The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1916-08-31
KIRGHIS Returns
FROM WAR Front
ILL HEALTH COMPELS FORMER
SAUK CENTRE PHYSICIAN
TO QUIT FRANCE
SERVED FOR ELEVEN.MONTHS
HELD RESPONSIBLE POSITION
WITH HOSPITAL CORPS OF
ALLIED COUNTRIES

LIZ. anu MIS-. "A. u. hlrgnlS, just
back from the fighting front Il
France, where the doctor "did his bit'
for eleven months with the French
hospital corps as surgeon, visited here
from Monday until Wednesdays the
guests of Mr.. and Mrs. w. o. P. His
hale.
They left Wednesday noon for Tel
stead, Mont, near Great Falls, where
they will sojourn until DR.. Kirghis
RECEIVERS his strength. The length of
their stay is indeterminate, but Mrs.
Kirghis says:
at may take two months and it
may take a year, but he is going to
stay in Montana until he is entirely
recovered"
DR.. Kirghis was released from the
French war service through honor
able discharge issued by the French
minister of war because O. illness.
When he left for France seven months
ago he weighed 1876 pounds. He now
weighs 104. He succumbed to over
work and was sick in hospital for a
month before the order for his dis
charge came. Mrs. Kirghis says that
only the care of eminent military
specialists and physicians saved his
life. His big task now is to recover
his health.
DR.. Kirghis first left for France
about eleven months ago, being sum-
moned because of the illness of his
father, who had visited in Sank Cen
tire a number of years ago and was
we'll remembered by many citizens.
The elder Kirghis died. The younger
Kirghis was impressed in the army in
he medical corps.
He served few months and then
obtained furlough to come to his
home in st. Cloud to close up his bus
mess affairs and return with his wife.
That was seven months ago. Since
that time he has served with the
health broke down.
In that time he was attached for
two months as surgeon in chief with
an ambulance corps. five miles from
the front somewhere in France).
The corps consisted of seven doctors
and a train of sixteen automobiles.
Later he was surgeon in chief at
the st. Jacques hospital in the town
of Besanco and in this same capacity
was surgeon in chief of the Seventh
Sector North (also somewhere in
France), which included number
of smaller auxiliary hospitals to
which he made trips by auto weekly.
In the St. Jacques hospital there were
four surgical services and the beds
totalled 1900.
DR.. Kirghis talks Interestingly of
the war but declares it is beyond de-
scription of word Of mouth, that it
must be viewed to appreciate its i'm
mensity. He stated that at St. JAG
ques hospital there would be times
when a month would elapse without a
wounded soldier being brought in.
Then would come a battle in the i'm
mediate section and the wounded
would be brought in by wagon loads.
DIR. Kirghis states that the worst
wounds withewhich the surgeons must
deal and which cause the greatest per-
centage Of death loss among wounded
are those cause by shrapnel. When
the shell bursts it sends out shower
of bits of iron from the size Of pin
head to that of a mans fist. These
particles enter the bodies of the SOL
diers and lodge. Suppuration results
and a resultant difficult case to ham
die. Bullet wounds are almost invar-
iably clean because of the great We
locity, passing entirely through the
body, and the percentage of recover
les is large. DR.. Kirghis states that
Austrians are still resorting to the
use of dum-dum and explosive bull
lets against the Russians, contrary to
international laws of warfare, and
that they create great havoc when
they hit. He says the Germans used
dum-dums for a time but have dis
continued the practice.
The doctor also commented on the
deadliness of LIQUID gas. This is con-
veyed toward an enemy trench by
means of underground pipes. When
the desired point is reached the liquid
is released, forms into gas by contact
with air and is swept over enemy
trenches by the wind. 1t is one of
the deadliest modes of the warfare.
DIR. Kirghis gives his opinion that
the war will continue for about one
year more and will end in complete
victory for the Allies. He says:
"The fighting may continue until a