Dr. N. Pirogov was an innovative field surgeon in the Russian army (he is sometimes credited with inventing field surgery).  During the Crimean war, he faced the following circumstance.  Six soldiers were brought to the medical tent with injuries from British shells, five privates and a captain.  The captain was in serious condition, but would probably survive with standard care.  The privates, however, had life threatening wounds and absent intervention would certainly die.  But Pirogov realized that he could use is new surgical techniques to save the five privates.  Unfortunately, to do so he would need blood transfusions from the captain, who would certainly die as a result, given his injured condition.  Pirogov has no access to any other source of blood of the right type, so he must choose: operate, or not?  What should Pirogov do here, and why?