Evening star., 1942-09-21
Civilian Illnesses
Hampering Reich's
War Production
. s4.- aa l..
inadequate Care Because
Of Fighting Demands, q.
Hits Home Front ~
By the Associated Press.


NEW YORK, Sept. Clearing for
the civilian sick in Germany is a
problem of increasing acuteness seri-
ously influencing the efficiency Of
the Nazi home front, it was stated
by trustworthy dispatches reaching
America today.
Inadequate care for civilians who
become i'll is adding to the difficult
ties of keeping war factories running
full tilt and of producing food and
other commodities needed by the
population, the reports said.
Most hospitals are crowded with
war wounded, and over worked ply
sicians have little time for civilians.
The dispatches said there had
been marked increase in the num-
ber of cases of dysentery, spotted
typhus, tuberculosis and of physical
exhaustion. Typhus, disease fire.
quently encountered in Eastern Eu-
rope but in normal times rare in the
Reich, was prevalent in Germany
last winter. There was substantial
grounds for the fear that the dis
ease, usually most serious in cold
weather, will be worse this winter
Rigid precautionary measures. in
cluding campaigns to destroy germ
bearing lice, have been taken by
German medical authorities.
Factors in Health Deterioration.
War strain. dietary deficiencies
due to strict food ratoining, lack
of facilities to care properly for
the influx of foreign workers of un-
certain health and the return OF
sick soldiers from the east were
said to be the chief factors in the
deterioration of health conditions.
The German physician lis con-
fronted with the problem of re-
storing a person as quickly as pos
slole to a point permitting his re-
turn to work, and of protecting
healthy persons from infection. y
said an informant who had an op-
portunity to watch Berlin doctors
many months.
But despite all the exertions of
physicians an application must be
made two weeks in advance for an
abdominal X-ray, while with a lit
tie luck a broken arm may be
X-rayed within six hours, it was
reported. But often the x-ray
equipment is out of order and eight
weeks might be required to make
| trifiing repairs.
Spinal Paralysis Hits Children.
Doctors avoid referring to nutri-
ton as the cause of stomach all
ments, usually prescribing medicines
which, however, are hard to get.
Scarlet fever and diphtheria /.
| striking hard at German children
as we'll as serious type of spina,
paralysis due to lack of vitamins.
Surgeons, it was said, prefer tc
amputate seriously injured arms anc
legs, rather than risk long treat
ment and the danger of infection.
| from poor bandaging material anc
limited quantities of disinfectants
The military surgeon in Germany
takes the same attitude, it was said
Reports from the east indicate tina,
nearly all persons wounded in the
abdomen die, that 81 per cent o1
kidney wounds are fatal and that
infection makes leg and thigh
wounds exceedingly dangerous.
Hospital Trains Held Up.
Bicycle stretchers are used in th'
fighting zones to transport German
wounded to field stations. Blu
transporting them from there t.
hospitals at distant frontiers is yer,
slow because war materials mov'
| first. Often, 1t was said, weeks pas