Bridgeton pioneer., 1914-08-27
HUMANE WAR, SAY
ARMY SURGEONS
Disease and Infected Wounds
Not Feared as In the Past.
DECREASE IN AMpUTATIONS.

MOocTU NtGbt0do WIN NVSR ttO
Der of crippies Down to Minimum.
Wounds Once Fatal Not Now Neo-
sssarily So. and Camp PestiIences Are
Effectively combated.
United States army surgeons are con-
vinced, says the New York Tribune.
that there will be no lengthy mortality
list from disease and no army Of Grip
pies as a result of the European war.
Those who die will die quickly. Deaths
will be due to accuracy, long range
and rapid firing, and not to disease or
infected wounds.
"Gangrene and Infection" declared
an army surgeon who is recognized as
an authority, Twill be practically un-
known quantities in the wars of the
future"
Until the Russo-Japanese war black
powder and large caliber bullet COM
prised the ammunition of the armies
of the world. The bullets were Of un-
sheathed lead; creased to overcome
friction In the barrel Their muzzle
velocity was less than one-half that
Of the missiles In arms now employed.
Up to that time bayonet and saber
charges. prolific of hideous and dam
gerous wounds, were common. Such
charges are now considered medieval.
The bullets now used are Of less diam
eter than the ordinary lead pencil and
are Jacketed with steel. nickel or lead.
They have a tremendous velocity and
low trajectory
Wounds from the old time musket
and military rifle, with, their soft,
mushrooming bullet, resulted in shat
tered bones and crushed flesh. Infec-
ton of gunshot wounds was almost in
evitable. A wound in the abdomen
was necessarily fatal. The death. rate
from wounds was enormous
Many Wounds Not Fatal.
Nowadays, with the military rifles
such as all the great powers use and
the degree to which surgery has ad-
vanced, soldier may be shot through
what once was regarded as vital spot
and walk unsupported to the field hos
pital at the rear. Such cases are on
record.
Beyond $50 yards the wounds inf1ict-
ed by such bullets as are used by Great
Britain, France, Germany, Russia and
Austria are clean cut, frequently pass
ing through bone tissue without splin-
terlng. The arteries are seldom injur-
ed by such wounds, as the bullet, going
through the flesh, pushes the blood ves-
sells to one side. f'asa p'EsA
! Y a.
The advance in surgery, moreover,
has been such that wounds which were
formerly fatal, or at least necessitated
amputation, are now healed without
such an operation. Formerly bullet
wound through a joint, such as the
knee or elbow, necessitated the ampu-
tation of the limb. Now such a wound
is opened and dressed and heals with
out amputation.
Disease Main Factor.
The prevention methods and improv-
ed sanitary arrangements which have
developed within the last generation
in the armies of the world are gener-
ally regarded as even more important
than the treatment Of the wounded
In the civil war eight soldiers died of
disease to every one who succumbed
to wounds. Experts have figured that
In the European war not more than
three will die of disease to one killed
in battle.
The camp pestilences have always
been typhoid and dysentery. Until
about fifteen years ago the causes Of
these diseases and the prevention
were not known. Now both have
been ascertained and are effectively
fought. The typhoid germ is attacked
by vaccination and the dysentery
parasite by sterilizing drinking water.