Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1916-04-15
OPERATES THREE
\ THOUSAND TIMES
Dr. Eugene Hurd, American Sur.
geon in Russian Army, Performs
that Number During War.
HAS MANY MARROW ESCAPES

Correspondence Of the Associated Press.1
PETRoGRAD, March i5.-Alore than
1000 surgical operations, most Of them
close 10 the fighting line and with the
foar Of artillery In his cars, IL the last
years record Of Dr.. Eugene Hurd. until
recently the only American surgeon Mt
the front with the Russian forces. nr
Hurd " CHIEF surgeon In charge NJ tho
Twenty ninth, known M tho "Grodno No
bilty flying column. ls has The rank Of
colonel ~ The regular army, Ills
physidue~he stands slX feet three inches
~ height and weighs z2b pounds makes
him conspicuous figure, even among
The big fellows Of the Siberian corpa
among whom he works, Iie has Hes
quirod reputation among the simple
minded soldiers for doing tho Impossible
A soldier returning from the hospital told
hig fellows that the big American sur
Reon could take hand that had been
shot or, patch Il together and pit II
back on good a. new
liurd has been reported several times
killed wounded or missing. Ho haB made
~ number Of hurried getaways, but he
has always turned up with HE outfit
when tho smoke cleared. Ills column was
QUILTED by the noble families 81 0rodno
foon Gfter the outbreak ~ tho wnY, Then
they looked about for \ surgeon 10 take
charge. About that time Hurd, who WIS
IN Seattle. WAS offering his services 10
Huhs6. Through the Russian consul IN
seattle, HE offer war accepted and he
sailed on November - for vladiyostok,
no was 81 once sent 70 Grodno with
contract 10 serve during the term Of the
war. lis believed he was giving his aery
icos gratis. but several months later when
he had time 10 have his contract trans
lated hs found that no was 10 receive
40 rotbles monthly.
HIS first taste OF battle was on the
Grodno front ON the rotreat Of the Rus
sian army last summer Ilurd narrowly
escaped an Involuntary transfer OF his
activities 10 the German side. After a
twsnty-hour stretch Of hard work he was
ordered TO retire by night 10 oranl. Al
o'clock IN the morning he bad reached
an estate hx miles from that point ard
there he decided 10 rest until daylight,
When preparing 10 resume his journey the
following m6rDing, he found the stablA
yard full o. Russian cavalry horses, some
OF them wounded, A Russian soldier In
formed him that orani had been captured
by The Germans ohriy IN the morning md
that they were approaching less than
Two miles away. Ho made hurried exit
southwnrd through sand dunes, where
NAPOLEON losf his transports on the re-
front from Moscow. Until 4 o'clock IN
Tho afternoon. when he reached n now
Russian position lie was between the hos
tile lines, uncertain as TO the location
~ either army.
Escapes Under Firs.
81 another time the German cavalry
broke through the Russian lines before
Hurd was aware Of the fact and had cut
Lis field telephone. They passed his
operating base, evidently believing his
capture assured on their return. But tho
American doctor harnessed his horses and
Win his operating force made a break
FOR the retiring Russian army. The Ger
mans turned battery on him. and with
shells bursting all around him. he gal
loDcd his teams over the crest Of n hill
and eventually made his way TO safety
Or. ffnrd works customarily about a
mite back Of the trenches in line with
laa light artillery and in front Of and
Under the heavy batteries
"a believe the Russian soldier to be the
bert In the world" he said on a recent
Visit 10 Potrograd his third brief absence
from the trenches In more than a year.
The Russian Is fatalist, In absolutely
iearless, willing to attack under any con-
a Ia - E.as
hil favonte weapon I am convinced
that he Germans lost twenty men to our
one on the retreat last summer.
~ now form OF trench bomb, filled
with an acid that acts like vitriol Is the
last element we have 10 contend with.
The effect is fatal II the fumes are in
hailed and the least effect II TO produce
total and permanent blindness. These
bombs are fired at close range and ex-
plode on contact From one 70 seven
mon are affected where the explosion
occurs among men unprotected by res
plfators often the men have not time
10 adjust their resplrators in time TO
escape
"a remarkable thing that have OBJ
served Il the number of cases Of frozen
feet among German prisoners, while |
have yet TO treat the first Russian for
that trouble The reason II that the
Germans wear close fitting boots. while
the Russian boot Is large, and IN place
of socks he winds his feet In Yards Of
wooden cloths The boots are water.
light one seldam finds Russian sol
dior with wet feet Another thing The
Russian trenches are deep and wide
enough that the men may stand ana
move about Trench foot due 70
oramped positions and impaired oiroulas
lion. s unknown among our soldiers.
insist upon fiEd discipline Ia my
corps n assistants and through sYss
tenn Of packing and handling which !
have devised I can break camp and he
nn me moge within twenty minutes "a
yaH unllmher aud heain nn operation
pihiu ten minutes after arrival"
rht onlY aihef American surgeon Al
lhe NnsAian FRONT d Malcolm Grow. res
cniiy made surgeon ~ Tire Twsnty.nrsi
GIVING column shh another siberian
Unfuf