The Lincoln times., 1943-11-04
RISK LIVES TO
Aid CASUALTIES
ON LAND and SEA
Eight Thousand Doctors And
iDentistst Needed By First
Of December

%. While serving with battal-
ion of marines Frament, with
utter disregard of his own personal
safety, worked his way to a point
where he was dangerously exposed
to hostile sniper fire while treating a
wounded comrade. Later, unhesitat-
ingly running into heavy barrage, he
continued to give aid to the injured
until rendered unconscious by an ex-
rloding shell.
Although evacuated to a hospital
in the rear, he secured immediate re-
lease and returned to his
unit. While working fearlessly in
another sector which was under Wig
crous fire, he was again evacuated
because of extreme exhaustion. Re-
turning two days later, he was in
jured by naval gunfre after his unit
had been withdrawn to a reserve
area. His resolute determination and
heroic devotion to duty were in keep
ing with the highest traditions of the
United States Naval Service"
To assist the heroic Farments of
the U. S. Army and Navy medical
personnel, the services need All ad Ii
tional 1000 doctors and 800 dentists
to assure even minimum care of the
wounded through December 81, 1943.
The War Manpower Commission
pointed out that the army already
has made adjustments of its require
ments to meet civilian needs. Certain
deferments are being granted to
commissioned internes to allow civ
ilian hospitals an adequate supply
of resident physicians. The army also
has reduced its ratio of doctors to
troops beyond that originally set
forth in regulations based on the
findings of the Dodge Commission
Immediately after the Spanish-Am-
erican war.
&c Per 1000 Men
This commission recommended a !
ratio of S.5 doctors per thousand
men, and this proportion was made |
a matter of army requirement. Since
March IS, 1943, however, the army
has reduced its demand to &C doctors
per thousand men in combat areas,
and 4.6 doctors per thousand men in
ncn-battleareas. The changed ratio |
works out to $4,000 civilian doctors |
for the army and navy. Of these,
about 10000 had been commissioned
as of August Is.
The average doctor probably will
facea more severe financial adjust
ment than any other civilians en-
tering the armed services. On an av-
erage, he is confronted with a reduc-
tion of more than so per cent in in
come. Doctors of the age-group being
commissioned would ordinarily be-
come first lieutenants in the army or
lieutenants d. g. in the navy, with
base pay of $4,000 plus allowances
cf $1,4O4 annually, against probable
earnings of around $4,000.
The navy assigns some reserve
doctors directly to service. Medical
graduates who inferno with the navy
may, subject to competitive examina-
ton, become officers of the regular
navy or be commissioned in the re-
serve.
Many newly commissioned medical
officers are given a nine-week indoc-
trination course in tropical and naval
medicine, subjects which are not ade-
quately covered in civilian medical
institutions. The course includes
chemical warfare, atmospheric hy-
egine Submarine and avation)
tropical dseases-particular mala-
ria, filariasis, the dysenteries, all
worm infections, plague, cholera
and those diseases which are seldom
seen in epidemic form in temperate
zones. Consideration also is given to
the diseases common in war areas,
such as typhus, relapsing fever and
nutritional disorders. The course in
surgery is restricted to those casu-
alties seen in combat and aboard
ships: burns, compound fractures,
gunshot and shell wounds.
Those doctors who enter the army
also, on voluntary basis, train to
accompany paratroops; to go with
gliders; to land with troops in COM
bined operations on hostile shores.
However, the bulk of the commits.
stoned army doctors receive only the |
training at Carlisle Barracks, Penn ]
sylvania, where they spend six weeks
on courses designed chiefly to orient
them to army life, and to acquaint
them with the responsibilities and
duties of army doctors.
Trained In Army School
The purpose of the school, as sta
ted in the orders of the army, is, "to
instruct and train officers of the
medical department in the principles
and methods of medical field service
in order that they may perform eff
ficiently those duties which reasona-
bly, may be assigned to them. The |
course is designed to orient and give
the newly commissioned medical de-
parment officer a general background |
of information concerning the army |
as a whole, its organization and func-
ton of the arms. He is then taught |
the organization and function OF
medical units, their relation to the
arms and services, and how to apply
his professional knowledge under
conditions peculiar to the army. He
is made to appreciate the additional
responsibilities he will have as an
army officer" :,