Evening star., 1943-06-10
Canadians Develop
Aids 10 Safety and
Health Of Fighters
Life-Jocket Protects
Sailors From Blasts
And Gun Flashes

The development of new type
of life jacket, new and radically
different treatment of foot INNER
sion and new methods of canning
palatable drinking water are few
of the Royal Canadian Navy Medi-
cal Research Bureaus contributions
to the United Nations battle against
loss OF life in the war.
Here on a courtesy call. Surg.
Capt. Archie McCallum, medical di-
rector general of the Canadian Navy,
and Surg. Comdr. Charles H.
Best, co-discoverer of insulin and
director of the Canadian Navy Re-
search Bureau, disclosed today that
the United Nations are making
powerful strides in their fight to
conquer injuries and disease. Comdr.
Best is engaged in research work
at the Bethesda Naval Hospital in
cooperation with United States
Navy doctors.
The new life jacket was designed
to protect shipWrecked men against
underwater blasts which have taken
heavy toll in injuries and fatali-
ties. 1t fits from groin to head and
Is equipped with small, yellow cap
on the crown of which is a small
light. The light ficks on and off,
attracting notice in the dark. and
can be turned off during the day
to conserve current supplied by a
small dry-cell battery.
Jackets Protect Sailors.
The jackets. which contain every
thing but radios" also carry 6-foot
lengths of rope with snap buckles,
enabling men to hook on to life RATS
Many men were lost because of
exhaustion from climbing back on
RATS after being pitched off again
and again." Capt. McCallum said,
but under this arrangement those
In the water merely float on with
p the raft until seas calm or they
are rescued
The jackets are so constructed
that the men can fight their ship
while wearing them and they have
been found to afford protection
against gun flash"
Foot immersion. malady pro-
ducing an effect similar to ordinary
frostbite with attendant dangers of
gangrene and possible loss of limb,
is now treated with cold packs in
stead of the old and decidedly wrong
heat treatments. Comdr. Best said
refrigeration of the affected parts
prevents sudden swelling. which was
discovered to be the source of the
trouble.
Water Supplied Lifeboats.
The commander said experiments
also had been conducted with stock
ings impregnated with vaseline in
an effort to solve the problem. The
grease affords some protection
against cold. which seems to have a
greater affect on limbs. although
neither heat nor cold but simply
immersion in water any great length
of time does the damage.
Five hundred experiments we're
conducted by Leftenant James
Campbell before he hit on the
proper chemical properties that
would permit water to be canned
and still be palatable, Eight tins of
cans, weighing Is ounces each, and
AS many tins of condensed food
containing $50 calories each, are
now packed in emergency kits
placed in lifeboats and life RATS.
Commander Best also revealed
the Canadians have developed
small compressor for purifying sea
water by freezing. AS only the
water freezes. the resulting ice is
pure and wholesome. The machine
is not small enough, however. to be
practical for use on RATS or in life
boats. The water is processed by
simply turning a crank.
Water, Capt. McCallum said. was
essential to sustain life. but food.
while helpful. was included in the
emergency kits more for morale
purposes.
Experiments and a full and COM
plete exchange of ideas between the
United States and Canada are en-
abling the countries to improve and
revamp medical treatment. The
two still differ in their methods of
storing blood for transfusions, how
ever, as the Canadians use blood
serum and the United States blood
plasma. The Canadians. Comdr
Best explained, remove the blood
f1bers to prevent clotting, while in
this country small amount of
citrate is added to prevent this.