Remarkable Surgery.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 19 August 1915, Page 3

Remarkable Surgery.

The great -use that is being Made of artillery in this war, and partiiculaily of high explosive shells, has resulted in injuries of an appalling nature being inflicted on some of tne men hit Dy sfietts. Some of these wounds present new problems to surgery. A citizen of a.neutral country, writing in the "Daily Mail" of a visit to the hospital -to Rrolessor Christian Brulm, at Dusselldorf (Germany), where some remarkable surgical operations have been performed on wounded soldiers, states: — •'J went through the hospital recently. Those patients who were able were 'al attention' —as well as 'attention' could bo done—in their clean, blue-strip-ed hospital suits. Flowers from the fleffls stood on the tables "between the beds beside little trinkets, these, as well as the flowers, being presents fi'ofil Mends, and the nurses went quietly to aiffl fro, doing their good work. "I looked upon a tail, light-haired man, .with half a face, the other hall having been torn away by a piece ol shell. The mouth was nearly closed, and when 1 asked him a question he stmttered and answered with great ililficuTty. His .right eye was still intact. I asked him if he was still able to read, but ho answered 'No,' and the tears came?lie himself came from the Carpathian Mountains. When be arrived at the hospital he had practically no lace, fffft the doctors had taken pieces of skin from his back, and laid them on those parts of the face that were gone. And the pieces of bone which had been blown away were replaced by silver substitutes. "He looks splendid now," said the professor,, and patted tho patient s shoulder, and tho poor fellow tried to sir.ilo. In one bed lay a young Bavarian. He smiled a bright smile and put out a large hand. On the bedstead hung the Iron Cross and the Bavarian medal for bravery. "I feel fine, thank yonhe said. "And I have not been in much pain hardly any. A fortnight ago 1 was at the front in Flanders and in a short while I am going back there again. The worst period wan before the ambulance men found ne on the battle-field, six dead comrades lay on top of me, and 1 was too weak to push theiu away. And when I moved my head the faces or the dead ones touched mine. It nvas horrible to lie in such a position for twenty-four hours. But then 1 have those," he said, and pointed to liis medals. "Look here," said the professor, and showed me a young Englishman. - He came here with tho whole lower part of tho face shot away almost troni ear to ear. 1 took out pieces of his shinbone and made new lower jaws ol then; the softer parts and the guns are of rubber. The skin is taken from Ins own back. The only pity is that he. will never be able to grow a beard again." "1 used always to be clean shaven, anyhow," said the Englishman, and smiled.