Part Two 



THE WAR AGAINST DISEASE 



In War 



The death rate for all diseases in the Army, including the overseas forces, 

 has been reduced from 14.1 per thousand in the last war to 0.6 per thousand 

 in this war. 



Such ravaging diseases as yellow fever, dysentery, typhus, tetanus, pneu- 

 monia, and meningitis have been all but conquered by penicillin and the 

 sulfa drugs, the insecticide DDT, better vaccines, and improved hvgienic 

 measures. Malaria has been controlled. There has been dramatic progress 

 in surgery. 



The striking advances in medicine during the war have heen possible only 

 because we had a large backlog of scientific data accumulated through basic 

 research in many scientific fields in the years before the war. 



In Peace 



In the last 40 years life expectancy in the United States has increased 

 from 49 to 65 years largely as a consequence of the reduction in the death 

 rates of infants and children; in the last 20 years the death rate from the 

 diseases of childhood has been reduced 87 percent. 



Diabetes has been brought under control by insulin, pernicious anemia 

 by liver extracts; and» the once widespread deficiency diseases have been 

 much reduced, even in the lowest income groups, by accessory food factors 

 and improvement of diet. Notable advances have been made in the early 

 diagnosis of cancer, and in the surgical and radiation treatment of the disease. 



These results have been achieved through a great amount of basic research 

 in medicine and the preclinical sciences, and by the dissemination of this 

 new scientific knowledge through the physicians and medical services and 

 public health agencies of the country. In this cooperative endeavor the 

 pharmaceutical industry has played an important role, especially during the 

 war. All of the medical and public health groups share credit for these 

 achievements; they form interdependent members of a team. 



Progress in combating disease defends ufon an expanding body of new 

 scientifc knowledge. 



13 



