Show I Sulfa Drugs Blood Plasma New Techniques i Have Doubled Soldiers' Soldiers Chances of Survival I 5 Only 3 of Wounded Die Now Nov as Against I 7 in World War Wai- I L LA A man wounded in action now has a much better chance of recovering than ever before before before be be- fore thanks to the advances I of medical science says Maj Gen Norman Kirk surgeon general of the U. U S. S army Chief reasons for the improvements improvements improve improve- ments are the use of blood plasma to overcome shock and hemorrhage sulfa drugs to hold down infections and the greater mobility and superior superior superior su su- su- su organization of medical units So far In this war per cent of those who were brought In wound wound- 4 Army Nurse Dorothy Hoi fbI stein nean neatly bandages Seaman Dougas Douglas Douglas Doug- Doug las as Strater's head He lie was wounded by a n fragment of a 37 mm shell fired from a Nazi plane while he was serving on a sub sub- sub chaser haser in the harbor of ot Palermo Sicily Dangling on his bare chest Is the Purple Heart awarded for his part In this action Army photo ed have died as compared with per cent In the last war ware or less than han halt half While these figures are not entirely comparable since more men are killed outright by the more lethal ethal modern weapons nevertheless less ess a very substantial Improvement improvement improvement Improve improve- ment has been made The lifesaving lifesaving lifesaving life- life saving branches of the services have more than kept up with the deadliness deadliness ness of the latest bombs and shells For instance in one of the Egyptian Egyptian Egyptian tian campaigns head wounds resulted result result- ed In a mortality rate of only 9 per percent cent In World War I from 50 to 60 per cent died Head wounds are injuries to the scalp skull or brain Losses of extremities will be much smaller than last time it is predicted predict predict- ed on experience to date largely because infections can be better controlled controlled controlled con con- trolled now Control of infection by use of the highly publicized sulfonamides and the mysterious and rare penicillin is popularly misunderstood army doctors warn The sulfa drugs hold the infection in check cheek until the natural natural natural nat nat- ural defenses of the body are able to kill the bacteria Penicillin prevents prevents prevents pre pre- vents the growth of new bacteria It has been found gratifyingly successful suc sue in treatment of and other stubborn types of infections infections infections that will not yield to While these miracle drugs do not mean the end of infected wounds surgeons say that this most serious danger is being conquered Wounded Get Speedy Aid Speedy treatment is probably the most important point in saving livos after the new techniques Itis It Itis Itis is estimated that 80 to 90 per cent of wounded men receive first aid within an hour after being hurt Every Every Ev Ev- ery cry soldier carries a little kit with him containing sulfa tablets and dressings If he is hurt badly and unable to apply these himself a comrade will do it Then as soon as possible stretcher-bearers stretcher come for him and carry him to a first aid tent the battalion aid station only a few hundred yards behind the the firing fir fir- ing lug line Here a doctor examines the wound and checks the treatment administered administered administered adminis adminis- by the medical aid soldier The doctor treats the shock with injections injections injections of blood plasma and gives morphine to ease the pain He puts on necessary splints or dressings As soon as the mans man's condition permits he is moved by ambulance jeep or litter to a collecting station station sta sta- tion which is also a mobile unit placed as close to the front as is at atall atall atall all safe Here the patient is class classi- fled fied as to type of injury head chest leg etc A complete record Is made of the injury and treatment received so far Next the injured soldier goes to the clearing station where a mobile surgical unit is on hand to take care of desperate cases By the time the clearing station has been reached men with minor wounds are ready to return to service Men with serious wounds are sent on to evacuation hospitals hundreds of miles away Airplanes are frequently frequent frequent- ly used to move casualty cases swift swift- ly After treatment at the evacuation evacuation evacuation tion hospital a man may be returned returned re re- re- re turned to service or sent back to the States for prolonged treatment If he Is unfit for any service he is given a medical discharge Navy Much lUnch the Same Naval medical care is similar to the Small ships such as submarines and destroyers have littIe little little lit lit- tle tIe more than first aid equipment while battleships have a complete hospital aboard known as the sick sickbay sickbay sickbay bay This Includes a ward room of 36 to beds a surgical dressing room an operating room dispensary dispensa dispensa- ry laboratory and doctors' doctors and dentists dentists' dentists dentists' dentists dentists' den den- offices Wounded seamen from smaller ships are moved to these sick bays First aid supplies are located Inmany in inmany inmany many parts of every ship so that destruction of one section will not deprive men In other parts of aid The marine field hospital system resembles the army's with certain differences necessitated by the special special special cial problems of ot that dashing corps Base hospitals are much like those of the tile army being large and completely completely com corn modern Treatment of mental cases has received much attention in ha this war First every effort is made at at induction induction induction in in- stations to reject men who would be likely to break down under under wider un un- wi- wi der stress of war dangers and hard hard- ships Despite this caution many men crack under the strain In various overseas hospitals admissions admissions admissions for mental ills amount to 20 to 25 per cent of all cases Soldiers who suffer collapses are sent to evacuation hospitals where they are treated by sedatives prolonged rest food and certain techniques that allow them to release release re re- re- re lease their up pent-up emotions They are encouraged to talk about their frightful experiences From 50 to 70 T TI I I I Pharmacists Pharmacist's mates on board a U. U S. S destroyer In the mediterranean l Inject blood plasma into the arm of ofa ofa ofa a captured enemy He was a crewman crewman crewman crew crew- man on a submarine sunk by the destroyer per cent will recover in from two to five days Most of the others are eventually sent home The navy has had sim similar experience and employs employs em era- ploys about he the same procedure Reconditioning The army medical department Is developing a program to put the wounded soldier in the best possible condition upon his dismissal from the hospital This is called reconditioning recon recon- One phase is designed to reorient the handicapped man the man the blind deaf and crippled Blind men are taught Braille writing and reading reading read read- ing and other skills that make life easier The deaf learn lip reading Men who have suffered amputations get artificial limbs and special train train- ing When possible these unfortunate unfortunate unfortunate nate men are helped to earn a living living living liv liv- ing in hi some new trade Those men who can return to servIce service service ice are encouraged to do so as the army believes that a vet veteran ran who has been wounded In action is the most valuable kind of soldier I These men fully appreciate the 1 wisdom and necessity of ot instructions i ifor for escaping injury in combat The re reconditioning patients are divided divided divided di di- vided into four faur classes 1 Those n nearest arest the point of recovery recovery recovery re re- re- re covery who are capable of eight hours of physical training daily 2 Those who can stand six hours of physical c exercise daily 3 3 Walking cases still receiving receiving reedy reedy- ing treatments 4 Convalescent cases still confined confined confined con con- fined to beds Men in hi the first two classes are segregated from other patients put back in uniform and placed under tinder under un un- der regular discipline These soldiers soldiers soldiers sol sol- sol sol- diers go on marches up to 15 miles engage in training maneuvers play body contact ct games and work at i such projects as victory gardens poultry raising and construction work Generally these men are willing willIng will- will Ing tog and eager to return to service Soldiers in classes three and four receive every treatment possible to hasten recovery recovery massage massage sun bathing bathIng bathing bath bath- ing supervised exercise Those who can help the ward attendants in their duties and engage in such games as their condition permits A program of education in military and cultural sciences and entertainments entertainments entertainments entertain entertain- ments helps to keep their minds occupied occupied occupied oc oc- oc- oc and at case ease The army maintains about 80 general general general gen gen- eral hospitals in hi the United States ea each h containing about a thousand beds There are arc about GOO smaller institutions at various posts throughout through through- out the world Army personnel have about beds available and more hospitals are in construe construe- tion The navy operates 36 general hospitals and seven convalescent institutions in hi the United States totaling totaling to totaling to- to beds Facilities at posts and stations amount to an additional additional additional ad ad- beds Prevention Another important service of the medical departments Is prevention of or diseases by antitoxins and sanitary sanitary sanitary sani sani- tary measures Inoculations in hi both army and navy include serums to prevent typhoid fever smallpox tetanus yellow fever typhus cholera cholera cholera chol chol- era and plague Some are given to every man in service others only to those who will likely be exposed to a particular disease Results have been most tory During 1942 there were no cases of yellow fever or cholera in the army and only a few cas s of smallpox and plague About 5 51 5 men became sick with typhus only less than half halt a dozen died Scarcely any man who had been inoculated for tetanus developed in in- The navy reported similar success in battling diseases Last war the influenza epidemic swept through army camps causing 80 per cent of the disease deaths in hi 1918 A mild epidemic threatened in December 1941 and lasted until March 1942 but it was easily controlled controlled controlled con con- trolled and practically no deaths re re- re- re A form of pneumonia called has been widespread and has put many men in the hospital but the mortality rate is low Recovery Recovery Recovery Re Re- covery Is slow so loss of time from duty Is serious Servicemen in the tropics are exposed exposed ex ex- posed to some bizarre diseases such as a parasitic ailment transmitted by mosquitoes The ailment ailment ail all ment breaks forth in hi lesions and glandular swellings Only about seven seven seven sev sev- en cases eases per men have been reported Fighters In the South seas have encountered malaria in the swampy islands In 1942 the army's rate of malarial infection was about 30 men per thousand It rose to 80 per thousand during 1943 because of in increased increased In- In 1 creased activities in the steaming jungles The marine landing forces report a rate of 1555 per thousand or nearly 16 per cent This despite mosquito repellents screens spraying spraying spray spray- ing of mosquito larvae and administration administration administration admin admin- of drugs including quinine compounds to servicemen Malaria is called a serious health menace by the medical authorities Widespread battlefronts have multiplied multiplied multiplied mul mul- the problems of the medical p Si Dental care is a constant need anong the fighting men George Geore Fry is one of the na navy naden dentists dentists dentists den den- who is keeping the time marines' marines teeth in first class condition Marine Corps Photo corps this time but advances of science science sd ence enee and improved organization have combined to make the serviceman's serviceman's service service- mans man's chances of returning to civilian civilIan civilian civil civil- ian life unimpaired much better than they have ever been in the long history history history his his- tory of war |