[fragment illegible in the scan of the first edition]
I the honour to remain.. faithful Servant, OBGE M. r>. MACLEOD, GI.AMOW, May, 108. PREFACE. tint of the surgical results of the war in the ( Timea lias as yet appeared, the only attempt to supply the desideratum being, so far as the author knows, papers contributed by himself in 1855-56 to the Medical Journal." These being written hurriedly 1'rom eamp, were of course unrevised by the writer when, r through the press, hence the existence in them <>i man: while some of their statistics, compiled by the authorities in camp, have been Mind, by comparison at home, to lie inaccurate. IIowr, as these statistics were supposed to represent the i--d during tlie entire war, while those nw published only reter to the latter half, it is not improbable that they are more nearly correct than they thus ap. h ii; thought that the following outline not be table to the profession.
It was printed several months ago. but its publication was delayed, in order to obtain the obvious advantages afforded iieGoverinm xpcetcd, <>nly just bin i finished, and a resurnt of them will 'mid in the Appendix to this volume. vi PREFACE. The author, though for many reasons regretting the delay which has taken place in submitting the following paires to the public, is gratified however to find that his views and deductions have been so completely confirms! l>y the Government Beport, and by the work of M. Scrive, both of which have appeared since his book lias been printed. It is with great deference that this little work is given to the public; but the writer does so under the conviction that some record of our surgical experience in the East is desirable, and he bases his own claim to a fair and impartial hearing, simply on his having had the good fortune to see so much of the surgery of the war, first at Constantinople and Scutari during the greater part of the early period when the patients were chiefly treated there, and, latterly, in the Crimea during the last year of the campaign, when few cases left camp unconcluded.
The Crimean war with its hardships and triumphs has passed into the calm page of history, and remains only in its stirring memories to those who took part in it. Never, perhaps, did any campaign attract so gre.: share of the world's attention, or engage so much of its sympathies; and never again, perhaps, will such a concurrence of political circumstances bring together friends or foes so many nationalities. England enlisted with heart and hand in the contest, and, it is to be hoped, has gained much from the experience it brought, as lu-r vn future will, in no small degree, depend on the use that is made of this dear-bought experience. But this -Teat war lias, unfortunately, added little to our medical knowledge.
Its short duration prevented this: yet it has shown us wounds of a severity, perhaps. never before equalled; it has enabled us to observe the effects of missiles introduced for the first time into wartfonled us an opportunity of watching how dyscrasial disease may complicate injuries, and render skill abortive; and it has helped us to observe the development of those "diseases of circumstances" which may sweep away an army without any other weapon. Besides. every such war must furnish some surgical tacts which arc worthy of being chronicled, and must afford the surgeon some lessons which, without adding to his kimwl -olutely new, are yet worthy of 1><. A great war, in short, is a great epoch in "ii ward march of surgical science, when the slowly rated teachings of civil life are tested on a grand scale in the presence of representatives frin every school.