Evening star., 1941-12-01
Army Doctors Lauded
For Guarding Health
Of Men in Camps
Florida Posts Hospital,
With 1000 Beds. Third
Largest in South
BY DON WHITEHEAD,
Wide World News.

CAMP BLANDING, Fla, Dec. l.
1t isn't considered cricket in the
ethics of the medical profession for
doctors to call public attention to
their own accomplishments, but
there's nothing in the books about
some one else doing it for them.
So this story has to do with the
men who left their home practices,
doffed their white jackets for khaki
and became guardians OF the
Army's health.
Just about year ago small
medical unit arrived here to set up
the first make-shift hospital. There
we're no buildings and only portable
physical examination equipment.
And then things began to move.
Today the Camp Blanding hos
pital, with 1000 beds. is the third
largest in the South Only the
Charity Hospital at New Orleans
and the Army hospital at Fort
Bragg. N c.. are larger. The wards,
operating rooms. laboratories, clinics
and Offices are housed in l35 wooden
buildings. The. staff is composed
of 100 medical officers. 179 nurses,
All enlisted men and 334 civilians.
Only 6 Deaths.
Since the hospital began operat-
ing. more than 81 900 patients have
been admitted and there have been
only six deaths from all diseases,
Pneumonia has been a negligible
factor. accounting for two deaths.
These statistics emphasize the eX-
cellent job being done by the Army's
young medical officers.
Most of them are Reservists who
were called into service when the
Army began its emergency expan-
sion program. AS class they
probably have made greater personal
sacrifices than any other single
group answering the Government
call.
Only a few years out of medical
school, they were just beginning to
establish themselves in their COM
munities when orders came to report
for active duty in the Medical Corps.
Some were still paying the cost of
their educations while most of
them were starting to draw divi-
dends on long years of study.
They said good-by to their par
ents, turned their backs on hard
won practices and reported for duty
with the realization that they prob
ably wouldn't return to pick up
civilian life again until the emer-
gency had ended.
Keep Permanent Records.
Recently the station hospital
X-ray staff here took about 5000
chest X-rays of selectees being re-
leased from service. These provide
a permanent record on which long
range statistics on lung diseases
may be based.
Also. the pictures may mean a
large saving to the taxpayers In
proving that chest diseases de-
veloped by soldiers after release
we're not service connected-thYs
eliminating the possibility of dis
ability claims or admission to vet
Grams hospitals
Since a good soldier rarely has
bad feet. the medics try to see
that each mans pedal troubles get
special attention in an orthopedic
clinic
Many. Treatments Given.
Suppose a man strains or breaks
an arch while plunging down an
embarkment during simulated
infantry charge. A plaster model
is made of his foot to get an i'm
preston and an arch support Is
built for him. Sometimes shoes
are rebuilt entirely for foot COM
fort.
In physiotherapy clinic, men
with torn ligaments. small wounds
burns and fractured or broken
bones receive treatment designed
| to restore limbs and muscles to
normal use Massage. exercise, heat
and ray lamps and X-ray ma
chimes are used in the process.
For example, Pvt. first class
William S. Coffin of Pittsfleld. Me,
was a casualty during the Louisiana
field maneuvers. He cut the tendons
in his right hand. The doctors tied
the tendons back together and now
Coffin is receiving physiotherapy
treatments which gradually are
giving him the use of his fingers.