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

inevitable with the old type of missile is almost
unknown.
Such wounds in heshy parts of the body are
seldom more than annoying Under favorable
circumstances the supposedly vital organs may be
pierced without fatal lasting effects. In the
Russo-Japanese and Balkan wars, and more re-
Gently during the disturbances in Mexico, there
were many cases of men who survived bullet
wounds in the lungs and abdomen. AS Dr. Morris
points out, there will probably be a much larger
percentage OF survivals in the present war be
cause of the greatly superior hospital equipment
Of the armies now at war, as well the increased
knowledge gained from the earlier conflicts.
HOSPITAL WORK OF JAPANESE DURING
WAR WITH RUSSIA.
The three wars mentioned in the preceding
paragraph all have a most important bearing
the present one far as the care Of injured men
and the prevention of sickness are concerned. Ii
las been said by several medical men that the
japanese excelled the worlds best in the excel
Icnce of their hospital work during the war with
Russia. This, it appears, not literally the
case. One of the principal officers of the medical
corps of the United States army explained the
situation to The Tribune as follows:
Neither in medical equipment nor knowledge
he said, "were the japanese nearly equal to any
OF the armies Of the important powers except
that of their enemy. Russia had been rather
backward in that line of development, becaus.
her officers did not realize its tremendous i'm
portance. Thus the extraordinary record of the
japanese army for good health and recovery from
wounds was not due to any mysterious superi-
GRITTY of the Japanese medical corps 1t was
simply the first time that any army had had
Ia,
methods which scientists had devised for their
protection. For years medical science had been
making rapid progress in military lines, but no
war of much Importance had taken place.
JAPANESE QUICK TO REALIZE THE VALUE
OF CARING FOR INJURED.
The japanese had been quick to that the
value of an army would be greatly increased by
the use of the most efficient known means Of
caring for the injured. The mere knowledge tina:
the best medical aid will be given them, if neces-
sary, inspires the soldiers with confidence which
is unknown otherwise. The assimilation of West
ern culture by the Japanese had been so amaz-
ingy rapid that by the time the Russian war
broke out they were already masters Of many arts
which had been unknown to them generation
before. Among these was military medical sci
ence. Of course, their grasp of this subject was
rs have said not nearly so complete as that Of
the other nations.
Besides this the sharp-nosed steel bullet was
first used in this war The Importance Of this
is brought out by writer on the subject, who
says: NO chapter in surgery has undergone such
radical changes that pertaining to gunsnot
wounds. This is due not only to modern meth
DDS, but to the fact that military rife wounds
are not so extensive in their pathological char
acter as formerly and are more amenabe to treat
ment'
"The japanese army went into the war with
the best medical corps which had ever eccom-
panied troops actually engaged in fighting and