| Show Sulfa SHira Drugs Blood Plasma New Techniques i Have Doubled A Soldiers' Soldiers Chances of Survival Only 3 of Wounded Die Now Nov as Against I I I IA I 7 sin in in World War I IA IA A man wounded in action now has a much better chance of recovering than ever eyer 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 improve improve-I of blood I 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 pcr cent of those who were brought in wound wound- 5 wy f fr PA r y C CArmy Army Nurse Dorothy Hol- Hol stein neatly bandages Seaman Douglas Douglas Doug Dong las Strater's head He lie was wounded by a fragment of a 37 mm shell fired from a Nazi plane while he was serving on a sub chaser in the harbor of ot Palermo Sicily Dangling on his bare chest is 15 the Purple Heart awarded for his part patt in this action Army photo ed have died as compared with per cent in the last war or less tha than half halt While these figures are not entirely comparable since more men are killed outright by the more lethal modern weapons nevertheless nevertheless nevertheless less 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 lates 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 cent In World War I from 50 to 60 per cent died Head wounds are injuries to the scalp skull or brain Losses of ot extremities will be much smaller than last 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 ande the e mysterious and rare penicillin is popularly misunderstood army doctors warn The sulfa drugs hold the infection in check 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 sues in treatment of and other stubborn types of infections mice mice- 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 lives iv s after the new techniques Itis It Itis Itis is estimated that 80 to 90 per cent of wounded men receive first aid nid within an hour after being hurt huIt Every Every Ev Ev- ery cry soldier carries a little kit with him containing s sulfa lf tablets and dressings If U h he i is hurt badly and unable to apply these himself a comrade will do it Then as soon so soon n as possible stretcher bearers come for him and carry him to a 3 first aid tent the battalion aid station only a few hundred yards behind the firing firing fir fu ing line Here a doctor examines the wound v and checks the treatment administered administered administered adminis adminis- by the medical medic l aid soldier The doctor treats the shock with injections injections injections of ot blood plasma and gives morphine to ease the pain He puts on necessary splints or dressings As soon as the man mans man's s condition permits he is moved by ambulance jeep or litter to a collecting station station station sta sta- tion which is also a mobile unit placed as close to the front as is at nt atall atall all safe Here the patient is classi classi- I I fied fled HS RS to type of injury head chest leg etc A complete record is made of the thc 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 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 tion hospital a man may be returned 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 the Same Naval medical care Is similar to the Small ships such as submarines and destroyers have little little little lit lit- tle more than first aid equipment while battleships have a complete hospital aboard known as the sickbay sick 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 arc located inmany inmany in inmany many parts of every ship so that tha t destruction of one section will not deprive men in other parts of aid ald The marine field hospital system resembles the army's with certain differences necessitated by the special special special cial problems of that dashing corps Base hospitals are much like those of the army being large and completely completely completely com com- modern Treatment of mental cases has received much attention in this war First every every effort Is made at induction induction induction in in- stations to reject men who would be likely to break down under under under un un- un- un der stress of ot 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 arc sent to evacuation hospitals where they are treated by sedatives prolonged rest food and certain techniques that allow them to release release re- re lease their up pent-up emotions They are encouraged to talk about their frightful experiences From 50 to 70 s se A e Pharmacists Pharmacist's mates on board a L U. U S. S destroyer In the Mediterranean Inject blood plasma into the arm of ot ofa ofa ota a captured enemy He was a crewman crewman crewman crew crew- man on a sn submarine marine sunk by the destroyer per cent will rec recover ver in from two to to five days Most of the others are eventually sent home The Th-e navy has had ad simil similar r exp experience and employs employs em em- m- m ploys about the same procedure Reconditioning The army me medical Department d de p x is developing a program m to put the wounded soldier in m rn the best p possible condition his his his' dismissal from the hospital This is called reconditioning reconditioning recon recon One phase is designed to reorient the handicapped mar ma the mathe the the blind deaf dealand and crippled Blind menar men ar are taught Braille writing and reading reading reading read read- ing and other skills that make life easier The deaf learn lip reading Men who have suffered amputations s get get artificial artificial limbs and special train train- ing When possible these unfortunate unfortunate nate men are arc helped to earn a living living liv liv- ing lag In hi some new trade Those men who can return to service service service ice are nrc encouraged to do so as the army believes that a veteran who has been wounded in action is the most valuable kind hind nd of soldier These men fully appreciate the wisdom and necessity of instructions ti ns for escaping injury in combat The reconditioning pati patients are re di divided divided dl- dl vided Into four classes i I 1 Those nearest the point bf recovery recovery recovery re re- covery who are capable of eight hours of ph physical training daily dally 2 Those who can stand land six hours of physical exercise dally I 3 3 Walking cases still receiving rec receiving iving iv- iv ing treatments 4 Convalescent cases still confined confined cof con con- fined to beds bedL Men in the first two classes are arc segregated from other patients put back in uniform and placed under under under un un- der regular discipline These soldiers soldiers sol sol- sol sol- diers go on marches up to 15 miles engage in training maneuvers play body contact games and work at such projects as ns victory gardens poultry raising and construction work Generally these men are willing willing willing will will- ing 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 i in their duties and engage in hi such games as their then 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 ease The army maintains about 80 general general gen gen- I eral hospitals In the United States each containing about a thousand beds There are about smaller institutions at nt various posts throughout through through- out the world Army personnel have about beds available and more hospitals are In tion The navy operates 36 general hospitals and seven convalescent Institutions in the United States to totaling totaling totaling to- to beds Facilities at atI I posts and stations amount to an adI additional additional ad ad- I beds Prevention Another Important service of the thc medical departments Is prevention of diseases by antitoxins and sanitary sanitary sanitary sani sani- tary measures Inoculations in 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 I those who will likely be exposed to a a particular disease Results have been most I tory During 1942 there were no cases of yellow fever or cholera I in hi the army and only a few cast case I of smallpox and plague About 51 5 I men became sick with typhus but brit i only less than half halt a dozen died Scarcely any man who had been Inoculated for tetanus developed infection 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 1918 A mild epidemic threatened in December 1941 and lasted until March 1942 but It was easily controlled controlled con cons trolled and practically llly no deaths 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 hi the tropics are exposed 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 lesions and glandular swellings Only about seven seven seven sev sev- en cases per men have been reported Fighters in the South seas sea's have encountered malaria in the swampy Islands In 1942 1932 the army's rate of malarial infection was about 30 men per thousand It rose to 80 per thousand during 1943 because of increased in increased increased in- in creased activities In the steaming jungles The Thc 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 ding quinine compounds to servicemen Malaria is called a serious health menace by the medical authorities Widespread battlefronts have multiplied multiplied mul mul- d the problems of the medical 7 t. t v r ri r o of f Dental care is a B constant n need ed among the fighting men George Fry is one of the nn navy vy dentists dentists den dens lists wl who o rs keeping the marines' marines teeth in in first fist c class iss condition 1 tl Marine Corps Photo corps this time but advances of pf science science sd- sd ence and improved organization have combined to make the serviceman's serviceman's serviceman's service service- mans man's chances of ot returning to civilian civilian civil civil- ian life unimpaired much better than they have ever ever been een in hi the long hIstory history history his hIs- tory of war v |
