The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-12-22
AMERICAN SPEED
IN GIVING RELIEF.
ON BATTLE FIELDS.
ISFACTOR IN WAR.
Incredible Feats Are Be
ing Accomplished By
Medical Men
PERCENTAGE OF
LOSSES SMALL
Wounded No Longer Lie on
Fields for Days Before
Rescued

: French Front. Nov. 500 CORES
pondence OF the Associated Press.)
Almost Incredible feats have been
and are being accomplished every
day Of the war by the surgeons who
treat soldiers wounded IN the bat
tlefield. These remarkable feats
have increased in frequency as the
stricken men are more quickly gath
cred In by the ambulances and
brought to the field hospitals for
surgical intervention. --a
At the beginning Of the war it was
not always possible to clear up a
battlefield OF the casualties In less
than three or four days, and on many
occasions wounded men waited even
longer before their injuries could be
handled. The result of this was that
large numbers of the wounded sue
cunlbed from gangrene or blood
poisoning, or were rendered so feeble
from loss OF blood that they were
unable to undergo operations that
were vitality necessary. 1t was at
that time regarded as q satisfactory
wounded brought into the hospitals
recovered eventually from their in
juries.
The percentage OF losses among
the wounded men would at present
be regarded with horror by the mill
tary surgeons. who now reckon with
perfect assurance on saving about
nine-tenths OF the wounded men
coming under their treatment. Dur
ing the battle Of Flanders the per-
centage Of recoveries among wound
ed men brought to the hospitals
amounted to eighty-six.
This striking figure was still
further improved on the occasion of
the recent battle in which the
French wrested from the Germans
the fort OF Malmaison and caused
them TO evacuate the Chemin des
Danes after throwing away hundreds
of thousands of the crown princes
best troops In the effort to retain ii.
The French surgeons reports after
the conclusion of the fighting and
the treatment Of all the wounded
show that ninety men out Of every
hundred brought to hospital recover
ed from their hurts.
Speed in collecting the wounded is
the greatest factor in bringing about
this progress.
Americans have had much to do
with the speeding up Of the ambul-
ance service, for their ambulances
have been present at every point
where lighting has been severe and
their work has been highly praised
by the army commanders. Americans
have done much in providing hospf-
tai accommodation near the front as
well as at the bases.
One instance of American effort in
providing for the accommodate ton
and treatment OF the wounded is that
under the management OF Miss
Kathleen Park, of New York, at her
chateau Of Annel. There she has
worked almost since the very begin
ming of the war. While the battle
for the fort OF Malmaison was in
progress the hospital dealt with
considerable number OF wounded,
who were first bandaged on the bat
tlefield and then brought down the
river Aisne on board barge fitted
UP as q floating hospital.
Miss Park says there Is only one
thing needed to make her hospital
complete and that il what is known
as an "autochir, composed Of travel
ling surgical outfit carried in five
automobile wagons one for the OPP
Grating room, one for the radiologi-
cal examinations of wounds, one for
carrying bandages and supplies, one
for the staff and the fifth to convey
the tent for the beds on which the
men lie after the operations and
while waiting to be conveyed to the
barge for transport to the hospital
base I'm the rear. If she possessed
this portable hospital she Is con-
WINGED that many lives would be
saved, since rapidity of treatment is
the main factor In. dealing with
wounds.
Miss Park has WORKING with her in /
conjunction with the French milf
tary surgeons a number Of American
doctors, who all participated in the
handling of the French wounded
during the battle of Malmaison. Also
she has with her several American
trained nurses and helpers Among
the doctors are Richard Boiling and !
Robert SchroelS, from New York:
George de Tarnovsky, from CHICAGO;
John ]. Moorhead, from the New
York Post Graduate Hospital; and
Doctors Paul r. Sieber, y. III. wag-
ner. Froidy. Jacobs, p. y. Cashmar
and III. @. Clarke, of Pittsburgh. The
nurses copnprise Misses Sweet. Kill
grew and HoIley, from the Detroit
Harper hosnital: Miss Il. b. srnith.
from New York hospital. ana Miss
ptorniey, from the Roosevelt hospital
Of New York.