Bacilli and bullets / by William Oslser.

  • Osler, William, Sir, 1849-1919.
Date:
1914
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Bacilli and bullets / by William Oslser. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    fever, malaria, cholera, enteric, and dysentery have won more victories than powder and shot. Some of the diseases I mention need no longer he dreaded. Typhus and malaria, Avhich one hundred years ago routed a great English army in the Walcheren expedition against Antwerp, are no longer formidable foes. But enough remain, as we found by sad experience in South Africa. Of the 22,000 lives lost in that war—can you believe it ? —the bullets accomited for only 8,000, the bacilli for 14,000 ! In the long arduous campaign before us more men will go into the field than ever before in the history of the Empire. Before it is too late, let us take every possible precaution to guard against a repetition of such disasters. I am here to warn you soldiers against enemies more subtle, more dangerous, and more fatal than the Germans, enemies against which no successful battle can be fought without your intelligent co-opera- tion. So far the world has only seen one great war w'aged Avith the weapons of science against these foes. Our allies the Japanese Avent into the Russian campaign prepared as fully against bacilli as against bullets, Avith the result that the percentage of deaths from disease AA^as the loAvest that has ever been attained in a great Avar. Which lesson shall we learn ? Which example shall Ave folloAv, Japan, or South Africa Avith its sad memories ? We are not likely to liaA'e to fight three of the greatest of former scourges, typhus, malaria, and cholera, though the possibility of the last has to be considered. But there remain dysentery, pneumonia, and enteric, against tAvo of which Ave should be able to bring to bear success- fully resources of modern science. Dysentery, an inflammation of the large boAvel, has been for centuries one of the most terrible of camp