The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-08-06
MEDICAL ADVICE
BY RADIO AT SEA
Ships Without Doctors Get
Directions for Treat
ment Of Sick.

er Is blowing through the inky black
ness Of a turbulent, writing sea, her
sailing lights and a dlm-lit haze amid
ships alone disclosing her. 60 far as
can be seer In the uncertain light
there IL no sign OF life on her heav-
Ing decks. The silence Is unbroken
save for the swish Of the parted waves
against the sides Of the vessel.
In the officers quarters a man lies
tossing ftfully In his bunk, grooming
pitifully with each heave Of the pitch
ing vessel. He gazes round the room
with glazed eyes. His face is pulled
from IN inner swelling.
This ship, like numerous others that
sail the seven seas, carries no doctor.
Yet, here is a case for a doctor. It
may be a question Of life or death.
Medical advice is urgently needed
What Is to be done3
Fortunately, this freighter Is
equipped with radio apparatus. And
that means much. The radio opera
tor Is soon pounding his key, and pres
entity his call is picked up by another
vessel miles away, In reply to the UNI
written code Of the sea. This Is the
message:
SIS. West Adrian A B @
To Captain SIS. Glenwood Castle:
Have man with intense swelling
right side face. Does not abate. Pa
tient delirious. Have o doctor on
board to wireless treatment?
CAPTAIN.
A few moments later the radio OPP
exator picks up his pencil and jots
down this reply OF a radlOgram blank:
SIS. Glenwood Castle v 3 J
To Captain West Adrian:
Keep patient in bed and treat face
with hot applications OF water; II not
successful paint inside OF Jaw with
white iodine. Advise results.
CAPTAIN.
A few hours later the captain adj
yises the distant doctor: The patient
has been relieved and Is resting -
well as may be expected. An ex-
change of ~radiograms and with It the
probable result Of a life saved.
SIS. West Adrian A b 9
To Captain Gienwood Castle:
Patient resting easily after treat
ments and pain greatly relieved. Please
accept nay compliments and thanks.
CAPTAIN.
That IL the significant story behind
the radio medical service.
Radio Medical Service.
Over four years ago the radio medi-
cal service had Its modest beginning
in an idea OF Captain Huntington.
chief Of the medical and drst-aid
course for seamen at the Seamen's
Church institute In New York. He de-
scribed his plan to Doctor Mansfield.
in charge Of the institute. who imme-
dlately saw in II q practical and hu-
name service.
On November 8. 1920. q special IA
do telegraph station license With the
call letters KDKF was issued to ehe
institute. Soon KDKF began to dis
seminate medical service to ships In
its vicinity. from 8 a. m. till S p. n,
during which period the institutes doc
tor was on duty. The idea proved
highly practicable. KDKF soon re-
ceived the right-of-way, so to speak.
over all calls except the 8. O. 8. Of
ahips In distress. And soon It became
manifest to all in touch with the do
velopment that the radio medical seRv-
leo must be continuous for "a hours
a DAY. So, on April 20. 1921, KDKF
was licensed to operate ~ hours a day.
The day and night service was made
possible when the public health serv-
ice took an active interest In the In
stitute's work and offered the services
Of It's staff at the Marine hospital on
Hudson street. 80 70 to furnish med
ical advice by night as well as By day.
A direct telephone connection was
made between the institute and the
hospital, and in this manner medical
information was now on tap for the
lonely steamer within ready reach Of
New York.
One more obstacle stIIl confronted
this service, and that was the Ques-
tIon Of radio range. The radio trans
mltter at the institute was not power
full enough to reach ships at any con-
siderable distance from New York, 50
that in many cases 1t became neces-
sary to relay the messages. The med
ical service had grown all the while
and increased It's scope Of usefulness.
but the Seaman's Church institute did
not possess the funds for the equip
ment to carry on the work which had
reached such a vast proportion.
At this stage in the development Of
the radio medical service. the matter
was brought to the attention Of the
Radio Corporation Of America. which
Immediately gave the use Of It's sta
lions free OF charge and instructed its
operators to be constantly on the
watch for calls for medical aid. Thus
the radio medical service passed out
OF the narrow confines OF the little
tranamItter OF the Seamen's Church
institute and became available through
a large network Of coastal radio tele-
graph stations. Since that time the