The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1951-01-10

lsands of living casualties requiring
immediate treatment.
! Atomic bomb explosions differ
from conventional bomb explosions
in three important ways: the explo-
sive force. released by an atomic
explosion is vastly greater than thai
produced by the most powerful TIM
bomb: an atomic explosion releases
lin addition to intense heat a1c
light, highly penetrating, invisible
radiations which are damaging II
living organisms; certain substance
which may remain after the explo.
sion are radioactive and emit radi.
ations which are capable of produc.
ing harmful consequences in living
organism.
Historical Results
Because of these differences, the
effects of an atomic bomb require
special consideration. Psychological
preparation by thorough public edu-
cation can be expected to prevent
many casualties that would other
wise result from hysteria.
Statements have been made that
biological warfare is an absolute
weapon capable of disabling or de-
stroying the entire population OF
large cities, either directly or by
the initiation of self-perpetuation
disease epidemics. Other statements
have insisted that it is not even a
practical weapon and that it pre-
sents no dangers.
The truth lies between these ex-
| tremes.
The mechanisms,. as we'll as the
knowledge and experience to con-
troll biological warfare, are present
in the current health system. The
entire system, however, will need
strengthening to be able to cope
effectively with enemy use OF bio
logical weapons.
Chemical warfare in this publica-
ton deals with civil defense against
only one general group of chemical
warfare agents-the nerve gases. In
formation on other chemical war
fare agents will be published later
The civil defense administration
booklet suggests that the civil de-
Tense health services should plan
and train in peace-time against
emergency in time of war Also sug
gested is that detailed mobilization
and operational plans should be
made so that each person in the
organization would know his exact
duties in an emergency.
Training Necessary
Health service training is an
essential part of the overall civil
defense training program. The res
cue of persons by other civil de-
Tense services must be followed
closely by initial first aid, litter
service where needed, initial surgical
Il eatment, and ambulance trans
portation
Hospitals, the focal points foI
civil defense, would be of three
types: existing general or special
hospitals in the immediate vicinit!
which are still disable after an
atomic bombing, improvised hos
pitfalls or converted nonhospita'
buildings, and hospitals in sur
rounding areas.
One of the most difficult and
urgent problems facing civil de-
tense health services is the imme-
date provision of adequate health
supplies following a civilian war
time disaster.
Advance steps should be taken to
prepare community resources to
meet the problems that would be
created by disruption of water sup
plies and sanitation, according to
the publication. Civil defense health
service plans must include we'll
organized medical service for non
casualty disaster needs, utilizing as
much professional service as pos
sible. Included in this would be the
providing of a INTENTIONALLY ade-
quate and healthful food supply for
stricken populations in time OF
emergency
A Pathological defense organiza-
ton should be established, trained
and prepared to function in each
critical atomic bomb target area OF
the civil defense organization as
branch of the health service. Activi-
ties of the Pathological defense serv-
ice must be integrated closely with
those of the other health services.
The defense organization for bio
logical warfare already is in exist
ence and needs only modification
to meet unnatural outbreaks of di-
sease. The plans for biological war
fare defense must, however, be in
tegrated with general civil defense
plans.
sOn the other hand, no mechanism
for successful civil defense against
chemical weapons exists at present.
1t must be created by civil defense
health service.