Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-09-17
SURGERY WONDERS
A BOON To MODERN
WARNING SOL DIE R.
Sciences Contributions during
Past so Years to Solving of
Surgical Problems Will
Reduce Mortality.


The war now going on IN EUROPE
VIII demand Sr'"' "e'i VI c'ioi
from the medlcaI prolesSioh' ENperi
hnced surgeons VIII nave ai'pic OPP
portunity to display thelr SKILL ana
the inexperienced VIII acquire an IN
valuable training
How different the equipment and
skill from that which our own forces
were able to command during the
secession,
Then, asepsis was an unknown
word; anaesthesia by inhalation was
evoloped-morphine being relied
on to dull the senses outraged by pain.
Surgery consisted largely of amputa-
lions and probing for bullets-a pro-
ccdurc now seldom carried out Nurses
were few and inefficient There was
no great International Red Cross with
It's coterie Of white ROBBED angels, TO
n,inister 70 tho wants Of tho aufferiny
and dyiro
crr,,,r-,.,., -
- -
The work or surgeons was greatly
hampered by the difficulty of trans
,,,hnIo,oa,, ,,,ono o.,,a -. 49,
by horses or mules. Operators work
of bullets flying about them. Even
water was a scarce commodity.
How all this has changed! Now there
Is a trained ambulance corps whose duty
II IS to gather up the wounded and trans
fer them quickly in swiftly-moving autos
to the relief stations Here thew are
quickly prepared for operation-if opera
ton be necessary-or are removed TO A
good hospital if such be within n range #
20 miles approached by n passa bic road.
The automobile bug in these DAYS will
save many n life that in other DAYS
would have been sacrificed because of the
innossIbilitv Of TRANSFORMATION
All of the sciences during the mast fftv
years have contributed 70 fine WORKING
out of surgical problems Physics has lent
aid through anplication of the X-rav. Ne
chanics has furnished the fundamental
prtnciDles upon which plaster and wax
models of various structures illustrating
the Influence of disease are made. Rac-
teriologv has becomo most important
mid both IN diagnosis and in treatment
NOT only OF surgical condition. but of all
diseases 70 which human flosb is boir
FAl ffol|o'l HAS fhoGhhSSED'
Pathology has made great strides In
the last two or three years. especially
In the realm Of blood analysis. Professor
Won Wassermann of Berlin and Professor
Enrich of Frankfort are among the fore
most authorities In the world upon the
problems of infection and immunity,
which depend, of course very largely
upon n thorough understanding Of the
blood and its reaction to various agencies,
organic and inorganic.
Chemistry has ever been Of the great
seiN4oe 10 iheuio',le' anu II - ione
iH,,-, 80 u''Ss VI .'-ei,'s 'p
49,. .aus..a, 49,, aa.,a =, ,s,,a
,.a,.at,a at o.,,,, 80 a,oa,os,, ,,,t -
uar..,eai, &C. .,,aIi ,,,,,,-i, 49,, ~, ,,,,,,,.
,,,riios hoo .. do r.,,h ~, o,,+oo,r,, 80
disnosa 7, ,s NOW ,ossihIa 70 sonarota
The secretion from the Two Kidneys bv
means of tuhes introduced through the
bladder In this way one can tell by an
analysis Of the secretion from each kid
new which of the two kidneys is diseased,
an especi ny desirable determination
after gunshot wounds of the abdomen,
since 1t is nearly impossible to tell be-
fore operation which kidney is affect
ed.
When reviewing the history of sur
gerry for the past fifty years one is
compelled to wonder at it's operative
successes and the daring of its vo-
taries In exploring new fields which
were formerly not only unknown but
forbidden.
1t is not unlikely that the fathers
Of mon still living were among those
who gathered at the house of Ephraim
Mcdowell when he ala tho 6rst suc
ces.ful abdominal o,o-o.io, raody 20
+al,o bis life II tho ro.,or. .,,oo,,,r,,,oa
" ."'' va me assam IN t"eSc uaEs
no hosP''ai s''"ua'' tHr"e Gays out OF
inc "l''h''"S o''ii ""uiu heHltate TO
explore the ABDOMEN merely to give
temporary r'lel even when there Is
no question OF saving lie
Granted that man has talent for
his work ana a good training as an
inferno in some large hospital the
chief requisite then is experience.
Learn to do by doing" must be the
motto of everyone who aspires to
high honors In surgery, for nowhere
Is judgment more difficult or success
more eternally elusive.
Frequently the surgeon is Obliged to
operate under the most unfavorable con-