Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-22
New Ways 10 Treat
War Burns Evolving
Out Of Boston Fire
Military Authorities
Watching Progress Of
Nioht Club Victims
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
BOSTON, Dec. 22.-Out the
tragedy Of Boston's Cocoanut Grove
holocaust may come new and better
methods Of treating persons burned
by the fires of war.
Hospitals here are proving grounds
for treatments evolved for war use,
and military medical authorities Of
Great Britain. as well as of the
United States, are watching the
progress of the Boston fire survivors
with close scientific interest.
In this greatest fire disaster ever
encountered In Boston, at least $50
lives were saved by the use OF shock
arresting blood plasma. Shock is
one of the major causes Of death
from burns.
Blood plasma, used on, the first
day Of Boston's tragedy In a guam
tity approaching that used in
Hawaii after Pearl Harbor, has
proved its worth.
Four Treatments Used.
Four different infection treat
ments, also used on the victims, are
being appraised by military med
ical men.
These treatments included use Of
a recently developed sulfathiozole
ointment that can be spread on .
burn like cold cream.
1.-The post-disaster treatment of
survivors," said a surgeon at Boston
City Hospital, where the major por-
ton of the casualties were treated,
provides an impressive demonstra-
ton of the importance of large
doses Of blood plasma to prevent
shock.
LAS to the various methods for
the surface treatment Of burns to
prevent infection, differences in re-
suits noted up to this time have
been slight"
Studying the results Of treatment
are members OF the Burn Commit
tee of the National Research Coun-
Gil, representatives of the United
States Surgeon Generals once.
American Army and Navy doctors
and Surgeon Comdr. r. w. Mussen
of the British Royal Navy, who Is
stationed in Washington.
These and other doctors from
various parts of the country con-
ferred here with DR.. Charles C.
Lund and DR.. Edward D. Churchill
of Boston who have been conduct
ing studies for the Burn Committee.
Studies Being Prepared.
Standard treatments for surface
burns were used at Boston City and
Massachusetts, General Hospitals
boric acid, silver nitrate and tannic
acid. and triple aniline dyes-but
while City Hospital surgeons washed
and cleaned the burns before max
ing applications, the Massachusetts,
General used a technique in which
dressings we're applied without pri-
mary cleansing.
The latter technique parallels, to
a degree, the famed treatment first
developed in the Spanish Civil War
for dressing severe wounds with
broken bones.
nV NllCloCd 1NdSdl 11Ooplldl WllCIC
a relatively small number of VIC
TINS were treated-among them
several men of the Shore Patrol
who suffered burns doing rescue
,Work-ointments of sulfanilamide
and sulfathiozole were used.
Navy doctors are preparing COM
parative studies of the various
methods.
Boston's surgeons have the great
est praise for the work of the Red
Cross and civilian defense units
during the disaster.
Miracle of Plasma."
DR.. James w. Manary. medical
director at the Boston City Hospital,
said:
AT least $50 persons. nearly all
Of them horribly burned, owe their