100 ORGANIZING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH FOR WAR 



professional advice and supervision in the procurement of human blood 

 plasma for the armed forces. In response to a request of the Services they 

 commenced the preparation of six military surgical and three military 

 medical manuals which were published in 1942 and thereafter. The Sur- 

 geons General designated Colonel (later Major General) Charles C. Hill- 

 man, Colonel (later Brigadier General) James Stevens Simmons, and Cap- 

 tain (later Rear Admiral) Charles S. Stephenson as their official repre- 

 sentatives to the Division of Medical Sciences and medical officers were 

 delegated to attend meetings of the various committees. 



Relations between CMR and NRG 



It was against this background that the CMR was formed. There ex- 

 isted an integrated and active organization within the NRC which had 

 given advice to the Surgeons General for more than a year. It had been 

 established for this advisory function and continued to exercise it through- 

 out the war. In the course of this activity, members of the NRC commit- 

 tees had established cordial personal relationships with the representatives 

 of the Surgeons General who attended their meetings and had become 

 somewhat familiar with the questions and problems that faced the Services. 

 It was clear at the outset, and became clearer as meetings succeeded one 

 another, that many of these questions could not be answered ex cathedra, 

 that many problems could not be solved without research. Devoting their 

 time to a consideration of these matters, the several committees had evolved 

 programs for research: some of them precise and detailed, some rather 

 nebulous, all of them recognizing a common necessity. It had been impos- 

 sible to embark upon this research with vigor because adequate funds 

 were not available. 



The major question of policy which confronted the CMR at its first 

 meeting on July 31, 1941, was that of its relationship to the NRC. CMR 

 would obviously need advice in the formulation of its program. It was 

 perfectly free to seek this advice from individuals or committees of its 

 own choosing. While it might have ignored the plans and the accumu- 

 lated experience of the NRC committees, CMR decided to utilize the ad- 

 vice of these committees in formulating its own research plans, a deci- 

 sion which Bush approved. The Committee at once took several steps to 

 formalize this relationship and make it a cornerstone of future policy. It 

 established its working offices within the building occupied by the NRC 

 at 2101 Constitution Avenue. It recommended a contract with the Na- 

 tional Academy of Sciences to cover expenses incident to meetings of the 

 NRC committees and the preparation and distribution of reports. CMR 

 appointed the Chairmen of the eight major NRC committees on military 

 medicine as Consultants. These Consultants met with CMR at its second 



