The Health bulletin [serial] - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

arms—should adopt the preventive attitudetoward disease. Every soldier^ould keep in mind the basic truththat "an ounce of prevention is wortha pound of cure" and he should befamiliar with the basic principles thatcan be applied for his protection againstdisease.According to a newspaper announcementseveral weeks ago, an epidemic oftyphus was raging among the Chinesetroops in Korea. Such a report 10 yearsago would have caused us much concern.Today there is no reason for alarm becausewe are armed with effective preventivemeasures developed in the lastwar with which American troops canbe protected against this ancientscourge. We now have an effectivetyphus vaccine and an even more effectivelouse powder. This incident servesto point up the practical importance ofmilitary preventive medicine today. Italso emphasizes the fact that this youngspecialty is not static but is vigorous,rapidly growing, and has infinite possibilitiesfor further development; thisis important because the nation nowfaces the most serious threat for itsentii'e existence. We must immediatelytake steps to strengthen our total healthdefenses in order to conserve bothfighting and working manpower.Since 25 June 1950, the Armed Forceshave been faced with the problem ofmaintaining the health of our troopsfighting in Korea and at the same timeplanning for the prevention of diseaseamong the large forces now being mobilizedand trained to meet the threat ofa third global war. The civil populationis faced with the equally difficult problemof strengthening its program ofpreventive medicine and public healthto conserve industrial manpower and tooperate the expanding health departmentsrequired for civil defense. It istherefore important to take stock ofthe nation's total health facilities—bothmilitary and civilian—in order to makesound plans for the present emergency.Military Preventive MedicineThe aim of preventive medicine Is toprevent physical and mental disease.The Health Bulletin August, 1951In civilian medical schools the term"preventive medicine" is commonly restrictedto the prevention of disease inthe individual; the term "public health"is applied to the prevention of diseaseand the conservation of health in communitiesor other large aggregations ofpeople, such as States or nations. "Militarypreventive medicine" applies tolarge groups of fighting men and thereforeit is comparable to civilian publichealth. Since the beginning of historyevery intelligent military leader hasbeen aware of the hazards of diseaseand has realized the need for somemethod which would protect his troopsagainst sickness. This was true even ofthe barbarians who reluctantly abandonedtheir sick and wounded fightingmen on the battlefield.An early example of an attempt todo something about the American soldier'shealth is afforded by an order,issued by General Washington at Peekskillin the Revolutionary War, entitled:"Instructions for Soldiers in the Serviceof the United States Concerning Meansof Preserving Health." At that timethere was no knowledge concerning thetransmission of infectious diseases andthese instructions emphasized cleanliness,camp hygiene, and the disposal offeces. These activities are still importantto good health, but we now knowthat they are not enough to preventdisease. Therefore, it is not surprisingthat General Washington's troops weredecimated by numerous epidemics.Conditions were no better in the Warof 1812, the Mexican War, or in theCivil War. The commanders and medicalofficers of those days must have beendeeply frustrated at their inability tocontrol the diseases which have alwaysaccompanied war.Development of basic knowledge.—Inthe period following the Civil War, thefoundation for preventive medicine waslaid. From 1860 to 1900 the medical discoveriesof Pasteur, Koch, and Lister,and their associates and followers produceda great reservoir of specific knowledgeabout many of the micro-organismswhich cause disease. It is fortunatethat during that time a member of the