Two divisions' worth of soldiers died from beriberi, and many soldiers were killed in the war through lack of energy due to the disease, so Ogai was criticized for contributing more to the deaths of Japanese soldiers than any Russian general.
実に2個師団に相当する兵士が脚気で命を落とし、また戦闘力低下のために戦死した兵も少なくなく「（鴎外は）ロシアのどの将軍よりも多くの日本兵を殺した」との批判も存在している。