The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1918-08-08
Twenty
Minutes
Difference
IN
By WILLIAM HAMILTON OSBORNE
Of The Vfgaanfes

TIVE clever surgeons, each Of whom had
earned worldwide renown by his re-
markable specialized knowledge. Only
the most desperate cases, those rcqulr-
Ing intricate surgical knowledge, were
brought to them. It was noted by n
close observer Of these two men. that
the subjects operated on by n OF
them almost invariably ~succumbcd-
while thos" operated on by the other
surgeon almost invariably survived.
The curious observer was II cUufidcn-
tinl friend Of the resident physician
Of the hospital. lie wanted TO know.
Just what" he querled, 'is the diff
ference between these two distinguish.
ed operatOrsi"
The difference" returned the house
physician, "oh, about twenty minutes,
{ should say"
There was the socret-twenty min.
utes difference In the time Of perform.
Ing an operation. One man was deft,
swift, sure. The other was sure, but
slow. Ills too deliberate methods kept
the nervous system Of the patient un.
Ter too long u strain, and the system
frequently could not survive the shock.
The other man vas Ike u finsli--hr cut
and slnshed-in II Jiny h. was through.
Through twenty minutes sooner than
Ills brother surgeon. That twenty min
ntes meant life ON the hand-death
On the other.
II you've got n friend or relative In
the trenches. there Is one picture that
keeps recurring to your mind. A thou.
sand times you see this boy meeting In
slant death. Your young friend hasn't
one chance in ten thousand Of being
Instantly killed. The number Of bull
lets that find their mark In The brain,
Or that pierce any vital organ, Is ex-
,remcly limited. The great loss Of life
opon n battlefield does not result from
wounds Immediately fatal. The great
danger in this wnr rs In all wars. Is
from wounds, not In themselves imme-
iiately fatal, hut wounds that become
serious only with the passage of time.
Flesh wounds may be entirely super
3cial. and yet may become terribly
.atnl. The victim may bleed to death,
: ae may suffer exposure. Infection, fe.
yer, decentralization his enforced TX.
posture - gangrene. modification -
ieath.
Tho Answer ls-Time.
In such n case, why does he live and
get we'll. If he lives? Why does he die,
Z he dies? What Is the difference
! The nnSw Is, time. The answer may
D., twenty hours or twenty minutes.
Suppose it were possible to pick up
very wounded man the instant that
q ic'S hit. to remove him swiftly from
4 he battlefield or the trench to n first.
lass hospital. TO give him the immedi'
j ,lc ~attcn,loC Of nurses and surgeons,
q II that picture were true, II fatalities
n uuv armies would be almost In
tnitcSimll.
a Look in the darker picture. Your
q iOung friend goes owe: the top In II biz
q Allied drive. He Is wounded In the
q .eg. 1t Is a big drive-hundrcds OF
thousands Of men cngagcd-hun
q lreds killed acknowledgements up
g N thousands suffering with wounds
q most % them superficial and seem
ngly u~nlmportant. Your young
'rirnd i disabled but for the present
q lc feels no unusual discomfort. Shock
.lstuins him. lie feels hat very short
8 Y he will be picked up and taken IN
Z u an emergency hospital where his leg
Z AN be liked up. lie Is disappointed
81 lu one comes. Terrific pain sets in
q Nth the inflammation a heavy fever
rwcnty.four hours 90 by. Finally h,
= : picked up. lie IL rushed To II hos
oital as fast rs possible, considering
& the number OF ambulaaces. He reach
ia" hospital. The nurse looks n
his leg-she calls n doctor. They bott
shake their heads-thcy ought to have
n had the man hours ago. All right. hi
thinks to himself. they'll take care oI
. him now. But ahead of him Is Il waiting
a. list OF grooming. wounded men. There
nothing for IL. he's got to wait his turn
Hours pass. The wounded come In b!
dozens. Medical supplies give out
medicine gives out. Dressings Civ
y out. There are not enough surgical In
strumcnts to 70 around. Finally, will
!, your man ut the height OF a ringing fc
= rcr they get to him and operate. TWEEN
ty hours before an operation would
= have been unnecessary. They remov'
~ the leg--a leg which had suffered 1
u superficial wound, not dangerous II
~ itself but which became dangerous
~ only with the passage Of time. Blu
y gangrene already has set Init Is fol
lowed by modification. The boy SUI
W fcrs the sorturcs Of the damned. IL,
y dies-is glad to die.
~ Now. what's the answer Woul,
twenty minutes have saved him? Pos
>. sibly. Would nm hour and invent.
y minutes have saved himf Quite likely
Would three hours and twenty minute
have saved him2 Almost certainly
yes. Five hours certainly would hav
u saved him. lie died because there wa