Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-08-06
Army, Navy
Still Taking
u. S. Doctors
Need IS 900; Air Force
May Use 10000

BY DIR. LOGAN CLENDENING
THE army and navy still need
Il some $4,000 doctors. But the
air force may need as many as
10000 TO be trained in aviation
medicine, according to the esti-
mates of DR.. John F. Fulton of
Yale University.
This will be a severe drain on
the civilian medical profession
and already we see evidences
that our doctors are working
harder than they have for many
years.
1t Is particularly notable in
hospital practice.
The government authorities
allowed medical students TO
complete their courses and serve
one year in a hospital as inferno.
but they did not allow time for
resident services.
Most hospitals have resident
surgeon and a resident physician
who do a great many of the rou-
tine tasks. l heard a surgeon
telling of how he had TO give his
own intravenous injections now,
and it meant a great deal OF
extra work for him.
He wasn't complaining. but
the pinch is beginning TO be felt.
IN REDISTRIBUT1NG physi-
Il clans for civilian work there
is going TO be considerable I'M
happiness.
There is a Florida town, for
instance. the population Of which
has jumped from 90 to 1000,
and there isn't q doctor in the
place.
The ratio OF doctors 10 pa
-tients- in New York is about l
to 500. This will mean that
doctors will have 10 be moved
from larger cities TO smaller
ones.
One obstacle has been that
the state boards of health still
insist on a doctors passing their
examinations before he starts
practice.
This is pretty hard on a doc
tor who has been out of medical
school 20 years. 1t might be
helpful If states would abolish
this rule and practice reciprocity
for the duration.
TyHE condition will not be
l. made any better for many
years.
In my own medical school the
navy medical service signed up
about Is out of the freshman
class of IS.
These men will not graduate
until l945. nor complete their
hospital work until 1916.
That means that only 10 ply
sicians will enter civil practice
in 1916 from that class. and the
situation must be the same all
over the country.
Young medical men and stu
dents come 10 me and ask what
kind of experience they are go
ing TO get in the army or navy.
Based on my own recollection,
I should say very good.
I WAS talking TO young
Il surgeon the other day who
has been in the army three
months.
He has done over $50 major
operations in that time. II he
had gone into private practice
he would wait 10 years before
he had that many TO his credit.
While we are on the subject,
the health of the drafteeS has
given a good deal of worry, but
the situation is not nearly as
bad as it appears.
, OF those rejected, the largest
number was for dental defects
$4,000.
Next came eyes - $4,000.
Next. heart trouble-96. 600.
Hernia caused $4,000 rejec-
tions; bad feet $4,000 and de-
fective ears, 41.000, with only
26,000 for lung disease.
The average American soldier
weighs l52 pounds, In World
War l he weighed LAP, and in
the Civil War, 136.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERS
J. g.. You have warned
against over-dosage Of vitamin d.
Will you please list the toxic
symptoms that come from taxi
ing too much
Answer: Persistent headache,
nausea and intense vomiting.
Permanent injury concerns the
deposit of calcium in the bones.
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