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SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XLVII. No. 1205 



general military medical research -work in 

 France, including special methods of recogni- 

 tion and study of diseases among soldiers. 



This action followed a report from the Eed 

 Cross Commission in France to national head- 

 quarters as follows: 



An extraordinary opportunity presents itself here 

 for medical research work. We have serving with 

 various American units some of the ablest doctors 

 and surgeons in the United States. Many of these 

 men are already conducting courses of investiga- 

 tion which, if carried to successful conclusions, will 

 result in the discovery of treatments and methods 

 of operation which will be of great use not only 

 in this war, but possibly for years afterwards. To 

 carry on their work they need certain special lab- 

 oratory equipment, suitable buildings and animals 

 for experimental purposes. At present equipment 

 and personnel can not be obtained through ordi- 

 nary government sources without delay, which 

 makes this source of supply quite impracticable. 



The foregoing recommendation, like all 

 others of a medical nature from the commis- 

 sion in France, was submitted to an advisory 

 medical board in France composed of leading 

 American doctors working with our own 

 forces in that country. They approved it. 



This advisory board is headed by Dr. Joseph 

 A. Blake, with whom are associated: 



Colonel Ireland, of General Pershing's staff ; 

 Dr. Livingston Farrand, president of the Uni- 

 versity of Colorado; Dr. Alexander Lambert, 

 professor of clinical medicine, Cornell Medical 

 School; Dr. John M. Finney, professor of 

 clinical surgery at the Johns Hopkins Uni- 

 versity; Drs. Eichard P. Strong and W. B. 

 Cannon, professors at Harvard University; 

 Major George W. Orile, head of the Cleveland 

 Base Hospital Unit ; and Dr. Hugh H. Young, 

 professor at Johns Hopkins University. 



The committee in charge of this researdi 

 work in France, headed by Dr. W. B. Cannon, 

 professor of physiology at Harvard, includes : 



Dr. Blake, Dr. Crile, Colonel Ireland, Dr. 

 Alexander Lambert, Dr. Richard P. Strong, 

 Dr. Kenneth Taylor, Dr. W. B. Cannon, pro- 

 fessor of physiology at Harvard; Dr. Harvey 

 Gushing, professor of surgery at Harvard; Dr. 

 James A. MiUer, professor of clinical medicine 



at Columbia; Dr. William Charles White, as- 

 sociate professor of medicine at Pittsbm'gh; 

 and Dr. Homer F. Swift, professor of medi- 

 cine at Cornell. 



The question has been raised as to whether 

 the appropriation for medical research was not 

 outside the proper scope of Red Cross activity. 



The answer is simple. The supreme aim of 

 the Red Cross is to relieve human suffering 

 growing out of war. The War Coimcil was 

 advised from the ablest professional sources 

 available that an immediate appropriation for 

 medical research would contribute toward that 

 end. The War Council could not disregard 

 such advice. 



There are many unsolved medical questions 

 of great importance in this war. Numerous 

 problems relating to the treatment of wounds, 

 the eradication of lice, fleas, and scabies, the 

 treatment of trench nephritis, trench heart, 

 war neurasthenia, exhaustion, lethal gases, 

 shell concussion, wound infection, compound 

 fracture, and a great variety of other diseases 

 and injuries are still to be worked out. The 

 solution of such problems will contribute not 

 only toward the relief of suffering but toward 

 more effective prosecution of the war. Scien- 

 tific experience is conclusive that the most 

 rapid possible approach to such solution is 

 through medical research. 



To safeguard expenditures under this appro- 

 priation it has been arranged that all applica- 

 tions for grants from it shall be made through 

 the chief medical officer of the American Ex- 

 peditionary Forces, Brigadier-General A. E. 

 Bradley, and such recommendation is essential 

 to consideration of such expenditure. 



The following cablegram, signed by 41 medi- 

 cal officers on duty in France, was received by 

 the American Red Cross: 



We believe the Eed Cross has properly expended 

 its funds because it is the duty of the Eed Cross 

 to care for sick and wounded American soldiers, 

 and to use funds to prevent those soldiers from 

 being infected with the various diseases met with 

 in their peculiar Army life. There are several dis- 

 eases, the exact nature of which is still undeter- 

 mined, as they are new and peculiar to this war 

 and must be studied now to aid our troops. We 



