eliminate diseases as a factor. Every
man who dies in our army must fall
on the field of battle. In this way we
shall neutralize the superiority of Rus
sian numbers and stand on a compar-
atively equal footing
Japan was the first country in tbs
world to recognize that the greatest
enemy in war is not the army of the
invader, but of foe more treacher
Gus and dangerous-preventab di-
sease, found lurking in every camp.
The state deprives the soldier of hts,
liberty, prescribes his exercises. equip
ment, dress. diet the locality in which
he shall reside, and in the hour Of
danger expects him, II necessary, to
lay down his life in its defense and
honor. 1t should therefore give him
the best sanitation and the best medical
supervision that the science of the age
be 1t Japanese or Patagonian---can
devise"