Evening star., 1940-10-09
New Treatments
Being Studied 10
Save Soldier Lives
Leading Medical Men
Mobilize Protection
From Variety Of Germs
(Fourth OF a SerieS.)
By THOMAS r. HENRY.

The recruit entering the Army In
the present emergency will be given
an hitherto undreamed of protec-
ton against the germs of disease
which, in most wars of the past.
have killed far more soldiers than
enemy bullets.
The % years since the World War
have seen unparalleled advances in
medical science. With these the
physicians of the Army Medical
Corps. who rank among the ablest
In the world, have kept abreast.
Today, in order that nothing known
to the physician or surgeon that
might save a life may be missed,
approximately 20 committees of the
leading men in the United States are
at work, under the auspices of the
National Research Council, evaluat-
ing new discoveries and studying
suggestions.
AS soon as an innovation is ap-
proved by one of these committees
it will be adopted as part of the
Medical Corps procedure. Already
some striking advances. some OF
them somewhat in advance OF civil
medicine. have been made. Others,
such as the proposal to dust wounds
with sulfanilamide, or treat them
Immediately with urea preparations,
are in allegiance until the COM
mittees concerned make their re-
ports. The committees also are
striking out along new lines OF
research-among them an effort to
find some chemical preparation
which will have as striking an effect
on malaria as drugs OF the
sulfanilamide family have on various
bacterial infections.
Guinea Pig Policy Taboo.
Recruits, Medical Corps officers
insist, are not going into the Army
as guinea pigs. Any treatments given
them will be tried and proven, but
nothing which promises any essen
tial benefit will be passed over.
Special efforts are being made to
prevent the outbreaks of any
epidemics, such as were very serious
In some camps in 1918.
The outstanding innovation, when
now seems certain although final
orders have not been issued, Will
be the incubation OF every recruit
with tetanus toxold.
This is a development during the
past few years at the Pasteur IN
stitute in Paris. The virulent poison
Of the tetanus organism is injected
into animals in whose blood it sets
up antibodies. This is the familiar
tetanus antitoxin, which is usually
injected following dlrt-lnfected
cuts. 1t affords protection for a
short time but with many patients
has an extremely violent reaction
with eruptions all over the body,
almost uncomfortable itching, nau-
sea and fever. 1t would never be
given except when there is danger
Of an actual tetanus infection al
ready present.
Gives Lasting Protection.
The. French experiments showed
that when this toxin is treated
with formahn it is detoxifled. When
injected into the blood stream it
no longer causes the violent re-
action. At the worst. it causes
no more discomfort than the ty-
phoid knocks of World War days.
It gives, however, a lasting pro-
lection against one of the most
dreaded of all war maladies.
The tetanus organism is present
In the soil everywhere. Its ideal
breeding place is manure. The dan
ger is extreme anywhere in Europe,
where the fields have been ferti-
lized for centuries.
The toxoid will be given the re-
cruit in three doses. about a week
apart. At the end of year he will
be given another shot. in case the
potency Of the first treatments has
been lost. One of the first acts in
treating the wounded will be to give
q fifth shot.
So important are the tetanus in
considered that it is
planned to record on each soldier
dog tag the date on which ne
received the treatment. This will
be the first thing stretcher-bearers
will look for when they pick up
wounded man on the battlefield If
the record is absent or ambiguous
he will be given Immediately shot
OF the powerful, quickly reaction
tetanus antitoXin.
Gas Gangrene Toxoid Sought.
Dreaded companion of tetanus as
an aftermath of wounds is gas gan
creme. which forms once cuts have
healed over so that oxygen is sealed
out. The Army would welcome a
gas eangrene toxoid. but up to date
nothing satisfactory has been de-
veloped. Work is progressing at
several institutions, including the
Public Health Service The lnfec-
ton may be set up by any one OF
Ave different bacteria. which greatly
the problem. The ma
ioritv of cases. however, are caused
by an organism known as Welch
bacillus. for which there is promise
of a potent toXoid.
In addition to the tetanus "shots
q recruit will be vaccinated and
given essentially the same typhold
inoculations as in the last war.
Three shots will be given. as IN
1918. The Army has abandoned
the "three- -shotsin-o system
borrowed from the French in the
closing days of the World War, the
reactions from which were so severe
that soldiers sometimes were put IN
the hospital for days.
The other outstanding military in
hovation will probably be-agaln
positive orders have not been issued
that each soldier will be given
package of sulfanilamide tablets to
carry in his first aid kit. He will be
warned not to touch them unless he
Is wounded In that case the most
important thing for him to do, while
he still retains consciousness. is to
take a heavy dose About the first
thing a first aid party will do, after
.Ln totonIlS innrN1atlOnS