The Glasgow courier. [volume] (Glasgow, Mont.) 1913-current, 1919-06-20
U. S. DOCTORS
IN SERVICE DURING WAR
Response to Country's Call Was
Made Promptly by Vast Army
of Medical Men.

Chicago, June 14.-Ihe story OF the
mobilization of the nations medical
forces for the army, navy and public
health service will form a unique chap
ter in the history Of the world war,
according to DR.. Franklin Martin,
chairman of the committee on medi-
cine and sanitation Of the advisory
commission, and chairman Of the gen.
eral medical board, council Of national
defense.
DR.. Martin, who recently returned
from Washington where the big task
was taken up December 6, 1918, an
nounced today that final figures show
10000 civilian medical men were mob
ilized as officers of the army and ma
Wy and the public health service. In
addition, $4,000 medical men and wo-
men in the volunteer medical service
corps were enrolled, classified and cod
ed, making a grand total Of 10000
out of a total medical population ap-
proximately 100000.
Approximately so per cent of the
doctors in military service now have
been demobilized. They are return
ed to civilian life when the units with
which they are connected RI demob-
ilized. Most of them are returning
to practices which were left in the
hands of co-workers when they enter
ed the service.
"Practical proof of the permanent
value of the Volunteer Medical Ser
vice corps is the fact that the sur
geon general of the army, Major Gen.
eral Marrittee W. Ireland, has asked
the Council of National Defense to
complete it's survey and make it a
part of the library of the surgeon
general, where experts will keep the
records up to date" said DR.. Martin.
After reviewing the numerous OBJ
stacles which he and his co-workers
had to overcome, DR.. Martin pointed
GU that the three governmental de-
partments, the army, navy and public
health service, had less than 1900
commissioned officers at the outbreak
of war.
"Our first duty, then, was to obtain
medical officers for the army and
navy from the civilian medical pro-
fession in the proportion of about ten
doctors for each one thousand men,
he said. "This was accomplished
through organizations already in ex-
istence, and through the general med.
ical board of the Council of National
Defense, which established a large
committee Of medical men in each
state. To sub-divide the work and
make it effective, finally county or.
CARNATIONS under the respective state
organizations were effected in more
than 1000 counties of the United
States"
DR.. Martin said there was no diff.
Guilty in securing medical men, for the
response of the profession was spon.
t%aneous.
"The only reluctance we observed or
the part of doctors was to blindly &C
cept service without a definite assign
ment. In the first rush of organiga
ton we were unable to properly elias
sify physicians sc that they would b.
chosen with reference to their specia
fitness and desire.
"However, six months before tn
end of the war a plan was devised
which relieved this uncertainty. TIL
Volunteer Medical Service corps, un
der the presidency of DR.. Edward F
!, Davis of Philadelphia, was organized
Briefly, it consisted of asking the 80
900 medical men not yet enrolled t
agree to serve the government in an
capacity, with the implied reservation
however, that they would be selecte
: as far as practicable with reference
| their preference for service.
|, The applications were SO coded the
it was possible to secure almost il
f %stantly a group of men for a speci'
line of work, he said. Instances whel