VARIED AILMENTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 276, 22 November 1943, Page 1

VARIED AILMENTS

TROOPS IN PACIFIC CHILDHOOD DISEASES AGAIN ■ Auckland, Nov. 18. An indication of the problems which have to be met by service hospitals in tne South Pacific area is given in an art:cle sent to New Zealand by the United States Navy Department on the work of an American naval mobile hospital. “We have found,” said Lieutenant-Commander J. H. L. Heintzeiman, head of the hospital’s medicine section, "that we treat virtually every ailment we treated back in the United States.”

Surprising to many doctors has been the fact that children’s diseases break out suddenly among the soldiers. Youths of 19 and 20 have had a bad attack of mumps, chicken-pox or diphtheria.- Sore throats, athlete's foot, pneumonia, heart ailments and arthritis have been common.

The hospital has experienced the expected run of malaria, intestinal diseases and Dengue fever. "Most of us are. sticking pretty closely to our specialities, and have been surprised at the number of medical, as conrased with surgical, cases we have received,” said Dr. Heintzeiman.

One of the hospital’s problems is that of men intentionally trying to be sent home. "This sort of case is rare but it sometimes occurs,” said Dr. Hemtzelman. “Although we may know it, it is difficult to prove. We faced the same problem in industrial medicine in the United States. You cannot say that a man has no pain, if you tried it on the witness stand, a lawyer could make a fool out ot you in live minutes.”

Approximately 10 per cent, of the cases received St any mobile hospital consist of nervous and mental disorders. Lieutenant-Commander J. M. Henninger, formerly director of the behaviour clinic ot the criminal courts of Allegheney County, Pennsylvania, and now a member of this hospital’s staff, said the object was to return as many of these men to duty as was possible and to evacuate the others. Night bombing raids, the tension of action and lack of sleep are regarded as the greatest contributing factors. Patients of this type Who need protracted treatment form a lower percentage than in civilian life, largely because men suspected of mental disorders are rejected at the outset.

Combat surgery has largely followed the expected pattern. The departmental head, Lieutenant-Commander B. Tenney, said the hospital handles an expected increase of compound fractures, with destruction of tissue, infection and fatigue the greatest problems. Of the several thousand surgical cases received, the majority have been completely cured.