The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1943-12-10
Today S Battlefield Victims
Get Speedy, Effective Care
Blood PIasr1a, SuIfonamides and Organization
OF Medical Services Insure Prompt
Treatment of Wounded Men.
BY BAUKHAGE
Nescs analyst and Commentator.

WNU Service, Union Trust Building
Washington, d. @.
A young reserve officer friend Of
mine came up to say goodby to me
year and half ago. He flattered
me by asking for my advice before
he went into active service.
knew he wanted to see action.
He had refused desk job in Wash
ington. knew he wanted to do the
job and get home to his wife and
babies.
So I said: Hope for a light wound
and you'll hope for the best"
OF course, nobody would try to fol-
low such advice but my friend got
the wound (and a medal for bravery
too) and now he's back in civvies
again.
He doesn't like what the Jap bullet
did to his leg for he'll play no more
tennis or handball but his wife has
live, if lame. husband and his chill
dren have something beside a pic
ture and a piece of ribbon to call
daddy"
When I gave that sage advice, !
didn't know how smart / was.
'"The wounded soldier in this
global war, though he is exposed to
almost every health hazard known
to man, still has better chance Of
surviving and returning safely home
than ever BEFORE" says Maj. Gen.
Norman Kirk, surgeon-general of
the army.
The general gave three reasons:
first, the use Of blood plasma to
avoid shock and hemorrhage; Sec
ond, the use Of sulfonamides to COM
bat infection; and third, the mobility
and organization of the medical
services which insure prompt and
efficient medical and surgical treat
ment.
The Reasons
heard Of widespread use of blood
plasma first in the Spanish Civil war
and imagine much valuable expert
ence was gained from that conflict.
We know it was a proving ground
for Nazi and Fascist killing and I'M
doubtedly the Allies profited by the
efforts in life-saving as well.
The use Of sulfa drugs is one Of
the great blessings which modern
chemistry has given us. Recently !
stood in one Of the plants Of the
Monsanto Chemical company in st.
Louis, Mo-, letting the soft, healing
powder drip through my fingers. Be
fore me, in a space hardly Is feet
square, was a collection Of small
kegs containing this wonderful anti
septic. There was enough within
my easy reach to serve the whole
Sicilian campaign, they told me.
Each soldier has his packet and fills
his wound with it. It stymies the
germs until natural processes ami
hilate them.
The mobility of the medical units
has been described in many dis
patches and you have all seen photo
graphs of the flying hospitals, the
great air transports with their equip
ment and nurses. The wounded are
rapidly returned to bases where they
get the best Of care. Treatment on
naval vessels is equally effective.
It must be understood that the
drugs and the plasma in themselves
are not cure-alls. They are not
even cures in many cases. They
are representatives.. They are what
you 'do with until the doctor comes
more accurately, until you come to
the doctor. Surgery is necessary in
the cases of most wounds.
Capt. w. M. Craig, chief Of sur
gerry at the Naval Medical center,
Bethesda, Md, just outside Of Wash
ington, puts it succinctly:
.'In the last war, when a mans
head was cut open by shell frag-
ment," says Captain Craig, "the sur
geon had to operate at once, even
though the patient was in such a
weakened condition that he hadn't
one chance in a hundred to survive
the operation. The surgeon had no
other choice; he knew if he waited,
infection would set in and that would
be the end. In this war it is differ
ent; the patient is given blood plas-
ma treatment to build him up, sulfa
to check infection, and if his condi-
ton permits, he is flown to hos
pital in the rear where the operation
is performed under ideal condi-
tons"
Short Time Lag
In the last war, all wounded had
to have powerful injection, a most
painful Thing to endure, and nowhere