The Washington times., 1915-04-18
Operated without Anesthetics.

est worked and the most noble-hearted
men of all.
Operated without Anesthetics.
The priests were intrusted with the
care of the sick, the physicians being
engaged in taking care Of the wounded
soldiers.
1t is war, and war is conducted by
men, so what did the commander care
for the civilians. 1t is better they were
dead. For every dead civilian ono
soldiers food sipply would double. 1t
was soldiers they wanted. So IL a
soldier was mol tally wounded he dIu
not receive medical attention.
a soldier without d le-. y soldier
without an orn. or a soldier who could
not stand up and shoot. was dead, as
far as the military agencies Of the
town were concerned.
I can say from my personal obBe,va-
ton that no less than 5000 soldiers
could have been saved from death had
we the time or the opportunity to am
putate their wounded legs or arms.
The wounded soldiers upon whom we
were allowed to operate were those
slightly wounded ones, who had to be
fitted up as soon as possible to take the
field. -
And we had to operate on those poor
human beings without anesthetics.
Thrusting your instrument into the
flesh of a wounded soldier and pulling
out a piece of lead was a common sur
gical operation: and the poor wounded
ones onlv moaned.
l. asked one these men from whose
arm l had extracted a bullet If it did
not hurt him, because he had not even
moaned. "It hurts no longer" he an
swered.
Though we were in wireless communi-
cation with the main Austrian armies.
and the dirgibles. but our repeated ex-
trips across the enemys lines. we were
unable to receive medical assistance
from outside. This fact had justly an
gered the medical corps in the ill-fated
city.
We were aware of the fact that the
high ranking staff officers were living
in luxury and their stocks of wine ana
cognac were being periodically replen-
ished from the stocks of the main army
, by the dirgibles, but our repeated eX-
Dostulations over the lack of even COM
mon bandages for the wounded were
received with derision by them.
From the time | entered the ill-fated
city. on November 6, to March 3. 1915. |
had had not warm meal. So on that
date went to the Hotel Royal Cafe to
buy some soup.
Soup of Horse Meat.
Upon arriving at the hotels cafe, I
! found the place filled with officers.
Even the corridors We're filled with
| tables surrounded by them. We physi-
clans. also. wore Austrian uniforms. but
VIC did not belong to the fighting
corps" we were simply doctors, com
mon ordinary life savers.
So we were not even permitted to ap-
proach the restaurant tables. What
impudencc on our part We had de-
manded that we be served with food
| and that the drinking officers yield us
| their tables and chairs. That was I'm
possible.
am a Croat. so did not press m,
| demand further but was satisfied witt
| a bowl of soup which contained a piece
| which we obtained by special permi,
| from the high ranking military officer
we had to pay an amount equal to i
| shillings. in British currency.
| Toward the end Of February. the sol
| diers We're receiving only one-fourth Of
| their former regular rations. which
itself was insufficient. In spite of tha
the stan officers were living in luxury
and even their alcoholic rations were
| not cut off.
Early in February plaques of al
known kinds and plaques that were
unknown to ordinary physicians were
| scourging the city.
Hitherto. the civil population had suf.
| fered the most. but finally. toward the
middle Of February, it reached the
| army.
Strange as it may appear. neverthe
| less it Is fact. that with the increase
| or tne various diseases among the CIVIL
| ians as well as the soldiers. the pressure
| upon the medical corps was decreased
| With the Introduction of the shor
ration and increase of disease tho usua
sallies were not attempted, consequent!
there were fewer freshly wounded sol
| diers to be looked after.
Couldn't Aid Fatally Wounded.
| The sick and the fatally wounded
| were out of our jurisdiction.
Without any attempt to be saCri
legiouS those were referred to as fhns,