South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1918-05-06
for the
WOUTnded

0TATISTICS of the war show that
over three soldiers are wounded
to every one who Is killed. Of
course some do not recover from their
wounds.
If the best brains of science have
been enlisted to create effective weap-
ons of war so also have the best brains
of medicine and surgery been devoted
to the care of the wounded and the
repair of injury done by the modern
high-power bullet, the shrapnel show
ers, the effects of shell-shock and poison
gas.
The care of the wounded is much
better organized than it was in the first
year of the war Much has been learned
by the surgeons on the battlefield, and
surprising things have been accom-
plished in the base hospitals In repair
ing torn limbs and In fitting wounded
soldiers to return to the firing line or
TO enable the manned to seek useful
employment at home The latest prog
ress IN war surgery IS Interestingly de-
scribed in French work called LA
rousse Medical de Guerre," from which
the accompanying information is taken.
The French surgeons have made a
chart of the body showing where wounds
are most dangerous The danger zones
for contusions are shown by the
shaded portions of the man pictured in
the centre of the page. Commissions are
usually produced by flying fragments
of shells. If these fragments strike
any of the danger zone spots on the
body they are likely to cause serious
injury or death, but if they strike other
parts of the anatomy not included in
the danger zones they may do little or
no harm.
The shaded spots on the head near
the ear and around the neck are very
susceptible to confusion shocks, for
there are blood vessels near the surface
that might be ruptured, and the bones
in the head at that point are very frail
and easily broken The lower part of
the chest is seen TO be dangerous be-
cause of the respiratory organs and
the heart The abdomen is also a dan
ger spot, principally because of the di-
gestive organs. The armpit and inner
surface of the arm are very susceptible
TO confusion shock because the pulse
artery is exposed there. In the region
of the groin there are veins, nerves,
tendons and arteries of great import
ance located close to the skin. The
knee socket and the hollow beneath the
knee are also danger points in the
soldiers anatomy.
Most OF the wounds are caused by
projectiles. not by bayonet or steel
weapons.
In former wars the doctors had to
probe for a bullet, and oftentimes were
unable to locate it In the body. but in
the present war the location of a bullet
and the course it takes are clearly
shown by photography. 1t has been
found in tracing the path of bullet
that the exit wound is usually larger
than the wound where the bullet en-
tered the body
A constant source of danger in
wounds is the flow of blood, and if this
is not quickly stopped II Will result IN
death.
To stop a hemorrhage it is necessary
to shut off the blood supply between
the wound and the heart This is done
by compression. and various methods
are employed to accomplish the desired
him TO the rear. The usual method Is
result. The simplest way is to apply
a tourniquet, which is done by tieing a
handkerchief or strap or piece of cloth
around the arm or leg above the wound
and then twisting 1t around until strong
pressure is brought to bear on the limb.
This pressure falls on the blood vessels
and closes them at that point so that no
blood can flow TO the wounded part of
the anatomy.
A more efficient form of tourniquet
is made of two pieces Of strong wood,
2