Thiswasthebeginning，asnearlyaswecanfixit，ofthatreformwhichhasintroducedplainwater-dressingsintheplaceofthefarragoofexternalapplicationswhichhadbeenasourceofprofittoapothecariesanddisgracetoartfrom，andbefore，thetimewhenPlinycomplainedofthem。AyoungsurgeonwhowasatSudleyChurch，laboringamongthewoundedofBullRun，tellsmetheyhadnothingbutwaterfordressing，andhebeingalsodouxdeselwasastonishedtoseehowwellthewoundsdidunderthatsimpletreatment。
Letmeherementionafactortwowhichmaybeofusetosomeofyouwhomeantoenterthepublicservice。Youwill，asitseems，havegun-shotwoundsalmostexclusivelytodealwith。Threedifferentsurgeons，theonejustmentionedandtwowhosawthewoundedofBigBethel，assuredmethattheyfoundnosabre-cutsorbayonetwounds。
Itistherifle-bulletfromasafedistancewhichpiercesthebreastsofoursoldiers，andnotthegallantchargeofbroadplatoonsandsweepingsquadrons，suchaswehavebeeninthehabitofconsideringthechosenmodeofwarfareofancientandmodernchivalry。[SirCharlesJamesNapierhadthesameexperienceinVirginiain1813。
“Potomac。Wehavenastysortoffightinghere，amongstcreeksandbushes，andlosemenwithoutshow。““Yankeenevershowshimself，hekeepsinthethickestwood，firesandrunsoff。“——Thesefivethousandintheopenfieldmightbeattacked，butbehindworksitwouldbethrowingawaylives。“Hecallsit“aningloriouswarfare，“——
saysoneoftheleadersis“alittledeficientingumption，“——but——stillmyopinionis，thatifwetuckupoursleevesandlayourearsbackwemightthrashthem；thatis，ifwecaughtthemoutoftheirtrees，soastoslapatthemwiththebayonet。“——Life，etc。