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

10 The Health Bulletin August, 1951where it paid rich dividends in the conservationof America's fighting manpower.In the Spanish-American War therate for deaths from disease among ourtroops was about 25 per thousand annum;13 American soldiers died of diseaseto every 1 killed in battle. InWorld War I the rate was reduced toabout 16; the ratio of disease to battledeaths was 1.1. In World War II thedisease death rate for our total Armyof about 10 million men was only 0.6per thousand per annum; in the EuropeanTheater only one soldier died ofdisease for every 85 killed in battle.This experience of the recent past showsthat the field of preventive medicineand public health now has at handmethods which can be used to conserveboth civilian and military manpower.Unsolved Peacetime Health ProblemsAs we face the present national emergency,it is important to realize that inspite of the progress already made,many health problems must be solvedif we are to conserve the nation's manpowerin preparation for the threat ofa long war. Even under the peacetimeconditions of the last few years, toomany civilians have been incapacitatedor killed by preventable disease andaccidents. The death rate for infectiousdiseases has been reduced, but they arenot yet under control. The mental anddegenerative diseases cause an enormousnational loss in money and manpower.Other unsolved problems include occupationaland industrial hazards anddiseases, nutritional deficiencies, poorhousing, atmospheric contamination,pollution of our streams with sewageand industrial wastes, and the need toconserve and protect the national watersupply. There is much room for improvementin the field of maternal andchild health; this was shown by thelarge number of physical and mentaldefects found in young men examinedby the draft boards during the lastwar. Of those examined since June 1950,to bring the Armed Forces up to threeand one-half million, one million havebeen rejected as physically, mentally, ormorally xinfit.New Defense Health ProblemsIn addition to these unsolved peacetimecivilian problems, we must alsoconsider the new disease hazards of amodern war which might easily beginwith an atomic attack on the UnitedStates and reqiiire the use of Americantroops both in this covmtry and abroad.This means that both the civil and themilitary population must be preparedfor the occurrence of unusual diseasewhich might accompany sabotage andbombing, and the disasters producedby atomic, biologic, or physchologic warfare.It also means that the civil healthagencies must be prepared to combat avariety of diseases, many of which arenow considered vmder control. In addition,the Armed Forces must be preparedto meet the wartime diseaseswhich vmdobutedly will be encounteredin military operations. The existence ofso many unsolved health problems atthis late date in our national developmentis disappointing. It shows thatalthough we Americans boast abouthealth, we still do not have adequatehealth protection and that we still arenot using our total resources for theprevention of disease. Therefore, if weas a nation are to provide and maintainthe healthy manpower required in thepresent emergency and for the infinitelygreater demands over an indefinitelylong time in the future, we must organizea stronger defense health program.Importance Of Preventive MedicineIn The Defense ProgramOur defense program must provide forboth curative and preventive medicine.It is logical, however, even in peacetimeto place the greater emphasis onpreventive medicine in order to decreaseexpensive hospitalization and medicalcare. In time of war there is an addedneed to keep well people well becausethe entire population is needed foractive duty either on the home front orin the fighting line. This means the newprogram must be aimed primarily atprevention. If our country is to make