The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-07-02
Injuries Of the Brain and Eyes Are
More Frequent; They Cause Many
Deaths, lis Claimed

from Fridays 5aiiv.


from Fridays 5aiiv.
San Francisco. June 25.-The ma
terial which the European war Is fur
nishng for an important chapter In
military surgery, was the keynote OF
he Symposium on Military Surgery
which occupied the attention of the
Section on Surgery of the American
Medical association today.
DIR. w. +. Drennen of Birmingham
Ala. related his experience during 4
'ecent service of several months in
one of the large military base hos
pitfalls I'm Paris. Roentgen-ray photo
yraphs illustrating the types of frae-
ture and the different stages OF heal
.ng. were shown.
Surgeon F. +. Mccullough OF the
United States navy described the sur.
gery of modern naval warfare. he
showed that proper care OF those in.
iured IN modern naval warfare could
only be secured by making careful pref
aration during times of peace: by an
icipating every emergency betor,
battle and by caring for the wounded
Turing and after naval battles.
Major A. w. Williams of the Med
cal corps of the United States army
n n paper on Surgery on the Battle
feld" emphasized the difficulties EN-
,ountered In caring for the wOunde,
n the present European war on ac
,ount of the amount OF trench fight
ng going on.
Many Cases Of Infection.
Owing to the massing of largI
bodies of men in the trenches, and tn,
ack Of bathing facilities and clear
,lothiag. many severe cases of infec
ion have developed among TIT
wounded. In Belgium, especially
yhero the trenches have been dug II
soil tnat has for generations beer
,eayily MANFRED for market garden
ng The percentage of infection Is YER
Iigh. In comparison with other wars
here Is also n much higher proportion
II shell and shrapnel wounds. due t.
the increased use of artillery.
A new type Of wound Is that pro
lucod by the darts dropped from aero
planes i'm lunches OF 500 or more
which fall on the enemy like hail. pro
ncing wounds like bullets. Majo
Williams stated that his experience
rs field surgeon showed that by tn,
Use of iodine. the skin could be quick
y sterilized and surgical work done II
he field as safely as in the elaborai,
operating rooms In the city hos
pitals.
Injuries Of the Brain and Eye.
Injuries of the brain and of the eyes
are more frequent and cause more
leaths i'm the present war In Europe
han was ever the case in any othe'
war, according to DR.. Lloyd Mills O
Los Angeles. who related his expert.
ances i'm Austria. These injuries are
more serious owing to the short range
at which most of the fighting has beer
carried on and 10 the rotary motion
If the bullet fired from the GerTiaI
rife. which revolves about thirty two
times a second. Infections are com
mon. especially following shrapne
wounds. or those recovering. tho
number OF totally blind. according e
DR.. Mills. Is appallingly large and vii
need special provision on the part ol
European countries after the war !;
over.
The manner in which small hos
pitfalls are conducted is not yieldint
the best results. In the opinion of DIR
l.. w. Littig of Davenport, Ia. who nj,
so addressed the meeting today. Lacl
Of harmonious corporation between
the members of the staff. ineificiencN
of the nursing staff. commercial man.
agement of the training school ant
lack of careful supervision are some
of the reasons given by DR.. Littig FOL
this condition.