There is no doubt that when the final chap ter on the history of surgery in this Great War is written, there will be largely to the credit of the skilled and able surgeon a record of such great progress as will astonish the medical man, who can yet look back and call to mind his experiences during the Civil War, the Franco-Prussian War, the Spanish-American War and the Russo-Japanese War.
Never has an army had such eminent spe cialists to care for their sick and wounded. Great advances have resulted in the splendid manner in which the question of transportation has been solved. No army has ever had such a perfect system of ambulances— electric and otherwise — steamboat and railroad facilities, and the avoidance of handling the wounded has added greatly to their recoveries.
Especially to the credit of the American sur geon is the adoption of the method of con tinuous treatment from the dressing stations to evacuation and base hospitals, and the stand ardization of splints. This has been kindly re ceived on the part of the surgeons in the vari ous armies, and has proved of inestimable value. In all the various wounds that have been studied and treated, during the nearly five years' of this war, it is plainly notic-able that, step by step, surgery has advanced, with that degree of success, that the final summing up will demonstrate the greatest progress in his tory, in the ability to return men to the fighting ranks, with so little loss of service, and in the actual saving of life.
Another chapter has been added to making surgery a more exact science. The art, the skill, could scarcely be improved, for in other wars we have had evidence of some of the most scientific operations possible for human ability to perform; however, the great advan tage this modern military surgeon possesses, in instruments, operating paraphernalia, dressings, splendid nursing, can not be excelled in the best of civil hospitals and all this aided mate rially in the wond rful success.
Great gratitude is due the women of America for much of these splendid results. Their weary days of preparing surgical dress ings have been well rewarded. Out of it all is to come a knowledge of the treatment of wounds that is apace with the fierceness ex hibited by the cruel weapons employed in this recent war, and with more destructive surround ings than ever known in the history of the world.
What can directly be called military surgery has never presented such an amount of mate rial, including research, laboratory investiga tions and the study of all forms of wounds in flicted by every possible kind of missile — gas, mustard and poisoned bombs, liquid fire, dis ease-producing germs, everything conceivable for the destruction of human life. All of these conditions our surgeons, aided by the chemist and investigations in the laboratories, have been able to treat promptly and successfully, as our medical journals so clearly indicate.
In collating the advances made in the de partment of military surgery medical journal ism deserves great credit.
In the War Supplement of the 'Index Medicus, 1914-17,) the classification of all papers and addresses on the subject is a marvel. The energy exhibited by the bacteriologist and the ability to bring the laboratory up to the firing line has aided immensely in obtaining methods of relief ; however, it is yet too early to give any positive, concise summary of the methods adopted for the treatment of these differently classified wounds, under the care of the evacuation and base hospitals, but out of the vast amount of material there will result unmistakable evidences of success.
X-ray work has been of a superior quality, particularly when applied to the extremities, such as the long and small bones of the arms, hands, legs, feet and all irregular bones, as well as soft parts, muscles, vessels and nerves. The apparatus is now so perfect there is little risk in the development of X-ray burns.
Great progress in the treatment of wounds followed the Russo-Japanese War, yet no war has ever presented when the ability to treat injuries of the kidneys, ureters and bladder was equal to that which has been accomplished in this present conflict, regarding the immediate care of these cases. It may be stated here that the rich supply of X-ray apparatus has enabled the surgeon to study with great exactness or to obtain such important information, after re ceipt of the patient in the evacuation hospital, as was hitherto unknown.