Evening star., 1950-01-08
Protection
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care; (b) whole blood trans
fusions:: (c) control of infection
by antibiotics such as penicillin;
Cd intravenous feeding to supply
necessary sugars, proteins and
vitamins, and (e9 control of the
bleeding tendency by use of drugs,
the report said.
In observing the after-effects of
each type of injury from the
japanese bombs, and scientifically
speculating on mans chances of
overcoming each. the authors
offered no new-fangled panaceas
or protective devices.
White Clothing Protection.
They did note, however, that
white, loose fitting clothing af-
forded some protection in Japan
against atomic flash burns.
White clothing tended to re-
fleet the radiant heat, darker
clothing to absorb heat" the re-
port said. Burns sometimes were
cross ss-hatched where light clothing
was marked with dark lines"
In some measure, the survey
tended to discount the value of
atomic bombs larger than those
which blasted the japanese cities.
It Said:'
The Hiroshima and Nagasaki
bombs caused total destruction
and serious damage to buildings
death and injury to people-for
two miles from the point at which
the bombs were set off. The ex-
treme limit was about four miles.
More powerful bombs could
cause a wider area of damage, but
very great increases IN explosive
force are necessary In order to
accomplish relatively small in
creases in the area Of damage.
For example. it. would be nee
essary to double the power Of the
bomb in order to increase the
radius of severe damage and in
jury by one fourth, from 2 to
2la miles"
The report said effects of q
bomb such as those released at
1000 feet over the Japanese cities
were essentially the same as those
caused by 10000 tons of TINT.
with certain added factor. Me-
chanical injuries from collapse of
buildings will predominant in both
cases.
But on the atomic side of the
ledger are injuries suffered from
greater amount of radiant heat,
large amounts of light, including
ultraviolet and the large amounts
Of nuclear radiation.
Speaking of flame burns" !"
those resulting from fires started
by the bomb, sit would be un-
realistic to prepare for fewer than
10000 to $4,000 severely burned
persons from a single atomic ex-
plosion.
Care of Badly Burned Patients.
Ideal care of a severely burned
patient, according to one such
case, would include provision for
AZ tanks of oxygen, 8 nurses, 2.7
miles of gauze. 36 pints of plasma,
40 pints of whole blood. and 100
pints of other fluids plus drugs
such as morphine and the anti
biotics."
obviously such ideal treat
.ment would be impossible Under
catastrophe conditions. Although
not all burn cases would require
as much support as the case cited
above, this example, nevertheless,
makes apparent the magnitude of
the burn problem alone"
Burns suffered in fires started
by atomic bombs differ in no way
from usual burns unless there is
also injury from nuclear radiation,
the report said. Many japanese
might have been saved with ade-
quate medical care.
The report coined new term
fire storm"-to describe the rush
OF gale winds sucked toward the
vortex of the bomb blast by the
uprush of the hot, atomic cloud.
This did not occur at Nagasaki,
but at Hiroshima it added to the
horror of the fire.
Flying glass contributed a large
share of superficial injuries in
Japan, in some cases penetrating
over an inch beneath the skin.
q