European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 27, 1966, Darmstadt, Hesse Sunder March 77, 1966 the stars and stripes malaria is worst enemy in Viet Nam Washington m a r c h 28 Nana the army is going All out to find new drugs to fight malaria which has Laid Low More . Fighting men in Viet Nathan the bullets of the Viet Cong. Surgeon general Leonard . Who recently returned from Viet Nam said the virulent Type of malaria known As fal Clear us struck 2,000 service men Between oct her and de Cember of 1905, killing 12.another 320 cases in the first two months of this year resulted in one death. Heaton did not Rule nut the possibility of the asian Type malaria which is highly resistant to Standard treatment cropping up in the . He emphasized that precautions Are being taken. The situation has triggered Muul Lollon Dollar research Effort. Fifty two contractors in he . And abroad have been assigned various phases of malaria research. Five regimens of treatment Are being tested to Viet Nam. The army s Best clinical a Lari Logist maj. Jen. Robert e. Blount was dispatched on a inspection tour of facilities in Viet Nam. A malaria control coordinator is now on duty there. Fall Pyrum malaria found invite Nam Thailand and South America reached epidemic pro portions among american troops at a time when the . Varlet known As a lax has been brought almost completely under control. Both types Are carried by the Anopheles half the cases of fal Clear us Heaton reported did not respond to the usual treat ment. The army regards Ever Case As an emergency since the disease can bring death within Days. Heaton seems encouraged by results gained from a Combina Tion of quinine and the men Are in com pounds he said the risk of contracting the disease is not kit. Once hey enter the Fugle to engage he Viet Cong Ike malaria Rale is re putting serious Emp a til on our West coast discharge stations. As these men come through they la be Given a Thor Ough examination Heaton said. Be also Laid the civilian Community and the . Public health service have been alerted to give malaria a High Index of when an unidentified disease crops up it s malaria until proved every Battle casualty in Viet Nam Heaton said four menace stricken with disease. He cited the leaders As gastroenteritis malaria respiratory disease skin fungus and emphasized that the men Are getting the Best possible care care i would want for my self or any member of my fam ily Aad cited figures showing advances in treating casualties of each 100 wounded soldiers hospitalized in world War ii Only 4.1 per cent could not be Laved. During the korean conflict the figure dropped to 2.5 per cent. It has been reduce to Lesi than one per cent in Viet said the improvement i due largely to Speed evacuation by helicopter. Currently there Are 73 ambulance hell copter pilots in Viet Nam work accurate air drops Langley fab a. Marchu special tactical air come s 1st combat application group at Eglon fab fla., has developed another system for re supplying ground combat forces from the air. It is designed tenable Airlift Crews to make accurate Par drops from 2,000 to5,000 feet above ground level. Ing full time on evacuating the wounded. Too much credit can never be Given these men. If it is in accessible they have to create Landing spot for the chopper. In some areas the Jungle canopy is 250 feet before shipping out to Vietnam servicemen arc inoculated for typhoid typhus smallpox influenza yellow fever plague and army s medical research alms to provide built in Protection for Altitude tropics and extreme cold. Eventually Hoa Ion said the army Hopes to produce tablets or drugs to protect against ionizing radiation malaria and in research is a Tablet which when secreted by the sweat glands would repel mos sultos. In the same Way on would repel fungus. Others might help counteract psychological hazards. Heaton and his staff Are excited about a new Field Hospital called must medical unit self contained transportable which he described As a revolutionary Advance in combat support hos is a series of compact lightweight Power and shelter units containing the most advanced medical and surgical equipment which can be erected quickly into a Field Hospital Ca Pable of performing the most complicated surgery and housing from 20 to 400 patients. The units arc built to with stand heavy weather and rough terrain. Six men can unpack an assemble one in less than half an hour. They can be trans ported on m35 trucks or lifted by helicopter. The Power unit provide heat Cooling and electricity on almost any kind of fuel. Must was developed by Gar ret Al research of Phoenix ariz., and the american Hospital sup ply corporation of Evanston 111., in cooperation with army medi Cal service. Heaton Hopes to see a 400 cd must Hospital operating in Viet Nam by july. Most Field hospitals the
