The watch physician spent the night in this building, as did the Coast Guard 

 medical corpsman (Jerry Deason) assigned to assist in the project. The office 

 was connected by field telephone to the diving platform, the causeway, and 

 the command van. 



The medical corpsman ran the dispensary under the supervision of Dr. Masson. 

 He served as a physician's assistant, and conducted sick call every morning 

 and afternoon. Since he was a scuba diver, he would have been of particular 

 usefulness in case of an emergency in the habitat. He also inventoried 

 supplies, made checks of the sanitary conditions in the kitchen, toilets, and 

 showers, and controlled the use of emergency vehicles. 



The drugs and surgical stores were initially supplied by program funds. As 

 existing stocks were exhausted, attempts to replace them were made through 

 a drug-supply house on St. Thomas island. It was fortunate that, for the 

 most part, the original stocks proved adequate for the entire program, since 

 many drugs were difficult to obtain in the Virgin Islands. For example, low- 

 molecular-weight dextran and heparin, both important in the treatment of 

 certain forms of dysbarism, as well as "Kling" bandages, were unobtainable 

 locally and had to be shipped from the USPHS medical supply center at 

 Perry Point, Md. 



Other Medical Support 



Complete blood counts, routine urinalysis, reagent-stick blood sugar measure- 

 ments, and initial bacterial isolation were performed in base camp. For these 

 tests, the medical staff was permitted to use the laboratory of Dr. Andre Cobet, 

 director of the TEKTITE microbiology studies. Other laboratory work was per- 

 formed by the Caribbean Research Institute laboratories on St. Thomas, and 

 parasite studies were made through the courtesy of the Virgin Islands Public 

 Health Service. 



There was no adequate clinical X-ray equipment on St. John. The few X-ray 

 examinations required during the course of the project were therefore per- 

 formed by a radiologist on St. Thomas. 



After much controversy over the poverty of existing emergency transportation, 

 the medical staff was eventually assigned a jeep (turned quickly into an 

 ambulance by the application of large red crosses) to handle any casualties on 

 St. John. A boat was provided by the Medical Director for use by the medical 

 staff in case of accident at the habitat site or during decompression pro- 

 cedures. Casualties requiring treatment on St, Thomas were taken there via 

 the JEANETTE, the shuttle boat leased to the project for its duration. 



Although the need never arose, arrangements were made with the Coast Guard for 

 helicopter transport in the eventuality of a casualty in the TEKTITE program 

 whose injuries or illness proved beyond the competence of the St. Thomas 

 medical community. A helicopter based at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Roosevelt 

 Roads, Puerto Rico, could reach St. John in one hour. 



IX-4 



