The Waterbury Democrat., 1942-12-30
ARMY DOCTORS
 FIGHT DISEASE
 IN TROPIC NDlk
Ry WALVER nRHN0s

I NVANt84M EAG1B &t0M 0DAE&A+l34lE&kltt United states Air Base in North ern India (Delayedl (Upl-Unlte0 states Army physicians ore working hard in this area combating tropical dleeAses' among men engaged ln keeping supplies flowing by air Co China and in sweeping Japanese bases In northwestern Burma, A few months ago tho same phy~ siclans were curing the sick in Gal. iup N M.s Andnrook, Ea., and Philadelphia, and had never been closer to Q tropical jungle than the TarEan movies. They are finding tho task Of keeping Americans iit in this climate "a helluvN hard one" smashing many Illusions of the glamor of the Orient, but Co . man they are surprised and grati- fled at the way the personnel is standing up to the changed environ ment
 These doctors are discovering that parliamentary sanitation ls of i paramount importance here, talk l ing precedence over the more in- teresting appreciation of surgery and medicine.
 Meanwhile, in anticipation of injuries during Japanese air raids, the medlcos have prepared nu- nherous flrst-aid stations equipped with shock treatment medicines, blood plasma, morphine and Hospital We'll Equipped The medical chief at this base, Maj. John 3. Miles, of Purcell, Okla, stepped out of 0 job as chief sur geon at Andarook, La, Municipal hospital for active duty and year. and.a-half later found himself es- itablishlng tho modern-equipped ar- my hospital now rubbing shoulders with native mud huts here.
 Maj. John B. Wolfe, of New Ha- ven, Conn, the Ferry Command sur. geon in this area, has a cosmopoli- tan background not typical of his medical colleagues. Major Wolfe taught four years in peiping, Chi- no, was surgeon in BMombay hos. pttal for two years, and served for two more years Q Maharaja of Q na. tive state in India. The major vol. unteered only three months ago. He described army work in this fashion.
 To protect our boys against many special tropical diseases never seen In the West requires constant vigil- ance. Many discipilnes become irk- some, such as sieping under mosqui. to nets, prohibition from swimming pools, the purchase of fruit. food and tobacco from native vendors. The health officer and squadron surgeon must raise hell continually to make the boys do what Is good for them. It's far cry from Q peacetime Job, but 1t has to be done"
 Capt. Robert D. Bickel, Of Gallup, IN, M., is another doctor who is learning tropical diseases first hand, 'Trhis is sterling medical expert. ence," he told the United Press. Tt surprises us that American troops In this area have 6 relatively low nor. bidity-much lower than anticipated, This is due primarily to close med- teal supervision and rigorous santa. ton control"
 Conauer Many Problems
 Flight surgeon Capt. Albert J. Rapian, Philadelphia doctor who has been with the Americans in this area from the first, is keeping tabs on pilots who fly the Hump" to China and back.
 'The Himalayas" the captain said vls only one of the many humps the Army Air Forces has to get over. The acclimatization to the Indian sum- mer, with diarrheas, skin infections malaria and the oppressive heat, were ali overcome. One of the maj. or problems is the lack of diversion for the troops. The answer to this Is to finish the job in Q hurry and get the boys back to their folks anc girl friends as quickly as possible Y
 Among other army physicians In this area are Capt. Edward p. Ri- Hey. of Lytle, Tex, and It. William IE. Jones. of Dallas.
 Dentists also have their hands Ifuil in this area. With hundreds of men pouring in, American Army Identists are treating from 10 to 10 Idaily, working with limited supplies and no mechanical instruments.
 The chief dentist here IS capt Alvin A. Jaeke, of shelton. Neb:
 The Americans here are getting line best medical and dental treat- |mert available from the United Istates, with more supplies coming lfn-aid from the same doctors and dentists who cared for them in their Town home towns.