Evening star., 1950-08-01
ID. T.. Medical Society
|WiII Teach Doctors,
Public A-Bomb Aid
By Francis P. DouoIos

The District Medical Society
today prepared to launch a pro-
gram to instruct the public in
what to do in case of an atomic
bomb attack.
First step will be to teach doc
tors in this area how to treat
radiation injuries. and the doctors
in turn will teach members of the
public how to avoid exposure to
radiation.
DR.. William D. Claudy, chair
man of a committee for the doc
tors course, said the chief thing a
person can do is to take shelter.
He said that it is planned to
produce tags which a person in
the affected area would wear and
which would change color if sub
jected to radiation. This would
furnish guidance to doctors in
treating the person affected, DR..
Claudy said, although the effects
of radiation do not show up for a
week or 10 days in a reduction of
the white blood cells.
The Medical Society's steps for
civilian defense followed closely
the disclosure that the District
Chapter of the American Red
Cross is planning to give inStruc-
ton in first aid to every one over
the age of is who can be per-
suaded to take the course.
Most of the injuries in an
atomic attack would be burns,
cuts. fractures and the like. Joe
E. Aronoff, assistant director of
the District Red Cross Safety
service, said the basic course in
first aid would cover the care of
such injuries. He said, however,
the first problem in case of an
atomic attack would be the re-
moval of the injured from the
center of destruction.
Warning Anticipated.
DR.. Claudy said he presumed
Washington would have some
sort of warning" in case of an at
tack. He conceded the difficulty
in persuading people to take shell
ter in a basement if they feared
the building above the basement
would come down on top of them.
But all can't leave at once" he
said, "or there would be much
worse jam than at S o'clock and
many would never get away" The
public should be given some idea
how to determine if they have
been subjected to radiation, he
said, and in the absence of a tag
which would change color the only
way to tell would be by the per-
sons location in relation to the
center of the blast.
The Medical Society's plans were
laid last night when the Executive
Board approved plans for the
course for doctors in the treatment
of atomic injuries. The course
will be given at three four-hour
sessions on September %, Is
and 20.
Army Will Cooperate.
The lectures will be given by
members Of the society who are
trained in the subject and by per-
sonnel of the Office of the Army's
surgeon general. They will be
open to members of the District
Medical Society, the Medico-C Chi
rurgical Society, medical societies
OF the surrounding area and rep
resentatives of the Police, Fire
Department, Health Department
and the Red Cross.
DR.. Claudy's group which will
be in charge is a subcommittee of
the cooperating medical societies
Committee for Emergency Medi-
cal Service for the Metropolitan
Area. Serving with DR.. Claudy
are Drs. John B. Ross, Vincent
Iovine. Alfred E. Brigulio, Richard
Whelton. Carl j. Potthoff and Col.
William L. Wilson, special assist
ant to the surgeon general of
the Army. DR.. Potthoff is first
aid director for the American Red
Cross.
Also planned is the preparation
OF roster Of doctors of the area,
listing who would be available for