Meningococcal Conjunctivitis. A Report of Three Cases

Preventive Medicine in World War II, Volume 9, Special Fields

“…The manner in which industrial health had been handled in this country was thoroughly explained to Colonel Pincoffs, and a memorandum on this subject was presented to him. 1 7 It was recommended that general physical screening of civilian employees be attempted to prevent the assignment of persons with an infectious disease to work which would permit the spread of endemic or contagious diseases. Such a program could be effected with a limited number of personnel by an inspection of all new employees and a check on those 130 SPECIAL FIE.LDS already employed when they appeared at dispensaries for +,ttm j, illness or injury.…”

“…A total of 115 cases of heat stroke (11.7 percent of admissions for all causes) were treated successfully and without a death during the reached an incidence rate of 295.81 per 1,000 per annum. 7 This high rate was largely due to prickly heat and heat exhaustion. The number of heat stroke cases had declined sharply from 115 in 1942 to 38 in 1943, despite a 25-fold increase in command strength.…”

“…Only 32 cases of heat exhaustion-18 percent of total admissions-were reported in Army personnel in the western Pacific area, presumably for the whole war period. Of 32 cases, 22 were ascribed to heat and 10 to overexertion.1 7 In New Guinea and adjacent islands, only a few cases of heat exhaustion or heat stroke were recorded.…”

“…The role played by clothing in protecting personnel against excessive heat or cold and against vectors of disease is discussed fully in volume III of the preventive medicine history,--, as well as in a book, sponsored by the Division of Medical Sciences, National Research Council, which deals largely with physiological and physical investigations on clothing.1 7 Despite the great advances made in World War II, only limited information was available concerning specialized clothing for the desert or the tropics at the end of the war. The problem was complicated by the need to provide protective clothing against weather, insects, and "the bush," while at the same time allowing for optimum body heat loss.…”

“…Between February and June 1941, Colonel Fox, aided by Maj. (later Col.) Huston J. Banton, MC, visited and prepared surveys of all the new bases. 7 Copies of these reports were dispatched by The Adjutant General to all major headquarters with the direction that certain recommendations contained therein were to be followed." The reports were thus officially recognized as a basis for administrative procedure.…”