The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-10-10
SURGEONS STUDYING
GASEOUS GANGRENE
Experience in War Advances
Treatment. but Mastery
Seems Distant.
DISEASE Is INFECTIOUS
Special Correspondence 10 TIVE SrS.

Special Cogvespopdence TO TIVE SrS.
PANS. Sept. 2S.-Dr. Henry de Va
rfgny, the surgeon IN charge NJ "A large
hospital at vichy. who has done per-
haps more tnan any other medical
for the popularization OF such bits OF
surgical progress as have been accom-
plished In France since the beginning
Of the war. publishes In the Journal DIES
Debufs the chief r suits obtained in the
treatment of gaseous gangrene.
Dr. Alexis carrcl recently told THE
SrN correspondent that 80 FAR az he
knew nothing radical had been done
about this stubborn afTiiction. so far az
determination of the character OF its
origin was concerned. and that the ad-
vance made AZ regards its treatment
was simply the result of the observa-
ton Of more cases than medicine had
heretofore been able To study during
any one short period. The classic treat
ment for 1t still remains amputation OF
the member affected. in case this Is pos
sible, but there has been "A notable
progress in the study of methods of
diagnosis and In the application OF
remedial measures looking toward
avoidance Of amputation.
According to Dr. de Varigny. the chief
original work accomplished In France in
this form of gangrene has been lone
by a young Lyons surgeon, Or. Andre
Chaiier. working in Nosges hospitals.
IN Dr. carrel he found all wounds in
fected, without exception, and proceeded
On the frank assumption that there can
BE- no clean surgery In war m
Initial symptoms.
As regards gaseous gangrene. so
pre- valent throughout the French army
hospitals that IT has come to be called
&c. O." Or Chalie- finds that quick
diagnosis il possible on the basis OF
three initial symptoms characteristic
pains coming from tension or swelling,
the extremely characteristic odor and
subcutancols ~emphysema. OF these the
odor is the. most useful and most I'M
deniable symptom; once Smetl,d u can
never be- forgotten AMI 10 amount or
ventilation ur pertaining Will rid a
patient of IT.
II the door IL there the surgeon
should start to work for the lii. OF his
wounded man immediately. ON the very
instant. The only treatment possible Is
cleansing and opening of the wound
itself the progress of the patient viii
soon determine whether amputation is
inevitable. .
Out OF forty-rvc cases Or. Cha'ier had
n amputate twenty-five. with twenty
recov,ri-S. mi Of tn" went @srF l'N
amputatsd there were fourteen cures
and six deaths. leaving y t"t'' ~ TO- =
four cures ont OF forty-ive cases, or 10
per cent. II reroveries. against the peace
time classic statistic OF from 30 10 30
per cent. of deaths, no matter whether
ampuiatcd or not. The super. or atten-
ton to the appearing symptoms due TO
the fact that army surgeons are always
Watching for the appearance OF the IN
lection accounts for the difference.
GEOGRAPHICALLY the cases appear TO
Nme more frequently from Artois and
Champagne than from around Nancy.
hut IL is frequent in Alsace. Army sur
geons attach Importance TO this distri-
hutton, though It's reasons are not at
all understood Incubation lasts from
eight hours to three days. with one day
the rule.