VOSHN 215

<body><a href="../index.html">HOME</a><br><table summary="201"><tr><td class="etesti">201</td><td class="edate">August 9<sup>th</sup>, 1945.</td><td class="eage">27 years old at that time</td></tr><tr><td class="ei_midasi" colspan=3>A mistaken belief killed many people.</td></tr></table><table summary="haikei"><tr><td class="bg" background="../../photo/img517.jpg"><div class="large"><p>There were countless numbers of injured persons lying everywhere at the Isahaya railway station.  I found most of the victims lying on the platform were badly burned.  They were still living but moaning feebly.  Being a military doctor, I could easily tell that they were dehydrated from burn injuries.</p><br><p>So I yelled out, "Make the injured drink water!"  A few minutes following my instruction, however, the aid men stopped giving water to the sufferers, fearing the mistaken belief that seriously injured persons would soon die if they drank water.  Such a saying was popularly believed in Japan in those days.</p><br><p>Under the scorching sun the patients who were dehydrated with serious burns all over were not given any water.  To my regret, this mistaken belief killed many people.  Around the station water was spouting out everywhere, and there was a stream nearby, too.  If such water were given to the injured, more than a few of them would have survived.  I was sorry that my instruction was carried out only for the few who stayed near me.  My instruction but did not reach the many who were suffering far away from me in the corners.  They were not given water, due to the mistaken belief.</p></div></td></tr></table></body>