WOUNDED WHO RECOVER

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2701, 22 February 1916, Page 6

WOUNDED WHO RECOVER

I ft LOW PERCENTAGE OF DEATHS. According to a Paris correspondent Dr. Jacques Bcrtillon, director of army medical statistics, has communicated • highly satisfactory figures to tlio Acad- i emy of Moral and Political Science with regard to the mortality among sick and wounded soldiers in the French' military hospitals. Out' of every 1000 soldiers admitted only 18 deaths are registered. If we distinguish between sick and wounded tlie deaths are 13 per 1000 among the former and 23 per 1000 among the latter. In the Paris hospitals jn peace time the mortality is far higher—lo6 per 1000. During the Crimean War it was 367 per 1000, and during the campaign in Italy, when the, French r were fighting ,m a friendly country and in circumstances far less trying than now, it was 85 por 1000. And tlio war iiv Italy wm a short one. Dr. Bertillon points out that, favourable as these figures are, the rate-of mortality is steadily decreasing. In September, 1914, it even reached 53. It must he borne in mind that a low rate of mortality denotes not only skilful surgery and careful nursing, but light, air, and cleanliness. • .