The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-05-04

Washington. May 5.-While the gov
men and munitions, the physicians and
surgeons OF America have been just as
busy organizing to wage the war of
rehabilitation and reconstruction.
One Of the most important commit
tees Of the Advisory Commission of
the council of national defence is the
medical committee, Of which DR..
Franklin H. Martin of Chicago is
chairman. The other members are
William c. Gorgas, surgeon general
Of the United States army; William
G. Braisted, surgeon general of the
United States navy; Rupert Blue, sur
geon general of the United States
public health service; Col Jefferson r,
Kean. director general of military re-
lief Of the American Red Cross; DR..
William III. WEIGH, member of the Ma
tional council of research: DR.. Will
Ian j. Mayo, chairman of the COM
mittee of American physicians on pre-
paredness, and DR.. Frank F. Simpson,
chief Of the medical section Of the
council of national defence and Sec
rotary Of the committee Of American
physicians on military preparedness.
Long before war was declared be-
tween America and Germany the doc
tors began making plans for their
ton for medical military preparedness
was started in April, 1915. when ma
tional committee was appointed by
the joint action of the presidents of
the five largest medical and surgical
societies in America-the American
medical association, the congress Of
American physicians and surgeons,
the clinical congress OF surgeons. of
North America, the American surgical
association and the American college
Of surgeons. Practically every medical
man in America belongs to at least one
Of these associations,
U. s. Medical Resources Classified.
To the committee of American ply
sicians on preparedness was given the
task Of classifying and organizing the
medical resources Of the nation for
use by the federal government in time,
of war. Theirs was the same task in
the field Of medicine that the five big
engineering societies accomplished in
the field OF industry for the committee
on industrial preparedness of the nav
al consulting board.
Through the committee of American
physicians on preparedness the SER
vices of the citizen medical profess
sion were offered to the president
year ago. At that time there was
no legal provision by which the offer
could be accepted. but 1t was referred
to the war department, and with the
formation of the council of national
defence a medical section was formed
through which the committee of Amer
lean physicians could be used. The
national committee appointed state
committees of nine members each and
the state committees appointed coun-
ty committees. Altogether there are
10000 medical men enrolled in the
and classified, so that
each man can be called upon for the
service for which he is best fitted.
The committee on medical prepared
ness has also classified all hospitals
and medical and surgical institutions
of all kinds; they have introduced mill
itary drill into many Of the best medi-
cal schools and colleges. To this COM
mittee also has fallen the task of
of hospital supplies. a
work as necessary for efficiency as the
standardization of munitions.
For Strength and Efficiency.
The members OF the national COM
mittee have become members Of the
committees have Joined the respec-
tive state Red Cross. This has been
done so that the entire medical re-
sources Of the country shall be bound
together for greater strength and eff
ficiency. To this end also the county
must number among
their members all members of the
national committee of the committee
Of American physicians fors medical
resident in the individual
county, all members Of the state COM
mittee resident in the county, repre-
sentatives OF the United States army
and navy resident in the county, rep
OF the United States pub
lie health service resident in the coun-
ty, representatives Of the state board |
Of medical examiners OF the state or |
city public health service, the ranking |
medical officer of the national guard,
the president and secretary of the To- |
cal medical officers reserve corps, |
deans OF medical schools, president |
and secretary of the county medical
society and the medical director of the |
Red Cross unit in each county.
and for the national guard.