| Show Sulfa Drugs Blood Plasma New Techniques Have Doubled Soldiers Soldiers' Chances of Survival Only 3 of W Wounded d Die N Now OV as Against 7 in World War I IA A man wounded in action now has a much better chance of recovering than ever before thanks to the advances of medi medi- medical cal science says Maj Gen Nor Nor- Norman Norman man Kirk surgeon general of the U. U S. S S army Chief reasons for the improvements are the use of blood plasma to overcome shock and hemorrhage sulfa drugs to hold down infections and the greater mobility and su- su superior superior organization of medical units So far in this war per cent of those who were brought in wound wound- a Army Nurse Dorothy fbi Hol- Holstein stein neatly bandages Seaman Douglas Doug Doug- Douglas las Strater's head Ile 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 Palermo Sicily Dangling DU his bare chest is the Purple awarded for his part in this action Army photo ed have died as compared with I Iper per cent in the last war or less i ithan than half While these figures are not entirely comparable since more men are killed outright by the more lethal modern weapons nevertheless less a very substantial improve improve- improvement improvement ment has been made The life life- lifesaving lifesaving 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 the Egyptian Egyptian tian campaigns head wounds result result- resulted 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 extremities will be much smaller than last time it is predict predict- predicted ed on experience to date largely because infections can be better con con- controlled 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 until the nat nat- natural natural ural defenses of the body are able to kill the bacteria Penicillin pre pre- prevents prevents vents the growth of new bacteria It has been found grat gratifyingly sue sue- successful in treatment of and other stubborn types of mice mice- infections Lions 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 tre treatment is is pr probably bably the he most important point m 10 saving lives after the new techniques It Itis Itis is estimated that 80 to 90 per cent of wounded men receive first aid within an hour after being hurt Every Ev- Ev Every ery 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 stretcher bearers come f for r possible him and carry him to a first aid tent tent the battalion aid station only a few few hundred yards behind the fir fir- firing firing ing line Here a doctor examines the w wound d dand and checks the treatment adminis- adminis administered by the medical aid soldier The he doctor treats the shock With injections of blood plasma and gives morphine to ease the pain He e puts necessary splints or dressings s on mans man's condition As soon as the man s he is moved by ambulance permits collecting sta- sta station jeep or litter to a mobile unit which is also a lion tion placed as close to the front front as is Bt at atall classi all 11 safe ale Here the patient 15 I fled eds as' as as to type of s injUry head I i 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 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 ser serious ous wounds are sent on to evacuation hospitals hundreds of miles away Airplanes are frequent frequent- frequently ly used to move casualty cases swift swift- ly After treatment at the evacuation evacuation tion hospital a man may be re- re returned returned turned to service or sent back to the States for prolonged treatment If he be is unfit for any service he is given a medical discharge Navy Much l the Same Naval medical care is similar to the Small ships such as submarines and destroyers have little lit lit- little tle more than first fast aid equipment while battleships have a complete hospital aboard known as the sick sickbay sickbay bay This includes a ward room of 36 to beds a surgical dressing room an operating room dispensa- dispensa dispensary ry laboratory and doctors doctors' and den den- dentists dentists' dentists dentists' offices Wounded seamen from smaller ships are moved d to these sick bays First aid supplies are located 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 cial problems of that dashing corps Base hospitals are much like those of the army being large and com com- completely completely modern Treatment of mental cases has received much attention in this war First every effort is made at in- in induction induction stations to reject men who would be likely to br break ak down under un der stress of war dangers and hard hard- ships Despite this caution many men crack under the strain In various overseas hospitals 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 re- re release release lease their pent up emotions They are encouraged to talk about their frightful experiences From 50 to 70 tt Pharmacists Pharmacist's mates on board a U. U S. S destroyer in the Mediterranean Inject blood plasma Into the arm of ofa a captured enemy He Be was a crew crew- crewman crewman man on an a submarine sunk sank 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 similar experience and em- em employs employs ploys about the same procedure Reconditioning The army anny medical department is developing a program to put pat the wounded soldier in the best possible condition upon his dismissal from the hospital This is called recon recon- One phase is designed to reorient the handicapped the man blind deaf and crippled Blind men are taught Braille writing and read read- reading reading 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 nate men are helped to earn a liv- liv living living ing in some new trade Those men who can return to service service ice are encouraged to do so as the army believes that a veteran who tho thohas has been wounded in action is the most valuable kind of soldier These men fully appreciate the wisdom and necessity of instructions for escaping injury in combat The reconditioning patients are di- di divided divided vided into four classes 1 Those nearest the point of re- re recovery recovery covery who are capable of eIght hours of physical training daily 2 Those who can stand six hours of physical exercise daily 3 Walking cases still receiving receiving ing treatments 4 Convalescent cases still con con- confined confined fined to beds Men in the first two classes are segregated from other patients put back in uniform and placed un- un under under der regular discipline These sol sol- soldiers soldiers diers go on marches up to 15 miles engage in training maneuvers play body contact games and work at such projects as victory gardens poultry raising and construction work Generally these men are will will- willing willing ing and eager to return to service Soldiers in classes three and four receive every treatment possible to hasten bath bath- bathing bathing recovery massage sun 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 entertain entertain- entertainments entertainments ments helps to keep their minds oc- oc occupied occupied and at ease case The army maintains about 80 gen general eral hospitals in the United States each containing about a thousand beds There are are about smaller institutions at various posts through through- throughout 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- to totaling totaling beds Facilities at posts and stations amount to an ad- ad additional beds Prevention Another important service of the medical departments is prevention of diseases by antitoxins and sani- sani sanitary sanitary tary measures Inoculations in both army and navy include serums to prevent typhoid fever smallpox tetanus yellow fever typhus chol- chol cholera cholera 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 cases of smallpox and plague About 50 men became sick with typhus but only less than hall half 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 1918 A mild epidemic threatened in December 1941 and lasted until March 1942 but it was easily con con- controlled controlled trolled and practically 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 Re- Re Recovery Recovery covery is slow so loss of time from duty is serious Servicemen in the tropics are ex- ex exposed exposed posed to some bizarre diseases such as a parasitic ailment transmitted by mosquitoes The ailment ail ail- ailment ment breaks forth in lesions and glandular swellings Only about sev- sev seven seven en cases 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- in increased increased creased activities in the steaming the steaming jungles The marine landing forces report a rate of 1555 per thousand or nearly IG 16 per cent This despite mosquito repellents screens spraying spray spray- spraying ing of mosquito larvae and admin admin- administration administration of drugs including quinine compounds to servicemen Malaria is called a serious health menace by the medical authorities Widespread battlefronts have mul- mul multiplied multiplied the problems of the medical VS i e t ra t N y Dental care Is a constant need among the fighting men George Fry Is one of the navy den den- dentists who vho Is keeping the marines marines' teeth in first class condition Marine Corps photo corps this time but advances of science science ence and improved organization have combined to make the service service- serviceman's serviceman's mans man's chances of returning to civil civil- civilian civilian ian life unimpaired much better than they have ever been in the long his his- history history tory of war |
