Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1915-08-05
Ancient Armor
Comes TO Front
In Present War
ASSOCIATED Press Correspondence

ASSOCIATED Press correspondence
London. July 1.-THE London news
papers are urging upon the British gov
eminent the advisability of adopting the
steel helmet, as well as some simple
form of protective breast armor, for the
troops in France and Flanders. France,
Russia and Germany have been expert
menting along this line for some time.
and France has recently definitely adopt
ed light steel helmet, suggesting in de-
sign the headpiece worn by men-at-arms
six centuries ago.
lone of the most remarkable features
of this war;" remarks the Times, has
been the return to Older, if not to an
cient, methods. The steel fort has been
discredited and the earthwork justified:
the strength and direction of the wind
has become a leading factor once again,
as it was in the days of bows and ar
rows, since aeroplanes are affected by
the wind and gas attacks determined by
it; hand grenades, bombs and. catapults
have assumed real Importance Finally.
the question of arrlcr for the lighting
man himself has come up for considera-
ton
The value of light protective armor is
attested in, several recent articles in the
British medical journals. DIR. Devraene,
French army surgeon, discusses in the
Lancet the result of his tests Of the new
French helmet and gives it his unquai-
fed endorsements The soldier who
wears a helmet" he says. escapes light
wounds of the head and even wounds
that would in ordinary circumstances
have been severe are greatly mitigated.
The helmet frequently turns off the bull
let, in other cases dents or stops 1t,
while in other cases it is perfora ted but
acts as A heavy drag upon the force of
the proiectile so that hair and dirt are
not driven into the tissues of the head
DR.. A. j. Hewitt CHER surgeon of the
warship Pegasus in her fight with the
Koenigsberg, writes in the Journal of
the Royal Medical Service urging the
adoption of some kind of protective ar
NOR by the navy. One of the remarkable
features of the wounds which came I'M
der his observation, he says, was the
smaller penetrating power of the frag-
ments of projectiles in open spaces like
the upper deck. The danger zone so far
as life was concerned seemed to be con-
fined to a small area around the bursting
space, and though the initial velocity of
the fragments seemed to De very great
it diminished rapidly, perhaps owing to
their irregular shape.
Zone seaman writes DR.. Hewitt, had
his right arm so shattered that COM
plete amputation was necessary. but a
fragment of the same shell hit the brass
buckle of his belt breaking it but not
even bruising the abdomen. Small frag-
ments were also the cause Of the loss of
four eyes, but 1 am of the opinion that
a pair of motor goggles would have
saved all these. A case of injury to the
jugular vein caused by a minute parti-
Gle of shell probably could have been
stopped by a linen collar.
'In my opinion a coat Of light chain
armor. or even leather, with pair of
goggles made from toughened motor
screen glass. would be invaluable to cap
tains of destroyers. navigators, and
others in exposed positions who are like
ly to encounter ships armed with similar
guns
DR.. Delorme, Medical Inspector General
of the French army. believes that pro-
tective armor would cause a marked de-
crease in the large number of minor
wounds which have serious results owing
to the development of injection. 1T is
infection through hair. shreds of head
gear, soiled bullets. irregular dressings.
etc." he says, that makes minor head
LESSONS so dangerous and causes a NOR.
tality varying from Is to 81 per cent"