Evening star., 1943-09-18
Medical Corpsmen's S
Miracles Displayed
AT Army Show Here

done by this branch of the service
is one of the most attractive ex-
hibits in the big Army show on the
Monument Grounds.
The Army's medical magicians
work their modern miracles in every
climate, on all manner of terrain.
No task is too large, none too small
for them. The results are amazing.
But even more of an eye-opener is
the demonstration of how these men
work in the field, doing the same job
as civilian doctors at home and
officers in larger base hospitals.
Corpsman Goes In Action.
You're standing at the entrance
to the rambling tent that houses the
show, gazing curiously at the
moulage mask and anatomical ex-
hibits, when you hear the muffled
but unmistakable bark of machine
gun fire. To your left you see
an infantrymen in green-speckled
camouflage stink through the palms
of tropical setting. He's looking
for the enemy, but they spot him
first and wing him. Down he goes
with a yell, and the Medical Corps
goes into action.
While medical corpsman
squirms to the injured soldier on
his stomach, an officer explains how
he and his fellow men operate in
battle. The corpsman crawls to the
wounded man, gives him the neces-
sary first aid and moves on to the
next casualty while litter bearers
(stretcher bearers to us) pick up the
first victim and remove him to the
rear.
The victims first stop is the port
able surgical hospital Officers
there know exactly how to proceed
because the man who reached him
first made out tag for him, telling
who he is, the name OF his outfit,
where he was injured and what
treatment he has received.
Constant Sorting.
Wounded soldiers don't remain
long at the portable unit.
"Our job" said Col. Alexander
Half, commander of the 4th Medical
Training Regiment, whose men staff
the exhibit, lis to keep the outfit
at full fighting strength. That is
our whole aim and mission
To do this, he explained, requires
constant sorting of the wounded
brought back from the front line
trenches. The men are classified in
three groups, immediate surgery,
delayed surgery and evacuation. If
a soldier has been only slightly
wounded he gets immediate atten-
tion and is sent back to the front
rs quickly as possible.
The Army works painstakingly
with its wounded for several rea-
sons, but the most important is
tnat 1t Is quicker and less expen-
sive to get an experienced man back
on his feet than it is to train an
inexperienced man to replace him.
Thus, the care given these men
from the time they are picked up on
q battlefield until discharged from
a hospital is the finest it is human
~ possible to provide.
0V0 af0S from Battle.
Portable units, which go any place
because all of the. equipment can
be packed on the mems backs, work
from 400 to 800 yards from the bat
tlefront. Each outfit is comprised
Of 80 men, including four officers.
Capt. Gabel Himmelwright, who
publicly believes this particular one
Is the best in the entire Army, says
1t can cure anything but a bad
disposition.
A portable units operating table is
q far cry from the sparkling, 81, 500
operating table, borrowed from Wal
ter Reed, and on exhibition just
few yards away. The portable table
Is simply stretcher, laid on nGfour
forked stakes. This is not only con-
venient under the circumstances but
more suitable than a regular table
since the patient. can be moved
with less danger Of shock
Bunks, covered with mosquito net
ting, are set up for delayed surgery
cases forced to wait until those in
need Of immediate attention are
handled. They have their own
water-purifying gadget-a huge,
brown canvas Lyster bag that never
fails to draw the curious, a field
cooking range and a complete lay
out of all necessary medical acces-
sories, including metal splints.
Something like TRANSMISSION with
the all-important blood plasma
civilians supply is minor item.
Halls Blood Donors.
II hope blood donors continue to
be as generous as they have been,"
said Col Half. Blood plasma is
most important in our work"
Equipment used at base hospitals,
loaned by Walter Reed Medical
Center, is displayed. 1t is the new
est and the best.
The exhibit includes folding port
able litters, stretchers mounted on
bicycle wheels, x-ray cameras for
examining chests and locating
shrapnel in wounded men, tent
-darkrooms, a Phillips pack for
transporting injured men on horse
back, and the Stokes litter used in
airplanes and on ships
Transportation problems in the
Far North or snowbound territory
are solved by toboggans and litters
ingeniously mounted on skis.
AS an added attraction in the
War Show, Col. Half has imported
the band from Camp Pickett, where
his outfit is in training, and a pup
pet show. Both are good, but aren't
included in the Medical Corps field
work.
Music is important in hospitals" !"
the colonel said. I'VE have found it
has good effect on convalescents
and we hope to eventually have one
in every base hospital"
The Army, judging by the exhibit
on the Monument Grounds, isn't a
bad place to get medical treatment
II you have to get sick.
Hbo Captured |