Surgery In The War

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 August 1916, Page 3

Surgery In The War

Dr. Alox.s Can el. the U.stuiguisued i*'reach surgeon, tor many years connected with llic UockefeUer iiist.L.uc tor Medical Research in .New York, was one of the most celebrated of the world's (surgical pioneers at the outbreak of the present war, when he returned to his native land to offer his services as a surgeon. Dr Carrel declares that the science of surgery benefited little from investigations carried on •during the war. The surgeons are too busy in patching up shattered and broken humanity to have any time to devote to extensive laboratory work. One of the achievements of the war in the development of surgery, Dr Carrel believes, is the use of a compound of hypochloi'idc of soda in disinfecting wofinds. In the early days of the war it was found that the prompt and thorough use of a reliable antiseptic was absolutely necessary to save wounded soldiers. It was Dr Carrel's colleague, T>r Dakin, who discovered the antiseptic solution which, being cheap, easy (o prepare and practical, was the means oi saving many lives. "Aseptic surgery is all very well in tiint 1 of peace, when wounds ait not infected." declared the master surgeon, •'but in war all wounds are more or ioss infected, and it is this infection rather that the laceration of hone and tissue that is responsible for the mortality or the need of radical surgical intervention.'' Not shells or bullets, but wounds infection, has been the deadly scourge ol this war, in the opinion of T>r Carrel. He and his co-workers have accomplished much towards reducing the mortality rate from thi.s source, but it is his opinion that large numbers of soldiers still die of wounds which are not fatal in themselves, and which would yield readily to treatment if a powerful antiseptic wore used in time -within six or eight hours after the infliction of the wound.