Evening star., 1918-06-16
SURGEONSATFRONT
PERFORM MARVELS
Restore to Fighting Strength
of Allies Whole Divisions
of Men Yearly.
Of tn. Associated Pres.

Correspondence Of the Associated Press
FRENCH FRONT, June 1.-Marvels
are being performed by the surgeons at
BY exercising their skill they have re-
stored to the fighting strength Of the
allied nations each year since the begin
ming Of the war.whole divisions Of men
who in other wars would have died Of
their wounds or would have been Grip
pied for life.
The recent gigantic battles. as the re-
suit Of which more wounded men than
ever before have received surgical treat
ment within a short space Of time, have
demonstrated the immense strides made
not only in surgery. but in the methods
Of removing the wounded from the bat
tie fields and Transporting them to hos
pitals. So effective is the cooperation
between surgeons and physicians at the
front and those at the hospitals in the
rear that an immensely larger propor-
ton Of the wounded recover than was
the case at the beginning Of the war.
fractured by shells now are restored to
their regiments in a minimum Of time.
This is due mostly to the fact that they
receive prompt antiseptic treatment
and surgical attention which prevents
blood poisoning and the stiffening Of
the hospitals behind the lines. where
they can be treated under comfortable
conditions far from the nerve-wracking
sound Of the guns.
Confidence In Surgeons.
Soldiers have been inspired with con-
ddence In the army surgeons in the
great battles around Verdun and In the
great German offensive which began
In March.
Promptness In the treatment of
wounded men has been obtained by
segregating them in classes according
to the nature Of their wounds. This
was not generally done at the begin
ming Of the war. The plan then in
vogue was to erect large hospitals as
near the fighting lines as possible. say.
to send all cases there for treatment.
When big battles occurred these hos
pitals were overcrowded and owing to
the delay in operating there were
many cases Of gangrene, tetanus and
other infections that resulted fatally.
bard the hospitals either with the artil-
lery or from airplanes. Sometimes a
train load Of wounded men would ar
rive only to find all the beds occupied
and that they must move on to another
hospital
Dispose Of Wounded Quickly.
Most of this difficulty now has been
overcome. When wounded men reach
the first dressing station or field ambu-
lance they are divided into categories.
Those slightly wounded are rapidly
dressed and sent to convalescent hospi-
tails. Those crippled are sent to cripple
depots. Men who have been gassed go
to special hospitals and those most dan
gerously wounded are transferred to
hospitals nearby to remain until they
recover or die.
Those suffering from severe but not
dangerous wounds receive prompt treat
ment in the advanced ambulances, where
operations are performed and wounds
disinfected before the men are sent to
permanent hospitals.
BY these divisions Of the wounded
into classes. 1t is asserted, that great
rapidity Of surgical Intervention is
achieved. as each specialist deals only
with such cases needing his kind Of
skill. Then the patient is removed to
the hospital at a distance Of not more
than a journey Of ten or twelve hours.
where he receives attention from an
other specialist working in close CO.
operation with his colleague in the ad-
vanced ambulance.
This system Of segregation Of wound
ed and cooperation Of doctors is said
fo have nroduCed marvellous resultS