Military Medicine 1939 - 1945

When the war ended with the Japanese surrender on August 14, 1945, it was estimated that more than 17 million members of the armed forces on both sides perished in the conflict. The casualties were severe on both sides, but the Russian, Chinese, German, and Japanese counts were particularly high. As you can see, some of the nations who won suffered as much or more than those who lost.

Military Casualties

Allied

Axis

Source: Encyclopedia Americana International v. 29 (Danbury, CT: Grolier Inc, 1993).

How do U.S. Military Casualties during World War Two Compare to Other Historic Conflicts?

Military Medicine, 1939 TO 1945: Artifacts from Japan and Germany
Many contemporary medical practices have developed as a result of the pressing needs of military medicine. In United States history, each war has brought new technologies. Civil War physicians recognized the importance of sanitary conditions, and the Spanish-American War led to a cure for yellow fever. World War One introduced physicians to chemical weapons and the casualty of shell shock and brought the cure for tetanus and advances in reconstructive surgery. World War Two introduced the mass production of penicillin and new technologies for preserving and transporting plasma.

While wars are waged over ideological, religious, economic, and territorial issues, medical technologies are frequently transported across borders. International groups such as the Red Cross commit themselves to helping the wounded, without regard to their nationality. Despite important medical advances, World War Two also introduced physicians to unexpected medical problems as a result of the atomic bomb.

As curator of the Medical History Museum at the University of Iowa College of Medicine, Dr. John McClintock collected a variety of medical objects from the Second World War. Many of these German and Japanese artifacts were brought to Iowa by local physicians who served in the armed forces.

132. This photograph, made in the early days of the Normandy invasion, shows how promptly medical treatment was administered on the beach. U.S. Army medical soldiers, just a few feet from the surf, are administering a plasma transfusion to a survivor of a landing craft sunk off the coast of Northern France. Courtesy of American Red Cross

Free Asia banner
Japan

Prior to and during World War Two, Japan attempted to colonize other Asian countries that were occupied by the Netherlands and Britain, such as Borneo and Burma, respectively. Propaganda was circulated by the Japanese military during the War to garner support and justify their imperialist efforts. This banner advocated Asian autonomy from western influence, while downplaying the reality of Japanese domination of Asia.

Flag
Japan

In 1849, the Japanese adopted the red sun on a white background as the symbol of their emperor. Commonly referred to as the Hinomaruor the sun flag,it was banned by U.S. General Douglas MacArthur after Japan surrendered in 1945.

In a New Year's address in 1949, MacArthur permitted the Japanese people to display the red sun as a symbol of peace. After the War, the flag was resurrected by the Japanese people and used to represent the restoration of national sovereignty.

Hypodermics
Japan

This portable collection of ampoules, containing small doses of painkillers and sedatives, may have been carried by a field surgeon. Cardiogenic medication, located in some of the vials, was used in the treatment of shock.

Ear, nose, and throat instruments
Japan

This portable collection of instruments was primarily used for diagnosing diseases of the ear, nose, and throat. It is also possible the instruments were used for minor surgery such as tonsillectomies.

Sphygmomanometer
Japan

This portable model was invented in 1889 by Viennese Professor Samuel Von Basch. These devices measured the arterial pulse and recorded a patient's blood pressure. Diagnosticians hoped this information would help pinpoint specific disorders, but early models proved difficult to use, gave inconsistent readings, and provided information that was of limited value. By the Second World War, new advances in design made the instruments more dependable.

Surgical Manual
Japan

This textbook titled Emergency Surgerywas seized on Admiralty Islands by a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Medicine. Written by Takimi Mori, this second edition was issued in 1938. It covers many of the basic surgical procedures including sterilization, anesthesia, and amputations that would have been essential to a combat surgeon.

Many of the procedures and diagnoses are also identified by their German names because Japanese medical personnel were widely trained in Germany before and during the War. The book was donated to the medical museum by Dean McEwen.

Medical Book
Japan

This medical textbook titled New Internal Medicinewas probably used by Japanese medical personnel as a general reference text in the field. Written by Dr. Hedesuke Kamijo, it covers basic medical procedures and diagnoses in a variety of specialties including bacteriology, pathology, dermatology, neurology, urology, and endocrinology.

The first edition was published by the Showa Medical School in Tokyo in 1931 and this particular edition was published in 1934. A popular textbook for medical students, it was very expensive. The average Japanese worker earned about twenty yen a month in the 1930s; this book cost nine yen. The Royalty Seal on the back cover certifies that the book's purchaser paid the appropriate tax.

Microscope slides
Japan

These six slides were melted together by the atomic blast at Hiroshima. At 8:15 on the morning of August 6, 1945, the Enola Gay dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. It exploded 570 meters above the ground and claimed about 200,000 lives. Three days later, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, claiming the lives of 240,000 Japanese citizens. The specimens on the slides are unknown. They were confiscated from a Japanese medical laboratory destroyed in the bombing and brought to the University of Iowa College of Medicine by Colonel Jack J. Hinman, Jr. who was an Associate Professor in the Department of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine.

Perfusion outfit
Japan

To perfuse is to force fluids through an organ or tissue especially by way of the blood vessels. This equipment was probably used in the treatment of shock. The glass tube, filled with a saline solution, was suspended by the metal ring. Rubber tubing was attached both to the narrow end of the glass tube and to a needle which would have been injected into a patient.

Fuel for portable stove
Japan

The charcoal contained in this box served as fuel for a Japanese pocket stove. A soldier applied a lighted match to the fuel until it glowed, then transferred it to a metal receptacle. Such a stove could warm a soldier for six to twelve hours.

Red Cross insignia
Germany

An international organization with national affiliations, the Red Cross aims to prevent and alleviate human suffering. At the Geneva Convention in 1864, official delegates from 12 European nations agreed to form voluntary aid societies that would provide victims with medical assistance in war or peace. The American Red Cross was organized under the direction of Clara Barton in 1881.

During World War Two, the Red Cross saved thousands of lives on both sides of the conflict. Their international outreach programs, always committed to neutrality, encouraged the transfer of medical technologies across borders. This was especially important in regard to whole blood and plasma collection. After the war, the Red Cross was instrumental in helping to rebuild war-devastated countries, especially Germany, China, Japan, and Russia.

Medical transport tags
Germany

These tags were used to identify wounded soldiers en route to a field hospital. The soldier's name, rank, serial number, and details about their injuries were recorded on a tag and tied to the soldier's clothing. The information on the tags made it possible for front line physicians and nurses to communicate pertinent medical information to those stationed at field hospitals. One of the tags on display was filled out by a physician on September 13, 1944 and indicates that the patient had contracted tetanus.

With the First Armored Division entering Rome, a wounded American soldier receives a plasma transfusion. He is carried on a litter to an armored vehicle now serving as a vehicle of mercy emblazoned with a red cross. In the distance, tanks and army vehicles are in battle array just outside the city of Rome.

Courtesy of American Red Cross

Antibiotic ointments
Germany

These ointments were used by the German Red Cross during the War. While many were used to stem general infections, the tube labeled Alak. Augensalbewas an eye salve. In World War One, more soldiers died from infectious diseases than from military action. By World War Two, many of these diseases that had previously run their course were brought under control.

Tetanus serum
Germany

The vaccine for tetanus (lockjaw) was discovered in 1884, but was not widely used until the twentieth century. A vaccine is a preparation consisting of either living or dead micro-organisms that is administered to produce or artifically increase immunity to a particular disease. Tetanus toxins gain entry by means of an open wound. Without treatment, these toxins spread throughout the body and are often fatal. This vaccine was first dispensed on a large scale in October 1914 during World War One and has since saved hundreds of thousands of lives on and off the battlefield.

133. Pfc. Harvey White, Minneapolis, is administering blood plasma provided by the Red Cross to a wounded American soldier while citizens of San Agata, Sicily look on. Courtesy of American Red Cross

Blood serum unit
Germany

Since most wounds during the War were caused by bombs, not bullets, medical personnel needed new technologies to cope with severe cases of shock. While doctors in World War One successfully used blood transfusions in the treatment of shock, they were unable to collect and transport sufficient quantities of blood.

The problem of preserving and storing large quantities of blood was not solved until it was discovered that plasma and serum could be separated from whole blood, combined with other human samples, dried, and then reconstituted with sterile water when needed. If sealed under a vacuum, it was possible to store dried plasma or serum for an indefinite period. This proved very valuable in wartime.

This German unit of serum was confiscated from a hospital by Major A. L. Bauer. It is accompanied by a certificate dated June 1, 1944 that verifies that "the trophy value exceeds any training, service or scrap value."

Bandages
Germany, Italy, France, United States

Bandages have been basic medical supplies for centuries. They are primarily used to prevent excessive bleeding of the wounded during transport to a medical facility. Prior to World War Two, they were made out of any available scraps of fabric - even lace. The ones in this case are made of gauze and were originally packaged and sterilized. Because medical technologies often cross political borders, it is difficult to determine which bandages belonged to which country.

First aid kit
Germany

This portable leather kit was probably carried by a combat nurse or physician. It contains four packages of bandages, surgical tape, and one vial labeled Natr. bicarbon(sodium bicarbonate) which was used to treat minor stomach ailments.

Recognizing the importance of immediate medical care, all military units employed medical personnel who administered first aid. This kit was confiscated from a hospital by Major A. L. Bauer.

Syringe and needles
Japan

This syringe was probably used in the treatment of shock. After saline solution was discovered to be an effective weapon against cholera in 1882, it became a common intravenous method of treating shock, hemorrhaging, and exhaustion. This syringe may also have been used during surgery to inject a combination of antibiotics or anesthetics with saline solution.

Portable stove
Germany

The metal stove shown here was probably carried by a German field soldier. The cardboard box contains sticks of fuel that were used to light a small fire beneath the metal frame. These stoves, too small to generate enough heat for cooking, were primarily used to warm coffee.

Haemacytometer
Germany

A haemacytometer is a diagnostic instrument used for counting blood cells. In order to count red blood cells, a sample was diluted with sterile water in the U-shaped glass and rubber apparatus and then transferred onto the glass slide. The slide sample was placed under a microscope that provided a grid where the number of cells could be counted. White blood cells were similarly treated in the smaller glass tube. Medical personnel compared normal blood counts to their patients' readings for accurate diagnosis.

Artifacts in Military Medicine exhibit are on permanent loan from the University of Iowa College of Medicine to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Medical Museum which is located on the 8th floor of the UIHC, John Colloton Pavilion.

Dr. John T. McClintock
1873 - 1955

134. John McClintock, 1897
Aa a medical student, McClintock poses with his classmates from "Pasteur's
course in bacteriology." He is in the first row, third from the right.
Courtesy of the University of Iowa College of Medicine

John McClintock, born in Burlington, Iowa in 1873, received his MD from the University of Iowa Medical College in 1898. After graduation he was promptly hired by the College (or Department of Medicine as it was then called) as the demonstrator for Anatomy, Pathology and Bacteriology classes. In 1901 he became the head of the Physiology Department, a position he held until 1944. McClintock was highly regarded by his colleagues and even drew guarded praise from Abraham Flexner in his 1909 report on the Medical College. (The Flexner report sharply criticized the inadequacy of Iowa's medical program; following this the Medical College instigated a series of reforms to strengthen clinical teaching and hospital care.)

In addition to his medical duties, McClintock assumed the responsibility of being the Medical College's unofficial historian. McClintock's essays concerning the historical development of the College of Medicine were published in pamphlets and books. He also preserved medical history by establishing the Museum of Medical History. Artifacts, primarily donated by Iowa physicians, trace major developments in medical instrumentation.

This exhibit, "Military Medicine, 1939 - 1945: Artifacts from Japan and Germany" and an exhibit "19th Century Medicine: Diagnosis through Instrumentation" incorporate a small portion of the collection he curated. These artifacts are on permanent loan from the University of Iowa College of Medicine to the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics Medical Museum located on the 8th floor of UIHC, John Colloton Pavilion.